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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

WMRA 6th & final Grand Prix race preview.

25/10/2006

Rock of Gibraltar International.

The preview below also appears, with photographs, on the IAAF web page.

The world famous ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ is the venue for the final WMRA Grand Prix race of the season on Saturday 28th October. The mens course is 11.8km with 730 m of ascent and 240m of descent. The womens course is 8.2km .
The race finishes on the top of the Rock where spectacular views of the Mediterranean on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other can be enjoyed. Entertainment will be provided by the semi wild Barbary apes that inhabit the Rock.
All the leading 15 Grand Prix contenders are invited as the guests of the race organisers, Gibraltar AAA, whose main sponsor is the Government of Gibraltar.
Marco Gaiardo (ITA), who has run second to Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) all season, will not compete leaving Wyatt as the overall Grand Prix winner before the final race starts. Nevertheless, Wyatt will be aiming to make this his 5th consecutive Grand Prix victory. His challengers in the absence of Gaiardo will be last years winner in this race, Vicente Mena Capitan (ESP), and Marco de Gasperi (ITA), former World champion on four occasions who is coming into top form after an early season injury. Great Britain international Andi Jones will also be in contention.
With Gaiardo secure in second position in the GP ranking, the third position is wide open for several runners to claim. The current GP ranking and points system can be seen on the results page of www.wmra.info.
Izabella Zatorska (POL), last years winner, will be faced with the daunting task of beating Anna Pichrtova (CZE) already Grand Prix winner and European champion.
The up and coming young Mateja Kosovelj (SLO) has the potential to lift herself from 5th to 2nd in the GP ranking if she reproduces the form she showed in winning the fifth GP race in Switzerland.
The race prize list for both men and women is identical starting at 1000€ for the winners and going down to tenth position.
Prizes for winners in the overall Grand Prix ranking will be presented after the race.

Danny Hughes