Runners ready for uphill battle in Innsbruck-Stubai

The second edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, taking place in the splendour of the Austrian Alps this week, could be the perfect showcase for all things off-road

After its inaugural staging in Thailand last November, the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), heads this week to Europe specifically the Alpine stage of Innsbruck-Stubai for its second edition, writes Adrian Stott.

Once again, World Athletics vision of working with the different elements of mountain, trail and ultra running to create a true global championships will take centre stage. While Thailand, which had been postponed due to Covid, was deemed to be a success, this months event being held in one of the traditional mountain heartlands means hopes are high that competition and attention levels will rise and that more nations and athletes will embrace the concept.

There is the added challenge of accommodating these championships in a packed calendar of commercially backed races which attract the top names, too, so we decided to get the views of an administrator and an athlete when it comes to the next steps for the WMTRC.

Standards are set to rise

Sarah Rowell knows a thing or two about international competition, having raced for Great Britain in the 1984 Olympic marathon and in a number of mountain running championships. She is currently a World Mountain Running Association council member and treasurer and has been at the heart of the creation of the WMTRC. 

How was the vision of the WMTRC born?

It probably goes back to 2017 at a meeting of the various interested parties with World Athletics. Before 2017, mountain running was defined by World Athletics, but trail running which was experiencing massive growth wasnt. 

When we talked about officially adding trail running, there was very little difference between the two. At the same time, European Athletics had a formal mountain running championships but World Athletics didnt. 

European Athletics have been at the forefront of driving what they call off-road running.

In an attempt to ensure that the overall schedule was better for the athletes, it was agreed to move the world event to every other year with a European Championships in alternate years. The European schedule was looked at, and there was a strong view that they didnt want another ultra-distance race. Thats why the European event has a medium trail race, not a long trail race. That was what the runners wanted. 

What role did World Athletics play in bringing everyone all of the various organisations behind trail, ultra and mountain running together? 

It was definitely because of World Athletics, in terms of looking at the definition of the championships within their rule books. There are also key individuals Alessio Punzi [Head of Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics] being one who are exceptionally supportive of what mountain and trail running are, and can see the potential both in terms of helping World Athletics deliver what it wants, as well as ensuring that World Athletics truly is the overarching body for all disciplines of athletics, not just the ones they have traditionally focused on. 

Where do you see the WMTRC fitting into a fixture list which is already crowded with federation-led and commercially-led initiatives?

I would love to see the event as a formal World Athletics biennial world championships. Its one of the things were looking at, but that cant be the only thing. It has to survive alongside the commercial series.

Can we create a way that at least the key people can sit down and look at it? Ultimately, athletes have to earn a living and I would like to see the best mountain and trail runners firstly recognised by the world governing body and, secondly, able to earn a decent living, should they want, through mountain and trail running.

That requires a mix of formal world championships, as well as commercial races. It also means that if you look at the upcoming event in Innsbruck, it will have over 1000 athletes there. That creates the world championships of the future. 

They will require a venue with a large, suitable infrastructure. Thats quite different to some of the current iconic mountain and trail races, which have a small infrastructure. If we get the mix right, they can all survive and thrive.

How do you see the championship developing in the next few years? Do you see it continuing to attract the better runners away from commercial races?

Were already seeing the numbers are well up from Thailand to Innsbruck. From what I know, I think well see a better standard, or a growing standard. If Im being blunt, prize money is only part of the issue. The other thing is getting the shoe sponsors on board, and most leading athletes still get most of their income support through their commercial sponsors.

If those sponsors want and see the value in the championships, then the athletes are more likely to want to race them and thats the same with any world championships. Its the same with the Olympics, with any event.

So I am hopeful that Innsbruck will build on Thailand and youll get more athletes, encouraged by the shoe companies and more brands that see the value in having their top athletes competing. 

Going forward, do you see the championships as a vehicle not just to develop the top end of off-road running, but to improve the global base of the pyramid, as developing athletic nations get on board?

Yes. Running off-road is the biggest growth area in the sport. Part of that is due to nature, part of that is just due to the practicalities of the number of cars on the road now.

There are too many cars, so the trails and mountains is the space that will continue to grow.

There are certain countries who see themselves as trail running countries while there are others that say theyre mountain running countries. If you look at the overall picture, plus the commercial aspect, the off-road space right now is the genuine growth area of the sport with more countries getting involved and wanting to compete at the World Championships.

