Posted by: Ross Leonhart
Inaugural World Mountain & Trail Running Championships held in November in Thailand
In early November, more than 900 elite athletes from 46 member federations took part in the inaugural four-day World Mountain & Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The U.S. Mountain & Trail Running Team in October announced its athletes, including a handful of familiar faces who have competed regularly at the GoPro Mountain Games each summer in Vail, Colorado.
Featuring 39 of the top off-road runners in the United States, Team USA is made up of athletes from 12 U.S. states. The first-ever festival featured 80-kilometer and 40-kilometer trail races plus uphill mountain races for senior athletes, and classic up and down mountain races for both senior and U20 athletes.
Based on automatic spots earned at highly competitive selection races and resume submissions for at-large spots, the following athletes have been named to Team USA for the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships:
- Joseph Gray (finished 1st in the adidas TERREX 10K Spring Runoff at 2022 Mountain Games)
- Ashley Brasovan (finished 3rd in the adidas TERREX 10K Spring Runoff at 2022 Mountain Games)
- Joseph DeMoor (finished 2nd in the adidas TERREX 10K Spring Runoff at 2022 Mountain Games)
- Andy Wacker (finished 2nd in the adidas TERREX 20K Anniversary Run at 2022 Mountain Games)
- Tabor Hemming (finished 1st in the adidas TERREX 20K Anniversary Run at 2022 Mountain Games)
- Eli Hemming (finished 1st in the adidas TERREX 20K Anniversary Run at 2022 Mountain Games)
Joseph Gray, a dominant trail runner each year at the Mountain Games, has been representing Team USA since 2008 and won his first world championship in 2009. Gray is looking forward to representing the red, white and blue again this year at the new World Mountain & Trail Running Championships.
“I think [the Mountain Games] are a great mid-season event that offers great competition and a chance for athletes to test their fitness,” Gray said.
For more information about the World Mountain Running Association, visit wmra.ch.
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