20/08/03.

Another race record for Wyatt

Jonathan Wyatt's run of success is continuing on his current tour of Europe.

Wyatt won the 14.3km Matterhornlauf in Switzerland on the weekend, a race that included a 1001m vertical climb with Europe's tallest peak as a backdrop, in a race record 1hr 01min 59sec.

The win continues Wyatt's unbeaten run on the European mountain running scene (his sixth in a row) and keeps him on top of the World Mountain Running Association grand prix series. The winner of the series pockets 1500 euros in prizemoney, in addition to prizes in individual races.

Five of Wyatt's wins have come in course record times. Two weeks ago he became the first person to go under 2hr 30min in the gruelling 31km Sierre-Zinal mountain run in Switzerland, a race touted as the ``New York Marathon of the Alps".

Wyatt commented after the Zinal race: "The course climbs over 2000m, most of it in the first 12km and descends steeply toward the end dropping some 800m with bits in between on nice panorama trails. A few sore legs after mean having to rest up and drink the excellent valais wine instead of soaking up the heat on the trails."

Next stop on tour is the Italian Alps where Wyatt will race the 15.4km Challenge Stellina, a 1500m vertical climb over historic mule trails and alpine meadows, this weekend.

The final event of the WMRA grand prix series is at Bergen, Germany on 5 October.