The cities of Innsbruck and Stubai in Austria’s Tyrol area will maintain the mixed 2023 World Mountain and Path Operating Championships simply eight months after the first-ever mixed Path World Championships and World Mountain Operating Championships have been held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Kicking off with opening ceremonies the evening of Tuesday, June 6, the Tyrolean Alps will host championships races from June 7 although June 10 beneath the mixed auspices of World Athletics, the World Mountain Operating Affiliation, the Worldwide Path Operating Affiliation (ITRA), and the Worldwide Affiliation of Ultrarunners.
Our protection and this preview will concentrate on the “Lengthy Path” race, which runs 85 kilometers (53 miles) in size, to be run on Friday, June 9.
Wow! Athletes are going to have their palms full with this course. The Plan A course is 84.9 kilometers (52.75 miles) lengthy with 5,554 meters (over 18,000 ft) of climbing because it makes its method on the net-downhill course from Neustift im Stubaital to Innsbruck. Alongside the best way there’ll be two climbs of over 1,000 meters and one other of over 1,500 meters on what all are describing as a extremely technical course. We’re speaking a roughly eight hours or longer males’s successful time right here.
The beginning of the 2022 Path World Championships 80k on Saturday, November 5, 2022, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Nonetheless, as race day approaches, there proceed to be reviews from the Plan A course that it stays fairly snowy. No worries, because the native organizing committee has an alternate course lined up that shifts the extended increased altitude part alongside the west aspect of Grosse Ochsenwand and Marchreisenspitze to the east aspect of these mountains. I imagine that might shorten the longest climb of the race, however, in the end, retain almost as a lot whole vert (inside roughly 100 meters) and lengthen the course by a kilometer and a half (a mile).
As you may suspect, we’ll cowl the race dwell beginning at 6:30 a.m. native Central European Summer season Time on Friday, June 9 (10:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on the night of Thursday, June 8 within the U.S.).
What follows is a have a look at the couple of males we’re almost certainly to see atop the person podium, what groups might be in positions to run for group podium finishes, in addition to another males to look at. Take a look at the full entrants’ lists for all eight races throughout 4 occasions.
And, be sure you see our in-depth preview of the 2023 Path World Championships 80k ladies’s race.
A Have a look at the Prime of the Subject
With all of the permutations that may occur in constructing private race calendars alongside the complexities of being chosen to run for nationwide groups, it’s considerably superb that 9 out of the top-10 males from final yr’s Path World Championships 80k are scheduled to return for this yr’s race. The lone lacking runner is final yr’s winner, American Adam Peterman, who was forgoing the race to concentrate on working the Western States 100 later this month earlier than just lately getting injured.
Beneath, we’ll dive into the 9 returning males from final yr’s prime 10 beneath, taking a look at a number of further runners who we ought to be expecting within the prime 5.
Adam Peterman hoists the American flag because the 2022 Path World Championships 80k Champion. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Prime-Ten Returnees
Now, it’s time to have a look at the 9 returning males from final yr’s prime 10.
Nico Martin
No males’s runner will come into this yr’s race with a stronger Path World Championships resume than France’s Nicolas Martin. He’s run this occasion six occasions, with a ninth in 2013, seventh in 2015, second in 2016, nineteenth in 2017, fifth in 2019, and second once more in 2022. To date this yr, Martin’s received the SkyTour des Matheysins. Can this be the yr that he lastly wins the Path World Championships?
After taking third ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k, Italy’s Andreas Reiterer returns for this yr’s race. In Reiterer’s busy 2022, he additionally took second on the Grossglockner Extremely-Path, third at CCC, and fifth at MIUT. He’s raced a minimum of 5 occasions up to now in 2023, ending on the rostrum at every race, together with a win at Istria’s marathon race and third on the Transvulcania Ultramarathon, whereas additionally successful the Italian Championships on the Maremonte 60k in late March. Whereas this yr’s race is in neighboring Austria, Reiterer may have the benefit of residing and coaching in South Tyrol only one hour’s drive from the course.
