Big emotions, fantastic images, perfect organization – the WMTRC in Innsbruck-Stubai were a true success across the board.
It may have rained briefly during the official Closing Ceremony at the 2nd World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai, however, that didn’t dampen the mood and thus the WMTRC came to an end in an appropriate manner - buoyant and cheerful. “World Championships are something we are simply good at organizing,” as Karin Seiler, Tirol Werbung CEO, put it. The athletes were full of praise for the routes of the different contests. “Steep, tough, worthy of World Championships” - that was the verdict of the 1,300 athletes who came to Innsbruck-Stubai from 68 nations. “I have tried to take in my surroundings; the trails were so scenic,” says Rebecca Flaherty, U23 winner in the Mountain Classic. “Everyone was so friendly and the fans were amazing, but the trails in the mountains were the real highlight,” adds Frenchman Benjamin Roubiol, who won the Trail Long with a distance of 86.9 Kilometer and 6,500 meters in altitude.
It was a week of big emotions, starting with the 7th WC title for Austrian runner Andrea Mayr, who passed and left behind her Kenyan opponent on the steep climb to the Elfer hut, securing the only medal for host nation Austria, and ending with a cordon of fans along the home stretch on the forecourt of the Tyrol State Theater four days later. They say that “an image is able to convey more than a 1,000 words”, and this rang more than true during these World Championships. The footage captured by photographers, drones and cameramen to be sent around the globe via live stream was simply breathtaking, but what’s more, the camera runners following the athletes have pushed live coverage to a new level and allowed visitors in front of the screens to get up real close to the action, making them feel as if they were in the mountains themselves, following the steep climbs and rooty downhills. It goes without saying that the races put the cherry on the cake, what with them being suspenseful, full of literal twists and turns as well as gripping battles for the lead. Another highlight: Apart from some minor wounds, none of the athletes sustained any injuries.
The WMTRC had its finger on the pulse of time with regards to another very important topic, namely sustainability, with the event running under the banner of “Leave no trace”. “We will leave nothing but our footprints,” was the pledge taken during the Opening Ceremony by Austrian runner Johanna Hiemer and her Norwegian counterpart Stian Angermund as representatives for all participating athletes. Having pledged the same, the organizers only used flags and signposting made of reusable materials, while the spray paint used for the arrows sprayed on the ground is biodegradable. 400 volunteers, 100 of whom hav traveled to Innsbrucks from all over the world, contributed to the event going smoothly, turning it into a truly memorable event.
The race days were brought to a conclusion with live music at the two venues in Innsbruck and Neustift im Stubai. While Gregor Meyle set the mood during the Opening Ceremony, Tim Bendzko did the same during the Closing Ceremony. As Nadeem Kahn, President of the International Association of Ultrarunners, put it: “I only have one word to describe these WMTRC: Wow.”
