938. This isn’t a bib number; neither is it a ZIP code or a phone number but a number in the ITRA ranking, with the ITRA being the prestigious International Trail Running Association, and the number belonging to Jim Walmsley. Anyone in the know will understand the significance of this number: It basically stands for someone among the world’s elite. Walmsley comes second in this ranking (in a tie with Jonathan Albon, GBR, who will also participate in Innsbruck-Stubai).

One could be forgiven for thinking that numbers are nothing but smoke and mirrors. However, among his peers, Jim Walmsley is a big deal, and unsurprisingly so. He has won classics such as the JFK 50-mile run, Lake Sonoma or the Western State 100 - not once, but multiple times. In addition, he participated in the US marathon qualifier for the 2020 Olympics and, in 2019, fell shy of the 100-kilometer world record.

The athlete from Phoenix, Arizona, who won the 100-mile contest in Istria just a few weeks back, lives in France and is busy exercising and preparing for a major goal: He wants to win the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, a feat that has been achieved by US women on several occasions, but never by a US man.

He gives his all for this one goal. The contest in Istria was a “business trip”, as stated on social media by Walmsley himself, undertaken in order to secure a spot in the Mont Blanc race. He meticulously plans all of his contest- and training phases, and this is where the WMTRC come in - they just come at a better time than the Lavaredo Ultra, which is staged two weeks later.

“It is exactly eight weeks from the end of June to the end of August; past experiences suggest that fitness levels go down towards the last two weeks of this preparation phase,” Walmsley explains, “and this is why it makes more sense to run the WMTRC - it allows me to buy time, which should prove to be a positive thing.”

But even with the final goal of this season being beyond the WMTRC, Jim Walmsley, who will run the Vertical on the first and the Trail Long on the third day, takes his participation seriously. “I have been researching the course profile in-depth and I have to say: It is badass. In relation to the distance it covers it has more meters in altitude than any other comparable iconic race.”

“I am extremely nervous and motivated to participate in Innsbruck-Stubai”

And what does he have to say about the Ultra course? “Firstly, there is the question of how much one is prepared to challenge oneself on the route, how far one is prepared to go in terms of performance and whether it would make sense to take a more tactical approach yet still aim for the best possible result,” Walmsley muses. “With regards to the climbing profile, the three consecutive uphills - at 1,200, 1,500, respectively 1,000 meters in altitude - really stand out. The first one is irrelevant; while you don’t want to be outrun by a competitor, you would want to approach it in a relaxed manner. The second one is very important and it reaches pretty high - that is if it can be conquered at all.”

Walmsley continues: “However the case may be, the decisive leg of the route will most likely be the one following the last major resupply in Kranebitten on the Nordkette, on the final 1,000 meters in altitude.” And laughing, the superstar adds: “Of course, if Killian Jornet were to participate, he would most likely wait for the final downhill …”

Unlike other athletes, Jim Walmsley forgoes training units on the WMTRC routes . “I can find the required technical demands in the foothills of the Western Alps.” He is hoping for good weather: “If the sun’s out and the weather is good, it will probably be the first race in such conditions for all of us.” By “all of us” he means his US team mates who will have to defend their title - they took home team gold in Chiang Mai in 2022, a success that might well be repeated with Walmsley as the leader: “We have a really strong team, even despite the fact that some athletes have given preference to the Western States Endurance Run.”

As regards the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, the 2019 World Champion is open-minded. “I am expecting the WMTRC to keep increasing in significance and prestige so let’s see about their status in five or ten years’ time.” That being said, the super star is a bit dismissive about World Championships held in the USA. “We wouldn’t be able to offer courses that are as aesthetically pleasing as the ones in Europe, and neither would we be able to provide the same spectator-driven atmosphere, but what’s even more, many resorts and mountain areas have limited the numbers of active athletes due to nature conservancy and other regulations.”

That is why Jim Walmsley is really looking forward to the event in Innsbruck-Stubai. And the trail running community is really looking forward to seeing a global superstar run on the trails in Tyrol.