Si avvicina a grandi passi l'edizione 2015 della Tecnica-MaXi-Race che si svolgerà ad Annecy (FRA), il prossimo 29-31 maggio e che vedrà nel suo palinsesto ben sette diverse gare, oltre che la celebrazione del 5° Campionato del Mondo IAU Trail (5th IAU Trail World Championships). Sono 7000 gli atleti iscritti, provenienti da 51 diverse nazioni

Predictions for the World Championship titles are here! The upcoming World Championships, on a 100% mountain-trail race course, have already made history. Never before will so many countries (39) and so many of the world's top-level trail runners (286) be standing at the same starting line.

The race will run the same course as the legendary Tecnica-MaXi-Race (85km, and 5300 m vertical gain), in Annecy-le-Vieux and around Lake Annecy.

The Worlds will start at 03:30, prior to the other races scheduled for the weekend. This allows for separating each individual race.

Participating countries are allowed to select a maximum of 9 men and 9 women to compete.

Four world titles will be awarded:

• The men's World Champion
• The women's World Champion
• And based on the top 3 times per country:
• The men's and women's team World Champions

For the men's and women's team World Champion titles, only 6 athletes among the 9 selected per country will beconsidered when calculating the score by adding the times of the top 3 runners per country.

The upcoming World Championships are organized under the auspices of the International Association of Ultrarunners - IAU- created in 1984, which develops ultras (races longer than a marathon) under the authority of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), which recognized the IAU in 1988.

Co-organized by Maxi Events, DSN74, and the FFA (French Athletics Federation), the 5th IAU Trail World Championships will take place on the same extraordinary terrain as the well-known Tecnica-MaXi-Race, a credit to each organization's expertise and know-how.

April 30, 2015, participating national federations present their lists of selected athletes.

An exceptional line-up of world-class runners!

With 40 competing runners having accumulated more than 800 points in the ITRA ranking (International Trail-Running Association), the battle for a spot on the podium will be fierce. Out in front are Spaniards Luis Alberto Hernando (923 pts), a specialist at this distance, and Miguel Heras (911 pts). In 2014, having won the Mont-Blanc 80 km, the Ultra Pirineu (104 km), and the Tenerife Blue Trail (94 km), Luis Alberto is the main favorite. Americans Alex Warner (910 pts), David Laney (894 pts), and Alex Nichols (882 pts, 3rd place in the 2014 Templiers) might very well pull off an ambush. Frenchman Xavier Thévenard (894 pts), who in April won the 70 km Ultra Fjord in Patagonia, is also one of the hopefuls. Overall France will be fielding a strong team with Sébastien Spehler, 1st place in the 2014 Tecnica-MaXi-Race, Sylvain Court, the 2014 French national champion, and Julien Rancon who took 3rdplace in the last World Championsihps. Outsiders include Spaniard Manuel Merillas, Brit Tom Owens, Italians Franco Colle and Stefano Trisconi, Swiss Jean-Yevs Rey, Nepali Sangé Sherpa, South African Don Wauchope, and Norwegian Lars Erik Skjervheim.

Among the women, the defending World Champion, Nathalie Mauclair (736 pts), will have a tough battle ahead of her to hold on to her title. She will face Spaniards Uxue Fraile and Malte Mayora, each with 754 points in the ITRA ranking and the two main favorites to win! Frenchwoman Maud Gobert (737 pts), the 2011 World Champion, Caroline Chaverot (732 pts), 1st place in the 2014 Tecnica-MaXi-Race and 2014 French national champion, and Aurélia Truel, 2nd place in the 2013 World Championships, will also by vying for the title.

Other racers to keep an eye on: American Krissy Moehl (1st place, 2009 UTMB®), Australian Gill Fowler (714 pts), and Mélanie Bos (CAN - 712 pts), Holly Rush (GB - 701 pts), Tracy Dean (GB-709 pts), and Swiss Andréa Huser and Denise Zimmermann.

For the men's team title, leading trail running countries Spain, the United States, and France will battle it out, and for the women France and Spain are the two favorites to win, with Italy, Canada, and the Great Britain hoping to take them by surprise.

The results will be available on May 30, at 14:00!

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