There are 50 days left to go until the European Off-Road Running Championships in Annecy, France.
The second edition of the event will see the cream of the continent’s mountain and trail runners tackle the spectacular courses in the French Alps across three days on 31 May-2 June.
The inaugural event took place two years ago in El Paso on the Spanish island of La Palma with 283 runners from 24 countries taking part. Already this year’s event is set to be significantly bigger with 480 runners representing 30 countries in the preliminary entries.
The event consists of ten championship races over mountainous and trail terrain in senior and U20 male and female categories. There are also open races for recreational runners to register and compete on the championship courses.
Major importance in Olympic year
Looking towards the event, André Giraud, President of the French Athletics Federation (FFA) said: “Today, off-road racing encompasses a whole range of disciplines that are of major importance to French athletics.
“We’re delighted to be hosting the European Championships in Annecy, France, in the same year as the Olympic Games! We would like to thank European Athletics, who have placed their trust in the skills of the organizer and the experience of the FFA.”
A beautiful playground
The Event Director, Stéphane Agnoli of MaXi-Events said: “Nine years after the World Championships, MaXi-Race is proud to once again host an international event such as the European Off-Road Running Championships.
“These European (Off-Road) Championships will be a unique opportunity to celebrate trail running in all its forms, bringing together the best European athletes and amateur and professional trail runners on the same site.
“Our region is one of the most beautiful playgrounds in the world for outdoor activities and will be one of the finest stages for promoting sport and health.”
A land of sports
Annecy Deputy Mayor Catherine Allard commented: “Annecy is a land of sports, and we’re delighted for the organizers to be able to host a competition of this scale once again.
“We’ll be supporting the event, making it a point of honour to limit its carbon footprint, and working with the organizers on a section dedicated to preserving the environment. So that we can continue to run for a long time to come in these beautiful areas and enjoy the mountains.”