At 14, he was one of the youngest paragliding pilots in Austria. At 18, he had a license to offer tandem flights, and so far, he has completed 6,000 flights. At 19, he competed in his first ski mountaineering race, and so far, he has not only mastered the discipline but also become a pro. At 31 he started taking trail running seriously – purely for training purposes to get fit for winter. And now, at 35, he has taken his leave of the Austrian National Team of Ski Mountaineers and is preparing for his first WMTRC, and he is planning on aiming high: It would be wrong to say that Jakob Herrmann has not led an exciting life.

The nearing WMTRC aside, he currently rejoices in the ongoing renovation of his apartment. “Living room, toilet, bathroom, entry hall, kitchen - everything will be renovated,” he says, with an enlarged kitchen being the main objective for both himself and his wife Andrea.

Seeing as he used to teach mathematics and housekeeping, it comes as no big surprise that he is not only a passionate but also a talented chef and an even better baker, with a preference for simple dishes like grilled vegetables and pasta al dente with parmigiano (“it makes me happier than any steak and chips ever could”). Pizza and polenta are equally part of his repertoire as are ‘Kaiserschmarrn’ (sugared pancake with raisins) and ‘Mohnnudeln’ (potato-gnocchi like pasta with melted butter and poppy seeds), famed amongst his friends and family.

Herrmann doesn’t believe that the ongoing renovation will keep him too busy to properly prepare for the WMTRC – rather on the contrary. “I benefit from having to mentally focus on topics other than sports after a race like the Trofeo Mezzalama, which is set to take place on April 22, and is one of the major all-terrain ski races, including two peaks of more than 4,000 m,” the top athlete says. “I have really good lungs and it’s more likely I risk muscular issues due to training too intensely.” At the “Mezzalama” he is going to team up with Martin Anthamatten and Werner Marti, and who knows, he might meet the two Swiss guys again in Tyrol – both of them are hoping to qualify for the WMTRC in early May.

“If I had to choose an Austrian city to live in, it would be Innsbruck. It is a pretty cool city. In addition, I really like the Nordkette range and Stubai.”

Two years ago, at the 57 km Großglockner Trail, he came to realize that there can be quite a difference between the demands of an organ and the reality of what his legs are able to achieve. While he was leading early on in the race, he ran too fast once it went downhill, “only” finishing in third place. When it comes to the combination of forest trails and trail contests, Jakob Herrmann has decided opinions and sets his own priorities. “In terms of routing, certain Ultra Trails are simply too easy, too simple.” And that is why Herrmann is going to participate in the TDS rather than the UTMB come late summer.

The Trail Long at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2023 Innsbruck-Stubai should be to his liking, at least partly, with the 85.6 km route being made up of 73% trail, 12% forest trail, and 15% asphalt. With an ITRA index of 861 (as of April 4, 2023), Herrmann, who has proactively applied for the Austrian team, is in good spirits.

“Even though I have participated in ski mountaineering world championships, I believe that the WMTRC in Tyrol is going to be on a much bigger and impressive scale. My expectations are very high, but what I have heard regarding the organization so far seems really professional. It seems there is a lot of work and passion being put into it. I believe the WMTRC are going to be top-notch,” he says.

“I have gotten in touch with Austria’s team leaders to find out whether I stand a chance; after all, I know some others running for the squad and I have competed against them before. It’s hard to gauge my chances; I am expecting the starting field to be stronger than the one at the first WMTRC held in Thailand. It would be cool to win a medal, and I am aiming to finish among the top 5. The event is going to be a challenge, which I find tempting – after all, one needs to have a goal.”

But Herrmann also knows how quickly things can change. During last year’s OCC he fell, resulting in a concussion that forced him to give up prematurely. That’s why it is his top priority to reach the finishing line uninjured – and if he manages to do so he will happy with any position among the top 10 or 15.

Pics (c) Skimostats, Philipp Reiter, Andrea Herrmann, Nils Lang, Ian Corless