On Friday, Nov. 15, 38 countries converged in Villa La Angostura, Argentina for the 35th edition of the World Mountain Running Championships. It would be a great day for Team USA with three total medals including individual gold for Joseph Gray and Grayson Murphy and a team silver for the senior men.
Sunny and mild conditions in the days leading up to the race, morphed overnight into wet and cooler conditions for race day with temperatures hovering the 50s. The Junior races opened the day on a course that was altered two days before. Originally, planned to be a single 7 km loop, the juniors course became a two loop 8 km route.
The Senior men and women would do battle on a 14 km course that climbed and descended just under 2500 feet. The wet conditions were compounded by the earlier two Junior races, leaving the trails increasingly difficult to traverse for the Senior races. Fortunately, challenges such as this, can merely mean more opportunity for fun.
The US junior team arrived at the start area in a steady downpour. The wind would pick up periodically as the athletes were warming up and at the 9:45 a.m. start. For the junior men, the rain was heavy and created pools of water along the short section of dirt road they would run up to the single track on the early stages of the course.
Athletes lined up by country with one member of each delegation on the start line, with the remaining team members in a single file row behind. The start was fast and aggressive and Tyman Smart got a good early start for Team USA followed by his teammates.
Article written by Team USA staff members Jason Bryant, Nancy Hobbs and Paul Kirsch. Photos by Nancy Hobbs and Paul Kirsch.
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