2006 World Mountain Running Championships,
Bursa, Turkey, 10 September 2006
Selection criteria
1. The 2006 Australian Mountain Running Championships will be the primary selection race but the selectors will also consider international performances in mountain running events and other distance running events and performances in relevant State mountain running championships. Senior competitors with a marathon personal best of better than 2hrs 20 mins for men and 2hrs 40 mins for women may also be considered.
2. The maximum competitors from a country that may contest the World Mountain Running Championships are as follows:
- Senior men 6 (with the fastest 4 to count on the day);
- Senior women 4 (with 3 to count);
- Junior men 4 (with 3 to count);
- Junior women 3 (with 2 to count).
3. World Mountain Running Association rules have a junior age restriction of a minimum of 16 years on 31 December in the year of competition.
4. Competitors will only be selected to represent Australia if the selectors consider that they are of a suitable standard. In assessing the time cut-off points for this standard, the selectors will take into account:
- the individual results of competitors in the top half of the field at previous uphill World Mountain Running Championships, and the finishing positions of team members at those championships whose teams finished in the top ten;
- comparability of Australian performances in the Australian championships with those achieved by any leading visiting international runners who participated;
- the elapsed time between the winner of the Australian championship and later finishers;
- the desirability of fielding an Australian team if a competitor is on the border line for selection and inclusion of the competitor will either enable an Australian team to enter or will strengthen the depth of the team.
5. Junior competitors of a suitable standard may be selected provisionally, with confirmation of selection subject to arrangements being confirmed that they can travel with a parent, coach or team manager.
6. Reserves of suitable standard may be selected to be on stand-by in case a selected runner withdraws.
7. Each selected competitor must be a currently registered member of a State or Territory Athletics Association and of the Australian Mountain Running Association.
8. Interested athletes should submit an application form (see attached) by Monday 8 May 2006.Further information about the World Championships are on the event web-site http://www.wmrt2006.org/ Selected athletes must be prepared to self finance all or nearly all of their travel expenses and arrange their own travel, subject to liaison with the team manager. Junior competitors must travel with either a parent/guardian or the team manager. The Australian Mountain Running Association will undertake fund raising for the team but the per capita subsidy will be unlikely to be high. The World Mountain Running Association will also provide a small subsidy. The organisers usually provide free accommodation and meals for the period from Thursday to Sunday when the championship is conducted on a Saturday. Team members will be encouraged to seek funding assistance from their athletics clubs, and from other sources.
For more information please contact:
John Harding
Chairman
Australian Mountain Running Association selection committee
Tel 02 6248 6905
Email jgharding@bigpond.com