2007 Australian mountain running teams
The Australian Mountain Running Association selection committee has selected strong teams for the 2007 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championship on 8 September and the 2007 World Mountain Running Trophy on 15 September.
The long distance team is headed by 2005 and 2006 world champion Emma Murray who unfortunately is in severe doubt because of a nagging hamstring problem. The other team members are outstanding male and female performers from this year's Six Foot Track Marathon (which was the Australian long distance trail running championship), plus New Zealand based two-time Australian representative John Winsbury who has excelled in long distance mountain runs in New Zealand this year.
For the World Mountain Running Trophy, there are high hopes for juniors Matthew Bayley from Victoria and Veronica Wallington from New South Wales who both clocked times in the Australian championships which would have been medal-winning in the world championship in New Zealand two years ago on a comparable course. The senior man's and women's teams have several previous Australian representatives including three-time Australian champion Scott McTaggart from Canberra and Wollongong's Stephen Brown who performed very well in the World Mountain Running Grand Prix series last year.
2007 World long distance mountain running championship, Jungfrau marathon, 8 September:
Women: Emma Murray, Isobel Bespalov, Jackie Fairweather, Vanessa Haverd
Men: Matthew Robbie, John Winsbury, Neil Labinsky, Trevor Jacobs, Simon Fairweather
Event website: www.jungfrau-marathon.ch
2007 World Mountain Running Trophy, Saillon/Ovronnaz, Switzerland, 15 September
Men: Scott McTaggart, Stephen Brown, Mark Bourne, Stuart Doyle, Adam Leane
Women: Hubertien Wichers, Cindy King
Junior men: Matthew Bayley, Ben Guest, Kevin Batt
Junior women: Veronica Wallington, Lara Tamsett, Lauren McKillop
Team manager: Cindy King. Assistant managers: Ruth McTaggart, Kevin Wills
Event website: www.coursedes2bains.org