After final yr’s occasion in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the 2023 Path World Championships 80k, now a part of the mixed World Mountain and Path Working Championships, returned to Europe and the Tyrolean Alps, with the occasion collectively hosted by the village of Neustift im Stubaital and town of Innsbruck, Austria.
With an excessive amount of snow on the unique course, organizers made a last-minute change to an alternate course that routed the center a part of the course over decrease mountains between the beginning in Neustift within the Stubai Valley and the end in Innsbruck. The change didn’t appear to have an effect on the character of the course or scale back its problem. Deemed one of the, if not essentially the most, technical course that the Path World Championships has dished up, instances have been comparatively gradual for the 80-kilometer (truly 87k/54 miles) course which had 6,500 meters (21,000 toes) of climbing and much more descending over trails that have been slower than many others usually utilized in European ultramarathon races.
The beginning of the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
On the lads’s aspect, the occasion had 9 out of the top-10 males from final yr’s Path World Championships 80k returning, with solely the defending champion lacking from the lineup. This imply that final yr’s second- and third-place males in France’s Nicolas Martin (pre-race interview) and Italy’s Andreas Reiterer (pre-race interview) have been returning simply seven months after their podium finishes. After a number of massive ends in 2021 and 2022, Germany’s Hannes Namberger (pre-race interview) got here in as one to look at.
The ladies equally returned two prime runners from final yr’s Path World Championships 80k, together with reigning world champion Blandine L’Hirondel of France (pre-race interview) and Gemma Arenas of Spain, who was third in 2022 and can be operating her sixth Path World Championships.
However, as racing tends to go, nothing turned out as anticipated. Ultimately, it was Benjamin Roubiol and Marion Delespierre, each of France, reaching the Innsbruck end line first after a day of shut racing and frequent lead modifications. Roubiol waited till the ultimate climb to place the stress on a tiring Reiterer, who’d spent a lot of the race within the lead.
The ladies’s race was equally shut with the top-three girls coming into the bottom of the ultimate climb at 66k inside two minutes of one another. After racing a really affected person and good race, Delespierre had sufficient within the tank to drag away from Katharina Hartmuth of Germany and Manon Bohard Cailler of France on the ultimate climb and descent.
There have been no surprises within the winners of the workforce competitors, with France strolling away with each the lads’s and girls’s titles, though the U.S. males made it a detailed name!
The surroundings of Stubai Valley, Austria, the place the 2023 Path World Championships 80k started. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2023 Path World Championships 80k Males’s Race
Beginning below cool and clear skies in Neustift, the lads’s race went out quick up the “beginning loop,” which occurred to characteristic a 1,200-meter (4,000 toes) climb over 8.2 kilometers straight out of the beginning gate. Whereas issues hadn’t break up up considerably over the primary climb, each Zach Miller (pre-race interview) of the U.S. and Andreas Reiterer (pre-race interview) of Italy got here throughout the highest within the prime 10, clearly stating their intents for the day.
Again down within the valley, the 2 chased Baptiste Chassagne of France as the highest three, because the race left the Stubai Valley and headed again up into the mountains towards Innsbruck. Benjamin Roubiol of France, Peter Fraňo of Slovakia, Aritz Egea of Spain, and Thibaut Garrivier of France all ran comfortably within the prime 10, although Garrivier appeared noticeably distressed in comparison with the others. Pre-race favourite, Nicolas Martin (pre-race interview) of France, was not in rivalry and would finally drop after the midway level as a result of knee ache.
The U.S.’s Zach Miller runs calmly within the early kilometers of the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. He’d go on to take sixth place. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
By the 36k mark, Reiterer had taken over the lead from Chassagne as they went over the most important climb of the day, tallied at 1,400 meters (4,600 toes). From an out of doors observer’s perspective, Reiterer appeared extremely comfy, operating effectively inside himself and showing to have the whole lot below management. Egea, Miller, Roubiol, Garrivier, and Fraňo all stayed within the prime 10, all inside 10 minutes of one another, biding their time.
Over the course of the subsequent three main climbs, throughout 600-meter (2,000 toes), excessive within the mountains between the 2 host cities, Reiterer continued to guide the slowly stretching discipline. The steep trails have been no barrier to his regular effort and the race’s cameraman was seen respiratory more durable than he was. Roubiol adopted about six minutes again excessive of the final climb within the collection, with Fraňo, Egea, and Garrivier finishing the highest 5, nonetheless inside 10 minutes of one another. Miller continued to carry on in sixth.