José Fernández does most of his racing in his dwelling nation of Spain, however his restricted worldwide racing contains taking fourth place ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k and successful the Krynicka Setka in Poland final yr. This April, he ran Penyagolosa MiM for the third-straight yr, working a 17-minute private finest on the 60k course en path to the win, so he’s clearly in fine condition in the intervening time.
José Fernández after taking fourth on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Fernández’s countryman Aritz Egea took fifth ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k in addition to taking ninth on the CCC a number of months earlier. In a lightweight racing schedule up to now this yr, Egea ran the same time on the Zegama Marathon to what he ran final yr.
Thiabaut Garrivier
On what appeared like a tough day for him, France’s Thibaut Garrivier completed sixth ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k. Garrivier heads into this yr’s race with an ITRA rating that trails solely Hannes Namberger, who we preview beneath, and that sits one level increased than Reiterer, previewed above. Different highlights from final yr embrace a second on the MIUT 115k and a tenth at UTMB. To date this yr, Garrivier has received the MIUT 85k and brought second on the Path du Ventoux.
Eric LiPuma of the U.S. had a breakout race in taking seventh ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k. As a selective racer, it seems that LiPuma has solely raced the Canyons 50k and the Chuckanut 50k up to now this yr, putting third and fourth respectively.
Slovakia’s Peter Fraňo had his finest ultrarunning season to this point final yr based mostly on his fifth at CCC and eighth on the Path World Championships 80k. Final month, Fraňo took eighth on the SkyRace des Matheysins.
We heard Didrik Hermansen’s title lots within the center 2010s earlier than a quieter stretch of years for the Norwegian runner. That modified final yr, when he was seventh at Transgrancanaria, second on the Good Côte d’Azur 100k, and ninth on the Path World Championships 80k. This April, Hermansen took eleventh at Penyagolosa MiM.
Sure, the French group is returning three males from final yr’s prime 10 with Paul Mathou within the closing spot. Apart from a go on the CCC in 2021 (twenty fifth), Mathou’s expertise is sort of solely with path races as much as 50k, with final yr’s Path World Championships 80k probably being his second longest race to this point. That actually didn’t maintain him again in Thailand. Final yr, Mathou was additionally fifth on the OCC.
Others with Prime-5 Potential (Who Aren’t Famous on Groups Beneath)
Germany’s Hannes Namberger made himself recognized throughout his glorious 2021 season through which he received the Lavaredo Extremely Path (Lavaredo) and MIUT 115k, took second on the Grossglockner Extremely-Path, and completed sixth at UTMB. Final yr, he adopted that up with wins at Penyagolosa CSP, Lavaredo, and Extremely-Path Cape City 100k. This yr, he’s received the Chiemgau Path Run and been eighth on the Penyagolosa MiM. He’s acquired the added benefit of residing 90 minutes from the course and figuring out the paths nicely, so he’s acquired to be one of many favorites for the win.
Romania’s Ionel Manole is in prime type, having positioned fourth on the 2023 Transvulcania, third on the 2023 Penyagolosa MiM, and fourth at Extremely Pirineu in autumn 2022. With a robust end, Manole may lead the Romania squad to a shock within the group race.
Additionally preserve a lookout for Switzerland’s Gian Schicktanz. He was barely 10 minutes behind Hannes Namberger in taking second ultimately yr’s Lavaredo forward of a number of acquainted names. Though he has a restricted ultrarunning resume, he additionally received the 2021 Swiss Alps 100k.
Pei-Quan You is China’s sole males’s runner on this yr’s Path World Championships 80k, however it’s best to preserve your eye on him. He’s received the 2 most up-to-date in-person Vibram Hong Kong 100ks in 2020 and 2023 along with taking third on the Doi Inthanon 100k final December. Not surprisingly, he’s additionally received loads of prime ultramarathons in China.
