Poland to host 24-hour world championships

Almost 270 ultra runners will be in Poland this weekend to take part in the 9th IAU 24 Hour World & European Championship.

The race is happening on Sept. 8 and 9 in Kawotice, Poland, where 2010 world champions Singo Inoue from Japan and France’s Anne Cecile Fontaine will defend their titles.

The race, which did not take place in 2011 due to difficulty finding a location, tests runners to see how far they can run in a 24 hour period.

In 2010, Inoue won with a distance of 273.708K. Fontaine is expected to face stiff competition from Japan’s Mami Kudo, who enters the field with a performance of 255.303K.

According to the IAAF, this year’s race will see a record 269 athletes (160 men and 109 women) representing 35 countries, competing. The course is a 1554m looped route in a park near the city centre, and is relatively flat with a couple of rolling hills.

Live updates on the championships will be carried on the IAU website and Twitter.