First time entry at World Ultra Trail Championships.
ASA also announced the team that would represent South Africa for the first time at the World Ultra Trail Running Championships in Connemara, Ireland on 9 July. Husband and wife pairing Su Don-Wauchope and Iain Don-Wauchope are the more recognized names in the team of Katya Soggot, Jeannie Bomford, William Robbinson and Bruce Arnett.
“In selecting the team we looked for athletes who regularly feature in the top 5 positions on the local train running circuit, but also athletes who are known as ‘hard’ athletes in their fields” according to James Evans.
Su Don-Wauchope showed her mettle when she won the Southern Storm Ultra Duathlon, comprised of 5 days of Trail running and Mountain Biking. Husband Iain doing the same in the men’s race. Bruce Arnett and Katya Soggot have the Table Mountain race wins as their claim to fame, whilst Jeannie Bomford (along with running partner Sarah Grey) won the three-day trail race Africa X in May this year.
Athletes will cover a total distance of 71km at the World Championships; primarily in two large circular loops that encompass mountains, grassland trails, compacted gravel trails, loose rock trails and open countryside. The course is undoubtedly a tough one that could well suit 100km runners, long distance mountain runners and 24-hour runners in addition to dedicated trail athletes.
The event is both an individual and team competition. Men’s and women’s teams will comprise a maximum of 6 people with 3 to score. However, each national athletics federation has an option to send 9 male and 9 female competitors, e.g. a full team + 3 individual athletes.
Competitors in the team competition will automatically count in the individual race and team positions are decided on the basis of the cumulative time of the top three finishers.
[…] SA team for World Ultra Trail Championships is a post from: Trail Running South Africa […]