The Role of Ambassadors at the WMTRC 2023
Every major international sporting event needs recognisable faces to carry its message to the world. For the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2023 in Innsbruck-Stubai, a carefully selected group of ambassadors served exactly that purpose. These athletes and personalities bridged the gap between the organising committee and the global trail running community, lending their credibility, reach and passion to promote what would become one of the most spectacular mountain running events in history.
The ambassador programme was designed with a dual objective. On one hand, it aimed to raise international awareness of the championships among runners, media and sponsors. On the other, it sought to strengthen the connection between the event and the host region of Tyrol, ensuring that local communities felt ownership and pride in the competition taking place on their mountains. The ambassadors fulfilled both roles admirably, appearing at press conferences, producing social media content, testing race courses and engaging with fans throughout the build-up and during the event itself.
From legendary mountain runners with decades of competitive experience to emerging trail running stars and devoted community figures, the ambassador roster reflected the diversity and global appeal of the sport. Their combined influence reached millions of followers across social media platforms and traditional media channels, generating excitement that extended far beyond the Tyrolean Alps.
International Athlete Ambassadors
Andrea Mayr — The Austrian Mountain Running Legend
Few athletes embody the spirit of mountain running quite like Andrea Mayr. The Austrian, born in Upper Austria, has won more World Mountain Running Championship titles than almost any other competitor in history. Her appointment as a WMTRC 2023 ambassador was a natural choice, given her deep connection to the Austrian mountain running scene and her unparalleled competitive record.
Mayr brought immediate credibility to the ambassador programme. Her technical expertise helped the course designers refine the vertical race route on the Elfer in the Stubai Valley, and her presence at pre-event training camps attracted runners from across Europe. During the championships, Mayr competed in the vertical race and once again demonstrated the form that has made her one of the greatest uphill runners of all time. Her combination of athletic excellence and approachable personality made her an ideal representative of the event.
Jonathan Wyatt — Mountain Running's Enduring Icon
New Zealander Jonathan Wyatt is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of modern competitive mountain running. A multiple world champion and former world record holder, Wyatt's involvement as ambassador connected the WMTRC 2023 to the sport's rich heritage. His presence underscored that the Innsbruck-Stubai championships stood in a long tradition of excellence dating back to the earliest mountain running world championships.
Wyatt contributed to the event through course previews, athlete mentoring sessions and media appearances in which he compared the Tyrolean courses to iconic mountain running venues around the world. His assessment that the Innsbruck-Stubai terrain was among the most demanding and beautiful he had encountered helped set expectations and build anticipation among international competitors.
Jim Walmsley — Ultratrail's Global Superstar
The inclusion of Jim Walmsley as an ambassador signalled the growing convergence between mountain running and ultratrail running. The American, known for his record-breaking performances at Western States and UTMB, brought a massive international following to the WMTRC 2023. His social media posts about training in the Stubai Valley reached hundreds of thousands of followers and introduced many ultrarunners to the world of mountain running championships for the first time.
Walmsley's ambassador work included a series of video features exploring the Stubai Ultratrail course, offering viewers stunning footage of glaciers, alpine meadows and technical single tracks. His genuine enthusiasm for the terrain and the competitive format helped attract a new audience to the championships and strengthened the event's appeal in the North American market, where trail running participation has been growing rapidly.
Local Ambassadors — Tyrol's Voices
While the international athlete ambassadors brought global reach, the local ambassadors ensured that the WMTRC 2023 remained rooted in its Tyrolean host communities. These individuals, drawn from the worlds of sport, culture, tourism and community life, connected the championships to the people of Innsbruck and the Stubai Valley.
Local mountain guides who knew every trail and ridge in the competition area served as ambassadors, offering their expertise for course planning and safety assessments. Tourism professionals from both Innsbruck and Stubai helped coordinate accommodation, transport and hospitality for the thousands of visitors who descended on the region. Cultural figures connected the event to Tyrolean traditions, ensuring that the championships celebrated not just athletic excellence but also the unique Alpine heritage of the host region.
The local ambassadors also played a crucial role in recruiting volunteers. Their community networks helped the organisers reach potential helpers who might not have been aware of the event through mainstream media, resulting in a volunteer corps of over 800 people drawn from across Tyrol and beyond.
The Ambassador Programme in Detail
The WMTRC 2023 ambassador programme ran for approximately eighteen months, beginning in early 2022 and culminating with the championships in June 2023. During this period, ambassadors participated in a structured series of activities designed to maximise their impact.
In the early phase, ambassadors focused on awareness-building. This included social media campaigns, press interviews and appearances at international running expos where they promoted the upcoming championships. Several ambassadors attended other mountain running events throughout 2022, wearing WMTRC 2023 branded gear and distributing promotional materials.
As the event drew closer, the programme shifted towards course previews and training content. Ambassadors visited Innsbruck and the Stubai Valley to run sections of the championship courses, producing photo and video content that showcased the dramatic terrain. These previews served a dual purpose: they excited potential participants and spectators while also providing valuable feedback to the course design team.
During the championships week itself, ambassadors took on visible roles at the opening ceremony, start and finish areas, award ceremonies and the accompanying festival. Their presence helped create an atmosphere of celebration and inclusivity that distinguished the WMTRC 2023 from more clinical sporting events.
Community Engagement and Legacy
Perhaps the most lasting contribution of the ambassador programme was its community engagement work. Ambassadors visited schools in the Innsbruck and Stubai regions, introducing children to trail running and encouraging active outdoor lifestyles. These sessions, which included short runs on local trails and Q&A sessions with the athletes, inspired a new generation of young runners.
The programme also partnered with local running clubs to organise community training runs in the months leading up to the championships. These events gave recreational runners the opportunity to experience sections of the championship courses alongside world-class athletes, creating memories and connections that endured long after the competition ended.
Several ambassadors contributed to environmental initiatives connected to the championships, participating in trail maintenance and clean-up activities in the Stubai Valley and around Innsbruck. This reinforced the event's commitment to sustainability and responsible mountain use, values that resonated strongly with the trail running community.
The ambassador programme of the WMTRC 2023 set a benchmark for how major mountain running events can use athlete and community engagement to amplify their impact. By combining international star power with genuine local connection, the programme ensured that the championships left a positive and lasting impression on participants, spectators and the host region alike.