2011 IAU Trail Challenge - U.S. Team Qualification Guidelines

2011 IAU Trail Challenge - U.S. Team Qualification Guidelines
A contingent of American Trail Ultrarunners will be selected to compete at the 2011 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) World Trail Challenge under the patronage of the IAAF in Galway, Ireland.  This approximately 50 mile trail race takes place on Sunday July 10, 2011 (TENTATIVE). For more detaills see the event website (posted when available).
The U.S. would like to send a contingent of up to six men and up to six women ultrarunners. The contingent and alternates (if applicable) will be selected by the USATF Mountain/Ultra/Trail (MUT) Running Council which was established in 1998 to help USATF administer ultrarunning in the United States.

Qualifying Window is January 10, 2010 - April 11, 2011.
Athletes Notified by April 13, 2011. (With press announcement soon to follow)

Standards for Consideration for 2011 US Contingent to the World Trail Challenge

1. An American who finishes in the top 10 men or women at the 2010 IAU World Trail Challenge will receive automatic team selection (if applicable).

2. The winner of the 2011 USATF 50 mile trail championship (March 6, 2011), 50km trail championship (Sept 25, 2010), and 100km trail championship (January 8, 2011) will receive automatic selection if fewer than 6 are selected under criteria #1 (And provided these events fall within the stated qualifying window).

3. The top American male and female finishers at the 2010 IAU World Trail Challenge (if applicable) will be selected into the pool of potential team members if they place in the top 15 overall for their gender.

4. If further team members can be added, they could be chosen by committee with specific focus on performance at key U.S. races such as JFK 50 Mile, American River 50 Mile, and Ice Age 50 Mile.

5. Athletes must be citizens of the United States of America.

6. Athletes must be current USATF members.

Team Selection Process

Athletes will be named to the team from the team selection pool using the following procedures:
1. Athletes will be named to the team based on the order of the criteria above until all the team spots are filled. Athletes not automatically selected to the team through standards 1-3 above will be selected according to best performances (as deemed so by USATF Mountain, Ultra, and Trail Council) within qualifying guidelines.
2. If fewer than 6 athletes achieve the qualifying standards for consideration, no fewer than 4 athletes (three scoring and one additional) will be named based on performance (and/or interest)
3. If more than 6 athletes achieve the qualifying standards for consideration, up to 3 alternates (i.e., 6 team members and 3 alternates) will be named sequentially based on performance.
Selected athletes and alternates will be notified on or before April 13, 2011 with an official team announcement to follow. Alternates are encouraged to prepare, as they may be named to compete at any time if one of the other team members is unable to compete.

SPECIAL NOTE:  There is presently NO funding from USATF for athletes attending this championship event.  However, there may be some reimbursement available from the IAU or IAAF (to be determined at the event and distributed evenly among competing athletes as quickly as possible following the event).
If interested in being a member of this team, contact Howard Nippert - howardnippert@yahoo.com.