The lads’s podium from the 2022 Path World Championships (left-to-right): 3. Andreas Reiterer, 1. Adam Peterman, 2. Nicolas Martin. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Anticipated Prime Groups
Earlier than leaping into the anticipated prime groups, a fast phrase on how they’ll be ranked. It’ll be based mostly on the cumulative time of every group’s top-three finishers with as much as six runners competing per group. Apart from these famous above, it’s possible {that a} vital proportion of the entrance of the boys’s area will come from the top-four groups famous beneath.
The 4 groups famous in full beneath — France, U.S., Italy, and Spain — are the 4 groups whose fourth runner has an ITRA rating of 870 or increased on the time of preliminary writing. (This modified with Jim Walmsley’s withdrawal as a result of damage.) Why have a look at the fourth runner when solely three rating? As a result of whether or not it elements in one of many top-three runners having a foul day or a fourth runner stepping up, the depth of a group typically issues. Primarily based on ITRA rankings, on paper, the French group’s fifth and sixth runners signify much more depth, whereas the U.S. group falls off extra rapidly than Spain or Italy.
As well as, every of those 4 groups has a full complement of six runners entered within the occasion on the time of writing. The 2 different groups on the cusp of full profiles — Switzerland and Romania — solely have 5 males entered.
As a refresher, the latest “Lengthy Path” World Championships have been a 78k race run in Thailand in November 2022, with the U.S., France, and Spain ending first via third, respectively, within the males’s group rankings.
The lads’s group podium on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Workforce France
On paper, the French are the group to beat, as they’ve been for almost each Path World Championships that iRunFar’s lined over the previous decade. The group frequently will get full backing of their athletics federation — I can solely assume there was a French group coaching camp — in addition to drawing prime French expertise to the group.
In the event you’re studying from the beginning, you’ve already examine three runners on the French group — Nicolas Martin (2nd), Thibaut Garrivier (sixth), and Paul Mathou (tenth) — who all completed in final yr’s prime 10.
Then there’s Benjamin Roubiol, who was second on the French Lengthy Path Championships in March earlier than taking sixth on the SkyRace des Matheysins in Could. It seems that Roubiol centered on shorter ultras and different sub-ultra path races till final yr, when he received the Excessive Path Valnoise in addition to putting 14th general at each CCC and Diagonale des Fous. Baptiste Chassagne beat Roubiol in successful the French Lengthy Path Championships in March, whereas additionally besting him with a tenth at CCC final August. Chassagne had a robust 2022 through which he additionally took fourth at each the Lavaredo and Transgrancanaria in addition to third at La SaintéLyon.
Whereas I imagine each Roubiol and Chassagne might be making their French nationwide group debuts, Romain Maillard has worn le bleu de France a minimum of 3 times, DNFing on the Path World Championships in 2017, taking seventh in 2018, and forty seventh in 2019. Extra just lately, Maillard was sixth ultimately yr’s Les Templiers and third behind Chassagne and Roubiol in qualifying for the nationwide group on the French Lengthy Path Championships in March.
Primarily based on ITRA scores, all six French males are ranked above the fourth man on the U.S. group and the third man on the Italian and Spanish groups.
Workforce USA
We’ve already talked about Eric LiPuma above, who was seventh a minimum of yr’s Path World Championships 80k. With Jim Walmsley a late scratch as a result of damage, it’ll take some sturdy efforts from the U.S. runners beneath to defend their group victory ultimately yr’s championships.
Zach Miller
Both of two further runners may assist preserve the squad in competition for an additional spherical of gold medals. First up is Zach Miller who was Twenty third within the Path World Championships 40k final yr, whereas he was eighth when the Path World Championships have been 85k in 2018. Whereas Miller battled accidents for a pair years just lately, he’s returned to prime type with a win on the Path 100 Andorra 105k and fifth at UTMB final yr and a win on the Tarawera 100 Mile this February. Drew Holmen could be finest recognized for taking third on the 2021 Western States 100 after which fifth on the similar race in 2023, however final yr he additionally took third on the Chuckanut 50k and Extremely-Path Cape City 100k, simply six minutes behind Hannes Namberger, whereas successful this yr’s Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. We’ll need to see how Holmen’s velocity interprets to the Alpine course in Austria.