Andreas Reiterer of Italy operating at 24 kilometers into the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. He took second place. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Greater than midway now, the runners bombed down into the village Grinzens within the valley at 54k, now again to their unique beginning elevation, besides on the opposite aspect of the mountains, with extra descending to go earlier than the ultimate climb and descent into Innsbruck. Reiterer and Roubiol maintained their top-two positions whereas the remainder of the highest 10 continued to shuffle amongst themselves with Garrivier persevering with to maneuver up within the discipline and Miller dropping one other place into seventh. Miller, wanting spry and claiming that he nonetheless had legs, continued to maintain tabs on the lads in entrance of him, clearly intent on reeling them in.
Persevering with right down to the low level of the course in Kranebritten at 66k, the highest 5 appeared like Reiterer, Roubiol, Fraňo, Garrivier, and Tomáš Fárník of the Czech Republic. Now, all that stood between the entrance finish of the race and the end was a remaining 1,000-meter (3,400 toes) climb and a wild drop again down into Innsbruck. Whereas something might occur, with greater than a four-minute lead, it appeared prefer it was Reiterer’s result in lose.
France’s Benjamin Roubiol climbing at 41 kilometers into the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. He would go on to win the race. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
However on the ultimate climb of the race, the ever-patient Roubiol made his transfer, surging into the lead at Aspachhütte at 71k, and opening a four-minute hole on a fading Reiterer. Roubiol appeared extremely centered as he made his method up the mountain. Fraňo and Garrivier remained strong in third and fourth, and Miller began to make good on his promise of nonetheless having legs, transferring into fifth. The hole between Roubiol and Reiterer solely continued to develop, eight minutes at 73k, and 9 minutes at 75k, as they made their technique to the highest of the ultimate climb. Fraňo stayed sturdy in third, Garrivier in fourth, and Miller and Fárník continued to battle for fifth, 25 minutes off the lead.
Peter Fraňo of Slovakia on his technique to ending third on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. Right here, he’s operating at 78 kilometers into the race. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
From there, it was all downhill to the end. Benjamin Roubiol flew down the ultimate descent to win the 2023 Path World Championships 80k in 9:52:59. Reiterer adopted just below eight minutes again, the hole holding regular the entire descent. Fraňo and Garrivier each held onto their locations to complete third and fourth. Behind them, U.S. teammates Drew Holmen and Eric LiPuma made a robust push to catch as much as their teammate Miller. Holmen would out dash Miller on the line, and the 2 have been adopted much less a minute later by LiPuma, the trio taking fifth by means of seventh.
For the workforce competitors, Chassagne can be the third French finisher in seventeenth place, securing the workforce victory for France. The sturdy fifth by means of seventh finishes of the U.S. males slotted them into second within the workforce competitors simply over 5 minutes behind the French in over 30 hours of cumulative racing. Reiterer would lead the Italian workforce to a third-place end.
Thibaut Garrivier of France took fourth on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k, but it surely was a problem for him all day. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2023 Path World Championships 80k Males’s Outcomes
- Benjamin Roubiol (France) – 9:52:59
- Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 10:00:46
- Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) – 10:02:10
- Thibaut Garrivier (France) – 10:14:29
- Drew Holmen (U.S.) – 10:15:40
- Zach Miller (U.S.) – 10:15:45
- Eric LiPuma (U.S.) – 10:16:52
- Ramon Manetsch (Switzerland) – 10:17:13
- Tomás Farník (Czech Republic) – 10:18:02
- Walter Manser (Switzerland) – 10:19:19
Benjamin Roubiol, 2023 Path World Championships 80k winner. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Males’s Groups
- France – 30:43:09
- United States – 30:48:17
- Italy – 31:29:55
Andreas Reiterer celebrates taking second place on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2023 Path World Championships 80k Girls’s Race
As with the lads’s race, a few of the pre-race favorites bowed out of the race early on with Blandine L’Hirondel (pre-race interview) dropping on the “begin loop” out of Neustift as a result of foot ache from an present damage. The remainder of the sphere charged on, led up the primary climb by Marcela Vašínová (pre-race interview) of the Czech Republic, Martina Valmassoi (pre-race interview) of Italy, and Akiyama Honoka of Japan.
