Extreme physical challenges, exceptional beauty and intensely competitive racing have characterised the first half of the second World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, taking place in the Innsbruck region of Austria, with African athletes prominent in the Vertical Challenge race on Day One (Wednesday 7 June).
South Africa’s Thabang Madiba grimaces in pain, symbolising the intensity of the Vertical Challenge at the opening day of the World Championships. Photo – Stephen Granger
With 1600 elite athletes from 68 countries, the championships have been acknowledged by many as the most competitive mountain and trail races at depth ever seen on the planet, with top fifty positions extremely hard fought and won.
East Africa dominated the men’s Vertical Challenge race on the first day, with Patrick Kipngeno in a class of his own, racing away from his rivals up the steep ascents of the 7km course to win in 40 min 18 sec, 1 min 33 sec ahead of Uganda’s Levi Kiprotich. Kenya’s Josephat Kiprotich making it a clean sweep of medals for east Africa.
Patrick Kipngeno of Kenya has time and strength to greet the crowds as he races to victory in the Vertical Challenge. Photo – Stephen Granger
Kipngeno had dared to run to the summit on the impossibly steep gradient up the final 300m in height. Where most behind struggled to sustain a fast walk, Kipngeno was high-fiving spectators who lined the path to the summit, to cross the line with apparent ease.
American Joseph Gray was first non-African, placing fifth behind the second Ugandan, Eliud Cherop.
Kane Reilly ran strongly to lead the South African team, finishing 38th in 46:36, with teammates Llewellyn Groeneveld and Thabang Madiba following further back.
Austrian athlete, Andrea Mayr, was a popular winner of the Vertical Challenge. Photo – Stephen Granger
The veteran Austrian athlete, Andrea Mayr, was a popular winner of the women’s competition, running on home turf and proving too strong for Kenya’s Philaries Kipsang, to win by 37 seconds in 48:14. American Grayson Murphy took bronze in 49:22, 34 seconds clear of German Laura Hottenrott, with another Kenyan runner – Valentine Jepkoech Rutto- in fifth.
European-based athletes hit back on Day Two in the ‘Short Trail’ 45km race between Innsbruck and Neustift-im-Stubai, with Norwegian Stian Angermund and French athlete Clementine Geoffray taking the titles in one of the most extreme races ever held at a world championship. Athletes climbed a total of 3500m over 45km, with several exceptionally taxing climbs along the way.
Stian Angermund crests a summit leading the Short Trail 54km race. Photo – WMTRC 2023 / Roast Media
As defending champions, Angermund started as favourite and did not disappoint with an emphatic, though hard-fought win over British athlete Thomas Roach, while Geoffray was a surprise winner over the more-favoured Swiss athlete, Judith Wyder.
Stian Angermund in controlled mode during the City Circuit prologues on Innsbruck’s City Trail. Photo – @Innsbruck Tourismus / Bause
The athletes began with a controlled-tempo circuit through the historic City Trail of Innsbruck, past the iconic Golden Roof and other historic buildings, before the start gun fired 600m into the race and the athletes began racing for real.
“I felt dizzy at the second start,” said Angermund. “I’ve never felt that before, there were black spots in front of my eyes and I struggled to get going.
“But I’m so pleased with this win, which I think is about the best in my career. I focused on this event for some months and prepared well, so I’m pleased that it worked out well.”
But the Norwegian’s impediment failed to slow him significantly and he was one of a trio, with French athlete Thomas Cardin and American Garrett Corcoran through 4km, before two British athletes, Roach and Jonathan Albon took over in the lead after 9km, with Cardin and Angermund in close attendance.
Kane Reilly leads the South African contingent through halfway in the Short Trail Race at the World Chamjpinosihps. Photo – Stephen Granger
Angermund drew level with Roach near the start of the long ascent to the ski hub at Mutterer Alm with the two together at the 16,5km checkpoint, before Angermund used his climbing prowess to open a decisive gap on Roach.
Angermund passed through Mutterer Alm at 20,5km with a 44-second lead, which he was never to relinquish, and he went on to win in 4:19:00, 2min 18 sec clear of Roach. The surprise of the race was the unheralded Italian, Luca del Pero, who came through strongly in the second half to take third, less than a minute behind Roach.
Norwegian athlete, Stian Angermund (centre), celebrates victory in the Short Trail 45km with runner up, Thomas Roach (left) and third placed Luca del Pero of Italy. Photo – WMTRC 2023 / Roast Media
In the women’s contest, Wyder had opened a minute lead on Geoffray after 9km, which had grown to almost two minutes at 16km on the long ascent. Geoffray found the remaining ascent hard going, with German Laura Hottenrot moving into second place at Mutterer Alm, almost three minutes behind Wyder and 30 seconds up on Geofray.
Clementine Geoffray running in third position at the Mutterer Alm aid station near the halfway mark in the Short Traill race. Photo – Stephen Granger
The French athlete soon regained second place and began to close the gap on the descent. She held it on the climb to Kreuzjoch, where she was just a minute in arrears through the refreshment station.
Geoffray still appeared to be running on fresh legs and with Wyder struggling, the end was inevitable. Geoffray took the lead near the final summit before opening up two minutes on her rival by the finish, which she raced through in 4:53:12.
Switzerland made it two out of three for the podium with a strong finish earning Theresa Lebeuf third place ahead of American Jennifer Lichter.
Landie Greyling at the finish of the ‘Short Trail’ race over 45km. Photo – Stephen Granger
Landie Greyling was the strongest of the South African athletes, finishing 37th out of 140 elite athletes from around the world.
