| 2009 European Mountain Running Championships | |
|---|---|
| Organisers | EAA |
| Edition | 8th |
| Date | 12 July |
| Host city | Telfes im Stubai, Austria  |
| Nations participating | 25 |
| Athletes participating | 241 |
| Races | 4 |
| Distances | 11 km – Men 9.5 km – Women 9.5 km – U20 men 4 km – U20 women |
The 2009 European Mountain Running Championships were held on 12 July in Telfes im Stubai, Austria. They were that year's area championships for mountain running, held by the European Athletic Association. The 2009 edition saw the introduction of two under-20s competitions into the championships programme, complementing the usual men's and women's senior races. The men's race was 11 km long and featured a total climb of 1300 m in altitude, while the women's and under-20s men's competitions were over 9.5 km and scaled a height of 950 m. [1] The women's junior competition was held over 4 km with a total climb of 400 m. [2]
The European Mountain Running Championships is an annual international mountain running race. Inaugurated in 2002, it is organised by the European Athletic Association (EAA) in July each year. The venue for the championships is changed each year.
Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in Central Europe comprising nine federated states. Its capital, largest city and one of nine states is Vienna. Austria has an area of 83,879 km2 (32,386 sq mi), a population of nearly nine million people and a nominal GDP of $477 billion. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The terrain is landlocked and highly mountainous, lying within the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 m (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 m (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other regional languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.
Mountain running is a sports discipline which takes place mainly off-road in mountainous terrain, but if there is significant elevation gain on the route, surfaced roads may be used. In this it differs from fell running; also its courses are more clearly marked and avoid dangerous sections. It is a form of trail running if it is run on unpaved surfaces. Mountain running is a combination of running, jogging, and walking, depending on how steep the trail is.
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Turkish runner Ahmet Arslan retained his European title for a second time in the men's senior race, following wins in 2007 and 2008. In the women's senior race, Martina Strähl took the honours over home favourite Andrea Mayr. Italian athletes dominated the team competitions at the championships, taking the gold medals in the senior men's and women's races, as well as the men's under-20s event. Turkish runners topped the podium in both the under-20s contests; Yusuf Alici and Derya Altintas won the boys and girls titles respectively. [3]
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. East Thrace, the part of Turkey in Europe, is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorous strait and the Dardanelles. Turkey is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest; Georgia to its northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the south. Istanbul is the largest city while Ankara is the capital. Approximately 70 to 80 per cent of the country's citizens identify as Turkish. Kurds are the largest minority; the size of the Kurdish population is a subject of dispute with estimates placing the figure at anywhere from 12 to 25 per cent of the population.
Ahmet Arslan is a long-distance runner from Turkey competing in mountain running. He is a six time successive champion of European Mountain Running Championships.
Andrea Mayr is a female long-distance runner from Austria. She also competes in mountain running and cycling. She set her personal best (2:30:43) in the women's marathon on April 19, 2009, winning the Vienna City Marathon. She holds the Austrian records over the half marathon and marathon distances.
