Canfranc 2024 World Masters Mountain Running Championship

by Pearse Brogan · September 23, 2024

Last weekend (13-15^th September), the world’s top master mountain runners converged on Canfranc, Spain, for the 2024 World Masters Mountain Running Championship. This year’s event was truly historic, marking the first time in the championship’s history that all three World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) modalities—Uphill, Classic, and Long Distance— were featured in the program.

The Canfranc 2024 World Masters Mountain Running Championships set new records, with an impressive 1,400 athletes from 35 different countries registered to compete. Amongst these athletes included 17 NIMRA / Northern Irish athletes competing for either Ireland or Great Britain.

Canfranc, located in the Aragonese Pyrenees, is a town with a rich history in mountain running. The annual ‘CanfrancCanfranc’ race, now in its 18^th year, has hosted three Mountain Running World Cup events and several Spanish Championships, establishing itself as one of the toughest and most respected races in the sport.

The experience gained from organising these events ensured that the World Masters Championship ran smoothly and successfully. Moreover, it served as an excellent test for the Canfranc Pirineos 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, which will also be held in Canfranc next year.

The 2024 championship is open to all masters runners aged 35 and older who are federated in athletics in their respective countries. This allows athletes from around the world to compete on a global stage, testing their skills against their peers in one of the most challenging environments imaginable.

The event began on Friday with the Uphill race, a gruelling 6.5km climb with a staggering 1,000m elevation gain that challenged even the most experienced mountain runners. The most notable results from this race included: William Fleck (M45 GB) being amongst the three British scorers, earning him a fantastic team silver medal; Phil Goss (M35 Ireland) making it a hat-trick haul following his third year at this event, scoring on the Irish team that collected the silver medal; Shileen O’Kane (W55 Ireland), no stranger to this championship with numerous medals to her name, added another to her collection with team bronze; and Peter Bell (M70 Ireland) finally getting his hands on a medal with a great run ensuring he landed the team bronze with Ireland.

Overall placings:

Phil Goss 48^th ; Jason Wilson 50^th ; Ethan O’Kane 66^th (open race); James Trainor 76^th ; Paul Trainor 93^rd ; William Fleck 113^th ; Mark Alexander 127^th ; Wilson McAlister 183^rd ; Donal O’Kane 214^th ; Peter Bell 217^th ; Willie John Brown 238^th

Shileen O’Kane 31^st ; Karen Wilton 33^rd

Saturday featured the Long-Distance race, a 34km course with a 2,000m elevation gain that demands both endurance and tactical acumen. This race is not just about speed, but also about navigating the challenging landscape that makes Canfranc one of the premier destinations for mountain running. Despite only having two runners from NIMRA / Northern Ireland taking part, two team medals were achieved. Lee O’Boyle (M40 Ireland) was the leading Irish M40 counter, securing his team the silver medal. Adam Cunningham (M35 Ireland) was the leading Irish scorer, anchoring his team to a bronze medal.

Overall placings:

Adam Cunningham 19^th

Lee O’Boyle 65^th

The championship concluded on Sunday with the Classic race, a 17km event that included a 1,000m ascent. This race has long been a staple of mountain running, and its inclusion in the championship provided a fitting finale to what was an extraordinary weekend of competition. Noteworthy results from this race included: Karen Wilton (W50 GB) helping her team secure an incredible gold medal; Phil Goss and Jason Wilson (M35 Ireland) being the first two scorers on the Irish team which helped secure the team silver, and; Maurice McCartan (M45 Ireland) being the final counter on the Irish team to just sneak ahead of the Italians for the bronze.

Overall placings:

Phil Goss 41^st ; Jason Wilson 53^rd ; William Fleck 89^th ; Mark Alexander 97^th ; Paul Trainor 101^st ; Tim Lowry 108^th ; James Trainor 120^th ; Maurice McCartan 177^th ; Wilson McAlister 213^th

Karen Wilton 19^th ; Shileen O’Kane 26^th

Well done to everyone from Northern Ireland who competed and acquitted themselves excellently against the world’s best masters mountain runners. Thank you to Canfranc for providing stunning courses for the championships, and also to IMRA for the many months of organising the Irish teams and the final night’s dinner. Next year’s event will be hosted by Italy in Meduno.