With less than three weeks to go before the start of the 2023 edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in the Innsbruck-Stubai region of Austria, Athletics South Africa president, James Moloi, has offered powerful words of support to the athletes who have been chosen to represent South Africa at the event.
The championships, which take place from 6-10 June, are part of a global running festival which has attracted elite trail and mountain runners from across the world to compete on trails through some of the most spectacular scenery Austria has to offer.
“For some time we’ve been looking for an opportunity to support trail running,” said Moloi. “Finally this year we’ve reached out to the trail community to send a trail team to World Championships in Austria.
“The whole world is competing in Austria – almost 70 countries taking part and South Africa must be there as well. We have a strong legacy of trail running with athletes who have competed strongly all over the world and we are going all out to support this team.
“I’m very excited to see this plan come together and I believe it is the beginning of big things for the sport. We are sharing our resources at ASA to make it possible for the team to travel.”
Moloi observed that the team has drawn athletes from track, road and cross-country. These are athletes who are now embracing trail running as an important code in its own right, while also using trail running to strengthen and sharpen their performances in other disciplines.
“We took a large team of young track and field athletes to Lusaka a few weeks ago for the U18 and U20 African Championships. The team competed very strongly and came together as one, as the Rainbow Nation. It will be the same for our trail team,” Moloi continued.
“We want everyone to feel that this is their team, to get behind them and support them. Let’s join hands together and wish them well for the championship.”
South Africa will be competing in a cauldron of high quality trail and mountain racing and will be up against the best in the world.
European countries, together with the USA, have traditionally dominated the sport and with many of the world’s leading athletes taking part, finishing in the top bracket will be a significant feat for us.
“I believe this trail team will bring us glory and will compete strongly. To the trail athletes who have been chosen, do your best in Austria. This is the beginning of the big things to come and it is our hope that many young runners will be inspired by our top trail athletes in action at the championships.”
Meanwhile World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, echoed Moloi’s words on the excitement of embracing a relatively new discipline into the World Athletics’ fold.
“Mountain and Trail running has seen a significant rise in popularity over the course of the last few years as more,” said Coe.
“This is a welcome development for us at World Athletics as we look to expand the reach of our sport and promote running at every level and in every form.
“These Championships provide an exciting opportunity to showcase a different racing challenge for distance runners and for them to come together to celebrate their shared passion for our sport.”
Reflecting on the close connection between trail and mountain running and the environment, Coe recognised the importance of keeping the environmental impact of major events, such as the trail championships, to a minimum.
“An important benefit of mountain and trail running is the fact that it is one of the most sustainable athletics disciplines. Staged outdoors, these events make use of the natural settings and with no additional infrastructure required, it allows us to keep our footprint very small.”
The team departs from OR Tambo International Airport in the evening of 4 June.
The full team:
Mountain classic 13.7km
Men – Mbuleli Mathanga, Sipho Mbanjwa, Llewellyn Groenewald, Siboniso Soldaka
Women – Bianca Tarboton, Nwabisa Mjoli, Lijan van Niekerk
Short Trail 44 km
Men – Kane Reilly, Johardt van Heerden, Jacques Du Plessis
Women – Toni McCann, Landie Greyling
Long Trail 85 km
Men – Daniel Claassen, Christian Greyling
Women – Meg Mackenzie
