Ahead of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2023 in Innsbruck-Stubai, International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) President Nadeem Khan shared his vision for the event and the sport's trajectory. In a wide-ranging interview, Khan described the combined championship format as a pivotal moment for mountain and trail running on the world stage, calling the Austrian host venue nothing short of "a showcase of talent."
Khan emphasised that bringing mountain running, trail running and ultrarunning together under a single championship umbrella — as the WMTRC 2023 did for the first time in this scale — sends a powerful signal about the unity and growing maturity of the sport. "When you see athletes from the Vertical Race competing alongside Trail Long runners in the same week, in the same mountains, the depth of talent on display is extraordinary," Khan explained. "Innsbruck-Stubai offers exactly the terrain and infrastructure to make this work."
The IAU President also reflected on the growth of trail running participation globally. He noted that federations across Asia, Africa and South America are investing more heavily in developing trail and mountain running programmes, and that events like the WMTRC provide the competitive platform these nations need. "We're seeing the talent pool widen every year. Countries that were not represented a decade ago are now sending strong teams," he said, pointing to the diverse athlete field at the championship.
On the subject of course design, Khan praised the organisers for creating routes that test the full range of mountain running abilities. The five disciplines — Vertical, Mountain Classic, Trail Short, Trail Long and Stubai Ultratrail — each demanded different physical and tactical approaches. "The Stubai Valley provided an authentic alpine environment that separated the true all-rounders from the specialists," he noted. "This is exactly the kind of challenge a world championship should offer."
Looking beyond 2023, Khan outlined his ambitions for growing the combined championship format. He expressed hope that the success of the Innsbruck-Stubai edition would encourage future host cities to embrace the multi-discipline structure. He also highlighted the importance of broadcast coverage and digital media in bringing mountain running to a wider audience, noting that livestream viewership figures for trail running events have risen sharply in recent years.
Khan addressed the governance challenges of unifying the sport, acknowledging that mountain running, trail running and ultrarunning each have distinct cultures and histories. "Our job is not to flatten those differences but to celebrate them within a coherent competitive framework," he said. "The athletes who raced here in Innsbruck represent the best of every tradition, and that diversity is our greatest strength."
The interview also touched on athlete welfare, with Khan stressing the importance of medical infrastructure, course safety and anti-doping protocols at championship level. He commended the WMTRC 2023 organising committee for their thorough safety planning across all five race distances. "When you're sending runners into alpine terrain at 2,500 metres and above, there is no margin for error," he said. "The Austrian organisers understood this completely."
In closing, Khan reiterated his conviction that the WMTRC 2023 in Innsbruck-Stubai would be remembered as a landmark event. "This championship has set the standard," he said. "Future editions will be measured against what we achieved here in Tyrol."
Nadeem Khan is the President of the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), one of the governing bodies involved in organising world championship events for trail and ultra running. He has been instrumental in advocating for the combined championship format used at the WMTRC 2023 in Innsbruck-Stubai.
Khan used the phrase because the WMTRC 2023 brought together athletes from five distinct disciplines — Vertical, Mountain Classic, Trail Short, Trail Long and Stubai Ultratrail — in a single championship. The depth of the athlete field and the quality of the alpine courses made it a concentrated display of the world's best mountain and trail runners.
The combined format unites mountain running, trail running and ultrarunning world championships into a single event held in one host region. At the WMTRC 2023, this meant five separate races across different distances and terrain profiles, all staged in and around Innsbruck and the Stubai Valley during the same championship week.
Five disciplines were contested: Vertical Race, Mountain Classic (uphill/downhill), Trail Short, Trail Long and the Stubai Ultratrail. Each discipline had separate men's and women's individual races as well as team classifications. Complete results are available on the results page.
Khan predicted continued growth in global participation, with federations from Asia, Africa and South America investing more in mountain and trail running development. He also highlighted the importance of broadcast coverage and livestreaming in expanding the sport's audience, and expressed optimism that future championship editions would build on the Innsbruck-Stubai model.
Additional interviews and articles are available on the WMTRC 2023 site, including conversations with athletes such as Janet Ng, Sarah Rowell and features on teams like Spain's championship squad. You can also explore athlete profiles for detailed race results.