Preston Cates has additionally proven he’s acquired velocity with a 3rd place on the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile and fourth on the Method Too Cool 50k this yr, a quick third ultimately yr’s JFK 50 Mile, and second on the 2021 Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. Nonetheless, he didn’t fare as nicely in racing steeper terrain on the Stranda Fjord 25k and Sierre-Zinal final yr. Caleb Olson was thirteenth at CCC final yr and seventeenth in 2021, in addition to taking ninth on the Speedgoat 50k final yr. He additionally completed a spot forward of Cates in taking second at this yr’s Lake Sonoma 50 Mile.
Workforce Italy
The Italian squad might be led by relative native, Andreas Reiterer, who we previewed above and who was third ultimately November’s Path World Championships 80k, the place the Italian group was lower than seven minutes mixed from bringing dwelling the group bronze.
Davide Cheraz was the second runner on final yr’s Italian group, when he took seventeenth. This yr, Cheraz was second to Reiterer on the Italian qualifier race on the Maremonte 60k in March whereas later taking sixth on the Transvulcania in Could.
Whereas Italy has seven males on its group roster in the intervening time, solely six may be designated as scorers within the race, so somebody should be reduce earlier than race day. Presumably, it’ll be one of many following. Notably, the Italians chosen their whole group from one race, the Maremonte 60k. I’ll proceed to notice the Italian runners within the order through which they completed that race.
Riccardo Borgialli raced for Italy ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k, ending a number of hours off the entrance. He’s really had a pair robust years racing internationally, with a twelfth on the 2021 CCC being a spotlight. He was Twenty third on the CCC final yr. With Italy’s flourishing path racing scene, Luca Arrigoni is among the many Italians who races primarily in his dwelling nation, other than a ninth at this yr’s Istria Marathon and a sixth on the 2021 Skyrunning World Champs 68k in Argentina. Guide Bonardi is one other home-country racer that makes it exhausting to narrate him to worldwide competitors. Internally, he shaved greater than half-hour off his Maremonte 60k time from final yr to this yr.
Philipp Ausserhofer has raced extra internationally, however with a excessive proportion of DNFs. Amongst his newer worldwide finishes are wins on the 2021 Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun 85k, 2021 Mozart 100k, and 2022 Hochkönigman Endurance Path, in addition to a second on the 2022 Val d’Aran 105k. In case his race choice and title didn’t tip you off, Ausserhofer is from Italian South Tyrol, roughly 50k from Innsbruck-Stubai, however moved to Innsbruck to check pharmacy and now lives in Stubaital, so he’ll have a real native’s edge right here. Whereas listed final right here as a result of his seventh place on the Italian qualifying race, Francesco Cucco was twenty fifth ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k. Final yr, Cucco was twelfth at Lavaredo, whereas in 2021 he was fourth at Transgrancanaria, 14th at CCC, and fifth at Diagonale des Fous.
With native connections for ultimately Reiterer and Ausserhofer, it’s not a stretch to consider the Italian Workforce as nearly a second dwelling group.
Andreas Reiterer on his approach to taking third on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Workforce Spain
To nobody’s shock, the Spaniards will as soon as once more have a robust group on the Path World Championships 80k, led by José Fernández and Aritz Egea, who completed fourth and fifth at this occasion final yr and are mentioned above.
Marcos Ramos rounded out the scoring group ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k together with his Twenty third-place end. Final yr, he was additionally second on the Spanish Path Championships 39k, fifth on the Val d’Aran 105k, and eighth at Penyagolosa MiM. Not far behind Ramos ultimately yr’s Path World Championships 80k was Ricardo Cherta, who took twenty sixth. Nonetheless solely 25, final yr Cherta additionally received the Path 100 Andorra 50k and was eleventh on the Speedgoat 50k. Borja Fernandez took forty eighth as a member of final yr’s Spanish group on the Path World Championships 80k. Final yr, he was additionally third on the Spanish Path Championships 39k and fourth at Penyagolosa MiM. He additionally ran on the 2019 Path World Championships, when it was 44k. Alejandro Mayor rounds out the Spanish group with a 14th a minimum of yr’s Extremely Pirineu and twelfth at this yr’s Transgrancanaria Marathon to his title.