How was the vision of the WMTRC born?

It probably goes back to 2017 at a meeting of the various interested parties with World Athletics. Before 2017, mountain running was defined by World Athletics, but trail running which was experiencing massive growth wasnt. 

When we talked about officially adding trail running, there was very little difference between the two. At the same time, European Athletics had a formal mountain running championships but World Athletics didnt. 

European Athletics have been at the forefront of driving what they call off-road running.

In an attempt to ensure that the overall schedule was better for the athletes, it was agreed to move the world event to every other year with a European Championships in alternate years. The European schedule was looked at, and there was a strong view that they didnt want another ultra-distance race. Thats why the European event has a medium trail race, not a long trail race. That was what the runners wanted. 

What role did World Athletics play in bringing everyone all of the various organisations behind trail, ultra and mountain running together? 

It was definitely because of World Athletics, in terms of looking at the definition of the championships within their rule books. There are also key individuals Alessio Punzi [Head of Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics] being one who are exceptionally supportive of what mountain and trail running are, and can see the potential both in terms of helping World Athletics deliver what it wants, as well as ensuring that World Athletics truly is the overarching body for all disciplines of athletics, not just the ones they have traditionally focused on. 

Where do you see the WMTRC fitting into a fixture list which is already crowded with federation-led and commercially-led initiatives?

I would love to see the event as a formal World Athletics biennial world championships. Its one of the things were looking at, but that cant be the only thing. It has to survive alongside the commercial series.

Can we create a way that at least the key people can sit down and look at it? Ultimately, athletes have to earn a living and I would like to see the best mountain and trail runners firstly recognised by the world governing body and, secondly, able to earn a decent living, should they want, through mountain and trail running.

That requires a mix of formal world championships, as well as commercial races. It also means that if you look at the upcoming event in Innsbruck, it will have over 1000 athletes there. That creates the world championships of the future. 

They will require a venue with a large, suitable infrastructure. Thats quite different to some of the current iconic mountain and trail races, which have a small infrastructure. If we get the mix right, they can all survive and thrive.

How do you see the championship developing in the next few years? Do you see it continuing to attract the better runners away from commercial races?

Were already seeing the numbers are well up from Thailand to Innsbruck. From what I know, I think well see a better standard, or a growing standard. If Im being blunt, prize money is only part of the issue. The other thing is getting the shoe sponsors on board, and most leading athletes still get most of their income support through their commercial sponsors.

If those sponsors want and see the value in the championships, then the athletes are more likely to want to race them and thats the same with any world championships. Its the same with the Olympics, with any event.

So I am hopeful that Innsbruck will build on Thailand and youll get more athletes, encouraged by the shoe companies and more brands that see the value in having their top athletes competing. 

Going forward, do you see the championships as a vehicle not just to develop the top end of off-road running, but to improve the global base of the pyramid, as developing athletic nations get on board?

Yes. Running off-road is the biggest growth area in the sport. Part of that is due to nature, part of that is just due to the practicalities of the number of cars on the road now.

There are too many cars, so the trails and mountains is the space that will continue to grow.

There are certain countries who see themselves as trail running countries while there are others that say theyre mountain running countries. If you look at the overall picture, plus the commercial aspect, the off-road space right now is the genuine growth area of the sport with more countries getting involved and wanting to compete at the World Championships.

Where does Innsbruck-Stubai stand in the calendar?

Elsey Davis competed for Great Britain at both the 2022 European and world editions of the new Mountain and Trail Running Championships. She has been selected for the upcoming championships in Innsbruck for the 43km short trail event. A qualified doctor, she is currently taking a sabbatical to concentrate on running and is supported by The North Face.

What were the biggest lessons you learned from competing at the first joint championships at both European and world level last year?

Both times, I managed to travel out there with enough time to see the course beforehand. That helped me visualise how to run the race. Knowing when I could push and when I could relax a little because different parts of the course play to different strengths. 

Travelling early to Thailand helped us all acclimatise to the conditions and I did better in both races than I expected. Having the GB team support out there for a few days beforehand at both events helped, too. There was a lot of experience and advice to tap into. You can also mix and speak with other runners about their race plans.

