Other races may claim to be pre-eminent this weekend – most notably the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday (6th November) – but for runABC South news reporter Alan Newman there is one event that rises above all others and that is the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in the heights of Doi Suthep in Northern Thailand.

After many years of holding separate global championships the International Association of Ultrarunners; the World Mountain Running Association and the International Trail Running Association have joined forces for the first time under the auspices of World Athletics to present the inaugural combined championships.

There will be trail races in the foothills over 40K and 80K; uphill only mountain races and the more traditional up and down mountain races – think fell racing on steroids! A few gifted and exceptionally tough athletes will be contesting more than one race over the four days of this new event in the international calendar (3rd – 6th November).

Great Britain and Northern Ireland has embraced this initiative and selected a competitive squad of 15 women and 21 men. Of those selected, three women are expected to race both uphill only and the up and down mountain races: Scout Adkin, Holly Page and Phillipa Williams. All have previously won medals at European level and Williamson was the world bronze medallist in 2019. 

Among the men likely to make an impact are the defending 40K world champion Jon Albon, who won his title in Portugal in 2019, and 40K bronze medallist Tom Evans, who was recently third in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and who steps up to the 80K trail race in Thailand.

Image courtesy Jon Albon on Facebook