With a little more than 50 days to go to the championships, WMRA council member Sarah Rowell and President Tomo Sarf checked out the course for June’s World Champs this week.

The working group spent a few days inspecting the course and confirm what everybody has reported so far – it’s perfect and will provide a fabulous test for the best runners in the world

Jonathan Wyatt, the seven-time World Mountain Running Champion and the former WMRA said: “When I heard that Innsbruck-Stubai would be hosting the WMTRC 2023, I thought: Wow, that’s perfect for our sport.”

Sarah Rowell, the technical delegate said: “Judging by everything I have seen so far I can definitely say that the organizational efforts are top-notch. They are doing a great job in promoting the sports beyond the mountain and trail running community, which is where Innsbruck has a very positive effect.”

Sarah, Tomo and Simon von Hubatius – LOC race director – checked the courses around Neustift in Stubaital, where is the start of the uphill race and the long trail race and the finish of the short trail race. The officials walked the uphill course and the last 8km of the short trail (descent to Neustift) which is also the one of the steep uphill parts of the long trail.

There was still lots of snow in the upper parts of the courses, but the WMRA representatives got a feeling how the courses look like in details.

Here are some impressions from the visit: on the

Uphill course; Trail short & long, climbing the steep trails in the first 3,5km to the water station at 5,2km. Still snow on the ground in April!

The championships

The World Mountain and Trail Running Championships will be held in Innsbruck-Stubai from June 6 to 10, as the main event and highlight of a 10-day festival starting on the first of the month with the IATF. Athletes from all over the world are going to compete for medals in four different contests – Vertical, Trail Short, Trail Long, Mountain Classic.

Follow all the action here or at www.innsbruck-stubai2023.com