The highest 5, made up of Allison Baca of the U.S., Vašínová, Azara García of Spain, Valmassoi, and Honoka, all got here again by means of the village of Neustift at 18k and headed out into the mountains towards Innsbruck inside two and a half minutes of one another.
Allison Baca of the U.S. operating at 24 kilometers into the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. She’d finally end sixth. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
The entrance of the race continued to reshuffle up the day’s greatest climb, that 1,400-meter (4,600 toes) doozy. Vašínová continued to guide with a smile, opening up a large hole to Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth and Valmassoi, who have been operating inside a minute of one another 36k into the race. Baca and Rosanna Buchauer of Germany rounded out the highest 5 because the race approached the midway level.
Katharina Hartmuth of Germany operating at 24 kilometers into the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Vašínová’s and Valmassoi’s quick begin appeared to take a toll on the 2 girls as they traversed the next three climbs and descents excessive within the mountains, with Vašínová wanting noticeably rougher than the shortly closing Hartmuth, who appeared downright comfy. By the highest of the ultimate 600-meter (2,000 toes) climb within the center part of the course, the 2 girls had dropped again within the standings with Hartmuth taking on the lead with a five-minute hole over second-place Manon Bohard Cailler of France. Buchauer and Marion Delespierre of France trailed second by lower than half a minute now, 49k into the race and just one main climb left to go. Pre-race favourite Gemma Arenas of Spain continued to work her method up the sphere after a gradual begin and ran simply inside the highest 10 in ninth place.
Marion Delespierre ascending at 41 kilometers into the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. She’d go on to win the race. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
The highest 5 remained largely unchanged apart from a slight shuffle after the dramatic drop into Grinzens village at 54k, with Bohard Cailler, Delespierre, and Buchauer all operating inside 20 seconds of one another, 4 minutes behind Hartmuth, who continued to guide and look sturdy. She was clearly having fun with her day trip within the mountains, however the descent appeared to take its toll. Bohard Cailler and Delespierre, who’d been chasing collectively after dropping Buchauer, lastly closed the hole to the chief into the ultimate drop to the city of Kranebritten at 66k. Now, with the top-three girls inside two minutes of one another with one large climb to go, it was anybody’s race and all three began up the ultimate incline centered and silent.
Manon Bohard Cailler of France climbs out of the Axamer Lizum ski space at 41 kilometers into the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. She would finally take third. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Delespierre appeared to be the one with essentially the most fuel within the tank for the ultimate kilometers and large climb as she shortly opened a three-minute hole on Hartmuth at 73k. The hole stayed regular excessive of the climb at 75k, with Hartmuth combating onerous to catch the chief on the ultimate downhill run in to the end. Bohard Cailler was an additional six minutes behind on the prime. From there, the hole opened considerably to Buchauer and Valmassoi.
The highest-two girls appeared to be transferring extremely strongly on the ultimate descent, however the distance to shut the hole was quickly operating out for anybody giving chase. Ultimately, nobody might contact a flying Marion Delespierre who would cross the end line in first to win the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. Hartmuth and Bohard Cailler held onto their respective positions about seven and 12 minutes again, and an elated Valmassoi completed fourth.
Marion Delespierre, 2023 Path World Championships 80k winner. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2023 Path World Championships 80k Girls’s Outcomes
- Marion Delespierre (France) – 11:22:31
- Katharina Hartmuth (Germany) – 11:29:14
- Manon Bohard Cailler (France) – 11:34:22
- Martina Valmassoi (Italy) – 11:44:50
- Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) – 11:45:48
- Allison Baca (U.S.) – 11:56:21
- Emily Schmitz (U.S.) – 11:58:31
- Mari Klakegg Fenre (Norway) – 12:00:57
- Akiyama Honoka (Japan) – 12:01:23
- Audrey Tanguy (France) – 12:01:30
Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth is jubilant on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k end line, the place she took second. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Girls’s Groups
- France – 34:58:23
- Germany – 35:32:01
- Italy – 36:20:08
Protection Thanks
Thanks a lot to Philipp Oestreich for serving to us cowl this occasion on his house trails!
Martina Valmassoi of Italy celebrating fourth place on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
