11. European Mountain Running Championships, Denizli (Pamukkale), Turkey on July 7, 2012
More than 170 athletes from 21 countries will compete to be the European Mountain Running Champion in the Senior and Junior events.
The venue is in a beautiful and healthy Turkish setting, with the warm weather expected to add to the endurance test of mountain running as they conquer the challenging terrain of Denizli - Pamukkale.
The course of the championships will pass through the remains of the ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis in Pamukkale, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site." "
In the men senior race, Ahmet Arslan (TUR) will be looking to extend his domination of European titles in recent years as he aims for his sixth title in the men's race. The Italian world champion team is expected to offer the most likely challenge through Marco De Gasperi (ITA), Bernard , Dematteis (ITA), Gabriele Abate (ITA) and, former World Junior Champion 2009, Xavier Chevrier (ITA). Ionut Zinca (ROU) who placed 7th in Albania 2011 could also feature.
In the women senior race, Pavia Schorna (CZE) is expected to feature prominently having placed 4th in the World championships, but will be tested by Elena Rukhlyada (RUS) the Silver medalist from the same world championships along with other prominent women like Mateja Kosovelj (SLO), Antonella Confortola (ITA), Emma Clayton (GBR) and Sarah McCormack (IRL). Team titles will be hotly contested with the host nation of Turkey expected to feature. Italy has strong men's and women's squads with France, Slovenia, Russia, Great Britain and Poland also capable of topping the podium.
Karagoz Adem (TUR), World champion last year in Albania, is the favorite in the junior men race together all the other three Turkish runners, always very strong in this , category. Cesare Maestri (ITA), fifth at the World Championships 2011, will lead the group of runners who will try to defeat the favorite Turkish athletes.
Once time more, two Turkish junior women are in the leading position for gaining the victory in the category: Yilmaz Cesminaz (TUR), Vice World Champion 2011 and Eytemiz Sevilay (TUR), 3. In the European Championships and 4. In the World Championships last year, are waiting for the gold medal, but a surprise could arise from all the other runners starting by Russian, Polish, Rumanian and Irish athletes.
Team podium in the junior races is not easy to preview!
The course will be on a repeated lap of approximately 4 km with a climb of 240m on each lap.
The junior women will complete 1 lap, the junior men and senior women complete 2 laps while the senior men will look complete 3 laps that will have 100m of stair climbing on each lap as they pass through the historical site.
During the event will be held the Annual Meeting of the European Mountain Running Commission, with Chairman the BAF President, Dobromir Karamarinov (BUL).
The European Athletics could present with its President Hans Jorg Wirz /SWI) and other important Officials
Bruno Gozzelino (ITA), , (also World Mountain Running Association President) and Wolfgang Munzel (also WMRA Council member), are EA Mountain Running Commission members and will attend along with delegates from the European Athletics Association and Turkish Athletics. But also all the other WMRA members will be present in Turkey with their National Team: Bashir Hussain (GBR), Raimondo Balicco (ITA), Tomo Sarf (SLO), Galia Puhaleva (BUL) and of course Erhan Basoglu (TUR).
Further details along with previous results can be found on the excellent website provided by the LOC under the direction of TAF President, Mehmet Terzi (TUR).
http://www.denizli-pamukkale2012.org/2nd_language/index.html#
News by Bashir Hussain
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