Different Males’s Groups
Different prime males’s groups to look out for are Switzerland, Romania, Japan, and the U.Okay.
Different Prime Males to Watch
Listed below are another prime males working the 85k race at this yr’s Path World Championships, with a concentrate on looking at runners from world wide.
- Raul Butaci (Romania) – 4th 2023 Transgrancanaria; thirteenth 2022 Path World Championships 80k; eighth 2022 CCC
- Daniel Claassen (South Africa) – eleventh 2023 Transvulcania; fifth 2021 & 2022 Extremely-Path Cape City 100k
- Tobias Dahl (Norway) – eleventh 2022 CCC; 1st Good Côte d’Azur 100k
- Tomas Farnik (Czech Republic) – 2nd 2021 Matterhorn Ultraks; 1st 2021 Hochkönigman Marathon; 4th 2021 Path Verbier St. Bernard X-Alpine
- George Foster (U.Okay.) – 1st 2023 Transgrancanaria Superior; 2nd 2022 Mozart Extremely 75k; twelfth 2021 Grand Path des Templiers
- Jakob Herrmann (Austria) – 1st 2021 Hochkönigman Skyrace; third 2021 Grossglockner Path; eleventh 2022 Transvulcania
- Alexander Hutter (Austria) – 1st 2022 Transalpine Run; 1st 2022 Hochkönigman Path Marathon
- Harry Jones (U.Okay.) – eleventh 2022 Path World Championships 80k; 1st 2022 Mozart Extremely 75k; 4th 2020 Transgrancanaria
Harry Jones (entrance/heart) being chased by Eric LiPuma (again/proper) through the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
- Yuya Kawasaki (Japan) – 2nd 2023 Extremely-Path Mt. Fuji; sixteenth 2022 Path World Championships 80k; 2nd 2022 Hasetsune Cup
- Kamil Leśniak (Poland) – ninth 2023 Penyagolosa MiM; twenty sixth 2022 Path World Championships 80k; 2nd 2022 Cami de Cavalls
- Joaquin Lopez (Ecuador) – sixth 2023 Transgrancanaria; 2nd 2022 TDS; 4th 2022 Transvulcania; sixth 2022 MIUT
- Tomáš Maceček (Czech Republic) – 1st 2023 MIUT 60k
- Ramon Manetsch (Switzerland) – 4th 2023 Penyagolosa MiM; twelfth 2022 Path World Championships 80k; 1st 2021 Path Verbier St Bernard X-Traversée
- Walter Manser (Switzerland) – fifth 2023 MIUT
- Hirokazu Nishimura (Japan) – third 2023 Penyagolosa CSP; 1st 2022 Extremely-Path Mt. Fuji; twenty first 2022 Path World Championships 80k
- André Rodrigues (Portugal) – 2nd 2023 Transvulcania 48k; sixth 2022 Penyagolosa MiM; 4th 2021 Cortina Path
- Joshua Wade (U.Okay.) – 1st 2023 Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100 Mile; ninth 2022 Transvulcania; 1st 2022 Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100k
- Ho Chung Wong (Hong Kong) – eleventh 2021 UTMB; 4th 2020 Vibram Hong Kong 100k; sixth 2019 UTMB
- Fotis Zisimopoulos (Greece) – 1st 2022 Extremely-Path Cape City 100 Mile; third 2021 Transgrancanaria; tenth 2021 Lavaredo Extremely Path; 1st 2022 & 2021 Spartathlon
Beforehand Entered, however No Longer Racing
Name for Feedback
- Which runners and groups do you suppose we’ll see on the rostrum of this yr’s Path World Championships 80k race?
- Any groups or runners who you suppose may shock the world?
Nicolas Martin on his approach to taking second on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k whereas representing Workforce France. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
