By Gary Anderson

September 10 - Conwy Castle in north Wales will provide a spectacular backdrop to the 2015 World Mountain Running ChampionshipsThe World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) has announced that Betws-y-Coed in Conwy, North Wales, will play host to the World Mountain Running Championships in 2015.

The event will include senior men, senior women, junior men, junior women and team races, as well as a week-long festival of mountain running that will incorporate masters events, open races for all ages and abilities, and educational seminars.

"Conwy County Borough Council is extremely excited about bringing the Championships to the area," said Graham Rees, Conwy Council's Cabinet Member for tourism, marketing and leisure.

"The impact of the event will be felt on the economy, our sporting culture and the youth of the county - which is very important to us.

"Additionally, the competitors will be staying in North Wales for a number of nights, bringing great economic benefits."

The winning bid to host the 2015 World Championships, which was submitted to the WMRA by British Athletics and Conwy County Borough Council, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Welsh Athletics, was chosen ahead of one from Sapareva Banya in Bulgaria.

The decision was announced in the Polish town of Krynica-Zdrój, where the 2013 World Championships took place.

The men's senior competition was won by Uganda's Philip Kiplimo, while Alice Gaggi of Italy triumphed in the women's event.

Uganda and Italy also took top honours in the men's and women's team competitions respectively.

The 2014 World Mountain Running Championships are scheduled to take place in Casette di Massa, Tuscany, Italy.

Competitors will be running along the tough terrain of the Conwy Mountains in WalesCompetitors will be running along the tough terrain of the Conwy Mountains in Wales
























"It's great that the UK will be able to host another major athletics event," said Cherry Alexander, British Athletics' major events director.

"With both the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships and IPC (International Paralympic Committee) World Championships also coming to London in 2017 and the IPC European Athletics Championships being hosted in Swansea in 2014, the World Mountain Running Championships being in North Wales in 2015 is yet another great opportunity to showcase all the disciplines of world class athletics here in the UK."

Conwy hosted the World Trail Running Championships earlier this year, while the 2011 Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships were also staged in North Wales.

The 2015 World Mountain Running Championships will be the third time the event has been hosted in the UK following on from Keswick in Cumbria in 1988 and Edinburgh in 1995.

"We are delighted with the decision to award the 2015 World Mountain Running Championships to North Wales, proving once again Wales' ability to attract top-class running events through the hard work of several key partners," said head of endurance at Welsh Athletics, Steve Brace.

"With its rich heritage of mountain and fell running, north Wales is the perfect location for such an event and it will further enhance Wales' growing reputation as a world-leading running destination."

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