Trail running to come under International Association of Athletics Federation umbrella in ‘great step forward’ for sport
The IAAF has partnered with the International Trail Running Association and World Mountain Running Association to link running communities
Trail and mountain running are likely to see further expansion into more countries after the governing bodies combined forces to launch an inaugural world championships in 2021.
At a joint news conference on Tuesday, the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) announced a partnership with athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, marking a new era for two of the largest running communities in the world.
International Association of Athletics Federations president Sebastian Coe hailed the rising popularity of the off-road running events, saying this new endeavour was a logical next step to bring all the events under one umbrella.
“As the global federation, it is our ambition to bring all runners together under one umbrella and this process will reach a significant milestone in 2021 when we will host the first combined IAAF Trail and Mountain Running World Championships,” he said in a statement.