The World Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2023 utilised the spectacular landscape around Innsbruck and the Stubai Valley for five distinct race courses. From the explosive Vertical Race at the Elfer to the epic 80 km Trail Long — each course presented unique demands on the athletes and offered spectators unforgettable scenes. The Tyrolean Alps provided what many participants described as the most dramatic championship setting in the history of mountain and trail running.
All five courses took advantage of the unique geographical situation: Innsbruck sits at 574 metres in the Inn Valley, yet the Nordkette mountain range rises directly above the city to over 2,300 metres. The Stubai Valley, just 20 minutes south of Innsbruck, offers access to glaciated peaks above 3,000 metres. This proximity between urban infrastructure and high-alpine terrain made it possible to organise world-class races with exceptional logistics and athlete support.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance | 7.2 km |
| Elevation gain | 1,062 m |
| Start | Neustift im Stubaital (993 m) |
| Finish | Elfer summit (2,505 m) |
| Date | June 8, 2023 |
| Terrain | Forest trails, alpine meadows, rock, scree |
The Vertical Race was the shortest yet most intense discipline at the WMTRC 2023. The course began in the centre of Neustift and climbed via steep forest paths, open alpine meadows and increasingly rocky terrain to the summit of the Elfer at 2,505 m. The average gradient was close to 15% — with sections exceeding 30% in the upper reaches. This is pure uphill racing at its most fundamental: no descents, no flat sections, just relentless climbing from valley floor to peak.
The first 3 km passed through dense mountain forest on well-marked hiking trails. Above the treeline at approximately 1,800 m, the landscape opened into alpine grasslands with views of the surrounding Stubai peaks. The final 1.5 km over rock and scree demanded sure-footedness and mental resilience. Andrea Mayr won the women's race in commanding fashion, while Patrick Kipngeno defended his men's title.
The Vertical Race format has its roots in European mountain running tradition, where "vertical kilometre" races have been a fixture since the 1990s. The Elfer in the Stubai Valley, with its consistent gradient and dramatic visual profile rising sharply above the valley floor, was considered an ideal venue. The course gained additional significance as it was also used for the KRONE Race to Hoell, allowing recreational runners to experience the same route.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance | 12.3 km |
| Elevation gain | 890 m |
| Elevation loss | 890 m |
| Start/Finish | Innsbruck, Hungerburg (860 m) |
| Highest point | Hafelekar (2,334 m) |
| Date | June 9, 2023 |
The Mountain Classic course used the spectacular terrain of the Nordkette — Innsbruck's iconic mountain that rises directly above the city. Starting and finishing at the Hungerburg, the route climbed via the Seegrube to the Hafelekar at 2,334 m before descending via an alternative route. This discipline tests the complete mountain runner: raw climbing power on the ascent combined with daring downhill technique on the return.
The ascent was fast and steep with technically demanding switchbacks above the Seegrube cable car station. Runners navigated narrow trails carved into the limestone cliffs of the Nordkette, with vertiginous views down to Innsbruck over a thousand metres below. The descent placed extreme demands on downhill ability — loose scree, narrow paths and exposed traverses made this a true all-round mountain running test. The proximity of the Nordkettenbahn cable car meant spectators could access viewing points at the Seegrube mid-station, creating an electric atmosphere.
Alexander Hutter and Christian Stern, both Austrian runners intimately familiar with these trails, put in strong performances on home terrain. Patrick Kipngeno's double gold (after the Vertical Race) confirmed his status as the championship's most dominant competitor.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 45 km |
| Elevation gain | 2,600 m |
| Elevation loss | 2,600 m |
| Start/Finish | Olympiaworld Innsbruck (574 m) |
| Highest point | approx. 2,200 m (Nordkette) |
| Date | June 10, 2023 |
| Time limit | 10 hours |
The Trail Short was a loop course starting and finishing at the Olympiaworld. The route initially passed through the Innsbruck Old Town before climbing via the Hottinger Alm up to the Nordkette. From there, the course followed ridgeline trails with panoramic views over the Inn Valley and crossed over the Patscherkofel before returning to the valley floor. Alternating ascents and descents on singletrails, forest roads and alpine paths made the Trail Short a technically varied and physically demanding race.
This discipline represents the heart of modern trail running: long enough to require careful pacing and nutrition strategy, yet short enough to allow aggressive racing from start to finish. The course designers deliberately included a wide variety of terrain — from paved sections through the Old Town to technical alpine singletrack at altitude — to test the full range of trail running skills.
Stian Angermund-Vik from Norway won the men's Trail Short with a powerful display, while Kimi Schreiber claimed a well-deserved silver. In the women's race, Clementine Geoffray triumphed over Blandine L'Hirondel in a thrilling French one-two. See the full results for all finishers.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 80 km |
| Elevation gain | 4,500 m |
| Elevation loss | 4,500 m |
| Start/Finish | Olympiaworld Innsbruck (574 m) |
| Highest point | approx. 2,600 m |
| Date | June 11, 2023 |
| Time limit | 18 hours |
The Trail Long was the marquee discipline of the WMTRC 2023, taking athletes on an epic journey through the heart of the Tyrolean Alps. The course traversed the Nordkette range, the Karwendel massif and the mountains south of Innsbruck — featuring high-alpine passages above 2,500 m, technical ridge crossings and long descents over scree fields. With 80 km and 4,500 metres of climbing, this race pushed even the world's best ultra runners to their absolute limits.