Having support on the course on race day with drinks and simple things like getting a fresh ice bandana was so helpful in keeping me cool, too. In most races I do, there is an element of self-sufficiency. Having team support on the course helps you manage your race better.

When you know your performance is also contributing to a good team result, then you think less about yourself and more about the team. 

You know the standard will be high in a championship. Individually its hard to get on the podium. In my event in both championships, we finished on the podium as a team, which is always a special feeling.

How do you think Austria will compare with Thailand? And will that play more to your strengths? 

I think theres a greater total elevation in Austria. Theyre saying its a technical course, but I dont think its as technical as theyre saying it is.

I am hoping to go out and see some of it a little earlier. With the trail events going up to 2000m, Im also doing some altitude prep. Ive got an altitude tent at home, and Ill stay at altitude for a few days beforehand. I think that will make a big difference because last year, when I raced in Europe, as soon as I went over a certain elevation, I found breathing difficult. 

Again, its knowing the environment youre going into and preparing for that. There is also the fact that being in Europe, early in the summer, the competition will be deeper and at a higher standard than the last worlds in Thailand.

As someone trying to make their name in the sport, where do you see the global championships fitting into a crowded calendar? How important an event could it become?

It would be nice if it felt like it was the biggest event of the year rather than the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). At the minute, it feels like UTMB has taken over, but I dont think they care for all their runners or their elite athletes at all. It would be nicer if everyone championed the WMTRC as the most important race. Hopefully, we can make that happen.

As professional athletes, we do want to make a living. Currently, the Golden Trail series and the Skyrunning series offer good prize money and a certain amount of support to get to their races compared with UTMB, who make you jump through so many hoops just to qualify and then offer elite athletes very little. Somehow we keep going back to it! 

There are only so many races you can run competitively every year, so we are faced with making choices. It would be nice to see the event as a priority in runners race calendars. Its such an honour to represent your country in any sport.

The reality is it may take a few years for it to grow and be a real draw for all the top athletes. It will be easier for the shorter mountain runners to fit into their year with other events, but not so easy for those doing longer trail races.

The WMTRC should be the equivalent of heptathlon for trail running

British international athlete Tom Evans gives his thoughts on how the world championships could enjoy growth in the coming years

I ran the World Trail Running Championships in 2018, finishing third, and at the time I was really happy. It was a huge result. It kind of led to nothing, though. I understand the pressures that UK Athletics are under but for such a popular and growing sport there is zero interest.

As a professional athlete I get paid for races, whereas if I wanted to go to the World Mountain and Trail Running Champs, UKA would make a contribution for the costs associated with the race but youre on your own. For me, if the governing body cant support it then Ive got very little interest. 

Its just not got the same reputation as a race like UTMB or Western States. In the future it might, but it will have to take the best athletes in the world doing it and, by putting it in June, everyone has already got their race calendars scheduled. 

Track and field is a fairly well-funded sport whereas, with trail and mountain running, youve got athletes who probably cant afford these things and struggle. It [the WMTRC] is an amazing opportunity but they wont be able to go because they wont get support. 

I get funding is a bigger issue but Id love to sit down with someone at UKA and show them this is the exposure we can get. Look at mental health and how being outside in nature and the mountains can be good for you and be supported from the ground up. 

Its a bit of a catch 22. You want to do the biggest events and race against the best of the best but they arent all competing at the championships.

Im not trying to take anything away from the athletes who go on to win in any of the races this year but I want to be in the biggest races against those at the top of the tree. Thats happening more in races like UTMB and Western States. 

My view is that the WMTRC should be the equivalent of a heptathlon for trail running over a weekend. Get everyone in the same races. That can be everything from a vertical kilometre and a 10km time trial to a 30km technical mountain race and then finishing it with an 80km long run. 

That way you find out who is the very best at this sport rather than having athletes just compete in one discipline at the championships. I think that would be really interesting for people to watch. 

That change in format would draw in the very best athletes across all the different disciplines of trail running because theyll want to prove themselves as the best of the best.

Timetable

June 7: Senior mens and womens uphill only vertical race. 7.3km (1020m elevation)
June 8: Short trail. 44.6km (3132m)
June 9: Long trail. 85.6km (5554m)
June 10: Junior men and women up and down 7.5km (374m)
June 10: Senior men and women up and down on a two-lap course of 15km (758m) 

This feature first appeared in the May issue of AW magazine, which you can buy here