Between June 6 and 10, Innsbruck (Austria) hosts the test with the presence of more than a thousand runners mountain from 50 countries
We already have a new great outdoor event here with the Mountain and Trail Running World Championship. Between June 6 and 10, Innsbruck-Stubai (Austria), in the heart of Tyrol and the Stubai Valley, is the venue for the Mountain and Trail Running World Championship, which is attended by more than 1,300 athletes representing to 50 countries. Among them is the Spanish team, made up of 19 women and 20 men summoned by the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA).
About thirty elite mountain runners whose goal is to repeat, or improve if possible, the results achieved by the Spanish team in the World Cup held in Thailand in October last year. On that occasion, a total of seven medals were awarded and now they start as one of the favorite teams due to the great potential of the athletes present.
THE TEST SCHEDULE
Throughout this week several tests will be held that contemplate different distances that will serve to measure the level of each runner. The test called Vertical Uphill has been in charge of opening the championship this Wednesday with a route of 7 kilometers and 1,020 meters of positive slope.
This Thursday, June 6, it is the turn of the Short Trail test, with a marathon distance of 45.2 km and more than 3,000 meters of positive unevenness. The Catalan Núria Gil, fourth in Thailand and current runner-up in Europe, is one of the candidates for the final victory. On the starting line there will also be runners like Oihana Kortazar and Júlia Font. On the poster of favorites are the Czech Barbora Macurová and the Swiss Emilia Bragenfält.
In the men’s category, the runners who start with the most options to win the medals are the Norwegian Stian Angermund, the Italian Francesco Puppi and the British Jonatan Albon, third in the prestigious Zegama – Aizkorri marathon. Among the riders from the Spanish team who will fight to be in the top positions are Zaid Ait Malek, Dimas Pereira, Jonatan Arobes and Jan Margarit, who is once again competing with the RFEA team.
The longest test of all, the Long Trail of 86.9 km with 6,500 meters of positive elevation gain, will be held on Friday starting at 6:30 in the morning. In the men’s category, the Spanish runners will defend the 2022 bronze medal and the same ones who competed in Thailand will do so: José Ángel Fernández, Aritz Egea, Marcos Ramos and Borja Fernández. The toughest direct rivals will be the Frenchman Nicolas Martin, runner-up in Thailand, and the bronze medalist, the Italian Andreas Reiterer. The United States and France were the teams that were ahead on the podium at last year’s World Cup.
Finally, on Saturday the Mountain Classic will be held, the uphill and downhill race over two 7.5 km laps with 374 positive slopes in each lap and which will take place around Innsbruck, with almost 40% of its route. by asphalt. The athletes Andreu Blanes, Alejandro García Carrillo and Miquel Corbera will repeat their presence. The sub23 rider Ibai Larrea will complete the Spanish quartet, who will seek to get back on the podium. Onditz Iturbe and María Ordóñez will run in the women’s team, with the presence of two U23 athletes in the team: Malen Osa and Laura Domene. Spain finished in seventh position in 2022 in this distance.