2002 WMRA World Mountain Running Trophy

September 14-15, 2002
Innsbruck, Austria

Forty nations including newcomers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Ecuador, and Syria are scheduled to compete in the 18th annual WMRA World Mountain Running Trophy events to be held in Innsbruck, Austria.

Italy was the dominant team in the last uphill trophy event in 2000 in Bergen, Germany, winning the open men, junior men, and junior women's competition and placing second in the open women's category. Expected to challenge the Italian team this year will be the host country along with New Zealand, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic.

The U.S. open men have finished among the top ten teams in each of their trips to the World Trophy since 1994, except 1995 and 2001 where they finished 15th and 18th respectively. The open women have inched up from 18th place in their first year of competition in 1995 to top ten finishes since 1999. This year a top-five finish is within reach for both the U.S. men and women.