From where and how did the sport originate? 

Man’s need to run quickly over both short and long distances is as old as humankind. To be fast helped him to survive, to catch an animal for food, to escape from danger and natural catastrophes, to be successful in war or, as in the case of the first marathon, to take messages.

And where did this hunter, warrior, messenger live? Probably somewhere in the hilly countryside. There were no roads, no tunnels to avoid the mountains, no bridges to cross rivers. He therefore had to run over hills, over mountains, through forests, across rivers as fast as he could. He was not running for medals, or money, or trophies or glory, he was running to survive.

Today this need is no longer necessary, but there is bred into us a desire to run in the nature and over the mountains and so we have our mountain running competitions, where medals, trophies and money replace the historic basic need of survival. 

Mountain Running Courses

Mountain races take place over an infinite variety of distance, ascent, descent and terrain and it is what makes the sport so fascinating. There are courses to be found that suit every ability and age group.

Mountain races cover the whole range of distances and difficulty from short 15-minute sprints to long several hour treks over many mountain paths.
Many races in the Alpine region take place in ski resorts where there are high-level facilities and ski lifts for transport down. Here the races start in the resort and finish at a high level – called uphill only races. In many other regions interest in the event centres on the mountain village or town where the race starts and finishes, usually there are no high level facilities – there are referred to as uphill/downhill races. These races often consist of more than one lap and are especially suited to regions where the mountains are small and could better be described as hills.

There are also races that have considerable descent but finish at a high level – a mixture of both of the above courses.

All mountain races take place on terrain that is very variable, normally utilising established walking tracks. The course is marked so that all competitors follow the same route. Some countries (Gt.Britain for example) allow runners to choose their own route between check points so there is an element of orienteering skills required in these races.

Championship courses have closely defined parameters which must be observed. IAAF rule 250.10 defines the distances and heights for men, women, and juniors for both uphill only and uphill/downhill courses. These are a useful reference when preparing selection races for a championship event.

What makes a Mountain Runner?

The very term ‘mountain runner’ and the thought of running up mountains must put off many athletes who could in fact excel at the sport and discover an enhanced experience of athletics.

Our sport is an endurance event and just like other distance races, from 10k to Marathon, requires both endurance and speed but there are many other aspects to consider.

One of these is the environment dimension to your running enjoyment. Having an empathy with natural surroundings and a love of mountains and the scenery is important. Tired of hammering out miles on hard tarmac? tired of running round and round a 400m track? tired of the constant pressure for PB’s? then mountain running may be your sport.

Another aspect is where you live. If in the centre of a city, conventional distance running may be the most practical choice. If living in a flat part of the country, training for mountain races may be difficult. If you live in close proximity to hills or mountains, or visit them regularly, the training terrain available to you makes preparation for mountain running a real possibility.
Training to be a mountain runner requires the same kind of training that you would do for any other endurance event with a few add-ons. We find that Cross Country skiers excel at mountain running because it develops the right kind of muscle strength and cardiovascular efficiency.

The different type of muscle strength required to convert from, say, marathon to mountain means that you have to include in your training schedule both uphill and downhill running. To attempt a mountain race that included descending without specific training is asking for injury. Not only do muscles have to be attuned to descending but also reflexes have to be alert to variable terrain. To attempt an uphill mountain race based purely on flat running will soon destroy your speed ambitions.

Having said that, only those with good basic speed will be able to challenge for the top positions. What this means is a 10k time less than 30 minutes or a Marathon time less than 2.20.00, both for men of course, with equivalent times for women.

For those fixated on PB’s mountain running has little to offer. Your rewards can only be measured in relation to your performance against your fellow competitors, your performance on a particular course and the joy of running in the nature. There are no records in mountain running except those for a given mountain race course.

There are some recent examples of outstanding road athletes converting successfully to  mountain running. Geoffrey Kusuro (Uganda) won the 2007 World Trophy junior race and went on to take second place in the Mt Obudu race in Nigeria. Rita Jeptoo (Kenya), winner of the Boston Marathon a few years ago, picked up the $50,000 prize in winning the 2007 Mt Obudu race.

A common misconception surrounds the term ‘mountain running’ because immediate thoughts of running up the Matterhorn or other high Alpine mountains springs to mind. In fact, there are testing ‘mountain races’ staged on hills no higher than 200m. We have often been challenged to define the difference between Cross Country Running and Mountain Running. This has been resisted because the line between the two is blurred. What we can say is that mountain running involves considerable amounts of ascent and descent much in excess of that which would be contemplated for a cross-country race. IAAF rule 250.10 applies.

There are some basic rules about distances and amounts of ascent/descent which govern championship courses and these are needed to consistency. There are bound to be mountain races which suit your temperament and ability so why not consider an escape from the madding crowd and seek out a mountain race in your locality to see what is entailed.