The first 30 km crossed the Nordkette and Karwendel ridge — pure high-mountain terrain with minimal infrastructure. This section included the most technically demanding passages of the entire championship, with exposed ridgelines, fixed-rope sections and steep scree descents. After a long descent into the Inn Valley, the second major climb over the Patscherkofel began. The final 15 km back to the Olympiaworld offered a mix of singletrails and forest roads through the southern Innsbruck mountains, where runners with remaining energy could make up significant time.
Jonathan Albon's winning time of 8:42:15 demonstrated the extraordinary demands of this course — even the world's elite required nearly nine hours. Hannes Namberger, fresh from his Stubai Ultratrail victory preparations, placed a creditable sixth. Marion Delespierre's women's victory in 10:15:44 further highlighted the sheer scale of this undertaking.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 65 km |
| Elevation gain | 3,800 m |
| Elevation loss | 3,800 m |
| Start/Finish | Neustift im Stubaital (993 m) |
| Highest point | approx. 2,850 m (Stubai High Trail) |
| Date | June 11, 2023 |
| Time limit | 16 hours |
The Stubai Ultratrail was the standalone ultra-distance discipline of the WMTRC 2023, threading through the entire Stubai Valley. The loop course started in Neustift, climbed to the Elferhütte and continued along the Stubai High Trail — one of the most spectacular high-altitude traverses in the Alps — before passing the Starkenburger Hütte and descending via the Schlicker Alm back to Neustift.
High-alpine passages above 2,800 m with views of the Stubai Glacier, steep ascents and descents over moraines, and ridge traversals made the Stubai Ultratrail one of the most challenging races of the entire championship. The Stubai High Trail section, normally a multi-day hiking route, was compressed into a single continuous effort. Snow patches in early June added an extra dimension of difficulty, requiring careful footing on steep snow-covered slopes.
Hannes Namberger won the race with an impressive solo performance, while the Austrian women's team delivered a historic clean sweep of the podium — Veronika Haas, Esther Fellhofer and Karin Freitag taking gold, silver and bronze.
All five WMTRC 2023 courses follow existing, marked hiking and mountain trails in the Innsbruck and Stubai Valley region. The Vertical Race route to the Elfer, the Stubai High Trail and the Nordkette trails are freely accessible. For alpine routes above 2,000 m, mountain experience and appropriate equipment are essential. Current trail conditions should be checked with the Stubai Tirol tourism board or Innsbruck Tourism before setting out.
Yes, all courses of the WMTRC 2023 follow existing, marked hiking and mountain trails in the Innsbruck and Stubai Valley region. The Vertical Race route to the Elfer, the Stubai High Trail and the trails around the Nordkette are freely accessible to the public. For alpine routes above 2,000 m, mountain experience and appropriate equipment (including proper footwear, weather protection and navigation) are essential. Current trail conditions should be checked with local tourism offices before any attempt.
The Trail Long, covering 80 km with 4,500 metres of elevation gain, was objectively the most demanding course by numbers. However, the Stubai Ultratrail (65 km, 3,800 m elevation) may have been the physically harder challenge due to its high-alpine passages above 2,800 m and technically difficult ridge traversals. Both races required over 7 hours even for the world's best athletes. All results reflect the different demands of each course.
Early June in the Tyrolean Alps brings variable conditions. At the WMTRC 2023, athletes experienced predominantly good weather with temperatures ranging from 5 degrees Celsius on the summits to 25 degrees in the valley. Snow patches remained in higher elevations, occasionally affecting the course routing. The early June timing was chosen as the best compromise between snow conditions and stable weather patterns for high-alpine racing.
Yes, all courses from the Mountain Classic upwards featured multiple aid stations. The Vertical Race had provisions only at the start and finish. Trail Short and Trail Long had fully equipped stations every 8–12 km with water, isotonic drinks, fruit, energy bars and warm broth. The Stubai Ultratrail placed its aid stations at the staffed mountain huts along the route, offering a characteristically alpine race experience.
For Trail Short, Trail Long and Stubai Ultratrail, a mandatory equipment list applied: waterproof jacket, emergency blanket, mobile phone with saved emergency number, minimum 1 litre of water, headlamp (for Trail Long and Stubai Ultra), whistle and sufficient nutrition between aid stations. Equipment was spot-checked at the start. These requirements reflect the serious alpine environment in which the races took place.
The WMTRC 2023 courses required shoes with aggressive tread for the alpine sections (rock, scree, wet roots), combined with comfort for the longer forest road and meadow passages. The majority of athletes chose trail running shoes with 4–6 mm lug depth and a drop of 4–8 mm. Gaiters were recommended for the scree passages to prevent stones entering the shoes. Many top finishers opted for lightweight mountain running shoes with reinforced toe protection.
The Stubai Ultratrail had an undulating profile with four main climbs: the ascent to the Elfer (1,500 m elevation gain), the Stubai High Trail with multiple counter-climbs (400–600 m each), the ascent to the Starkenburger Hütte (800 m) and the final climb to the Schlicker Alm (500 m). Between these climbs lay long descents into the side valleys. The highest point was approximately 2,850 m on the Stubai High Trail, where athletes ran through a dramatic glacial landscape.
The Innsbruck-Stubai region offers ideal conditions for mountain and trail running: the Nordkette rises directly above the city, enabling a unique combination of urban race starts and alpine trails. The Stubai Valley with the Stubai High Trail and the striking Elfer peak provides high-alpine terrain in close proximity. The excellent infrastructure (cable cars, mountain huts, rescue services) made it possible to safely organise racing at this level. Few other locations in Europe can offer such a concentration of high-quality mountain terrain within a compact geographical area.