WMTRC 2023 LONG TRAIL RACE: Who are the favourites ?
We're only a few days away from the next World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck and Stubai. It's time to take a closer look at the favourites for the long trail race to be held on Friday 9 June in Innsbruck, Austria.
LONG TRAIL RACE
MEN
For the long trail race, it's hard to predict. Once again, the field of runners is very strong. There are 6 runners above the 900 ITRA Performance Index.
In first place there was American Jim Walmsley with an ITRA Performance Index of 938 (ITRA PI) but unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury. Germany's Hannes Namberger 923 (ITRA PI) tops the start list, followed by France's Thibaut Garrivier 912 (ITRA PI). There are rumours that Thibaut is taking part in the championships just to win the gold medal. This is a perilous objective, and the Italian Andreas Reiterer 911 (ITRA PI) will certainly not make it easy. Having finished third at the inaugural Long Trail World Championships, the Italian will be doing his utmost to reach the top step of the podium. Switzerland's Gian Schicktanz 904 (ITRA PI) completes this incredible line-up of the fastest long-distance runners at these Championships, along with the great regular of these championships, Long Trail World Vice-Champion Nicolas Martin 901.
Adam Peterman - Credit @irunfar
In the Top 15 of these Long Trail World Championships, there are 5 athletes between 890 and 899 ITRA PI. It’s hard to know which athlete will make the difference on the Austrian trails. The course has some vertiginous slopes and the distance-to-climb ratio will be enough to put any worthy champion through their paces.
TOP 15 Men :
|
Nationality |
Last Name |
First Name |
ITRA Performance Index |
|
USA |
WALMSLEY |
Jim |
938 |
|
GER |
NAMBERGER |
Hannes |
923 |
|
FRA |
GARRIVIER |
Thibaut |
912 |
|
ITA |
REITERER |
Andreas |
911 |
|
SUI |
SCHICKTANZ |
Gian |
904 |
|
FRA |
MARTIN |
Nicolas |
901 |
|
FRA |
ROUBIOL |
Benjamin |
899 |
|
ESP |
FERNANDEZ |
Jose |
898 |
|
ROU |
MANOLE |
Ionel |
893 |
|
ESP |
EGEA |
Aritz |
891 |
|
CHN |
YOU |
Peiquan |
890 |
|
USA |
LIPUMA |
Eric |
886 |
|
FRA |
CHASSAGNE |
Baptiste |
884 |
|
GRE |
ZISIMOPOULOS |
Fotis |
883 |
|
POR |
RODRIGUES |
Andre |
883 |
|
USA |
MILLER |
Zach |
883 |
If we look at the men, the average ITRA Performance Index for the top 5 is 917.6 and for the top 10 is 907 (ITRA PI). The level among the men is once again incredibly high. This technical race promises to be a battle full of twists and turns.
|
Ranking |
ITRA Performance Index |
|
Top 5 |
917,6 |
|
Top 10 |
907 |
LONG TRAIL RACE
WOMEN
On the women's side, Long Trail World Champion Blandine L'Hirondel tops the start list with a stratospheric ITRA Performance Index of 812. She is the only woman above 800 ITRA PI taking part in these championships, along with Sweden's Tove Alexandersson 817 (ITRA PI) taking part in the Classic mountain race. France is well represented in the top 15 with Manon Bohard Cailler 769 (ITRA PI) and the inseparable Audrey Tanguy 767 (ITRA PI) and Marion Delespierre 744 (ITRA PI). The Spaniards, only two in the top 15, are announced as favourites with Azara Garcia 771 (ITRA PI) and the third Long Trail World Champion Gemma Arenas 762 (ITRA PI). The spotlight is also on Germany's Rosanna Buchauer 762 (ITRA PI), 5th at her first Long Trail World Championships. She knows the course and trails very well, and that could well make all the difference..jpg)
Blandinde L'Hirondel - Credit @astridrenet
TOP 15 WOMEN:
|
Nationality |
Last Name |
First Name |
ITRA Performance Index |
|
FRA |
L'HIRONDEL |
Blandine |
812 |
|
NEP |
BUDHA |
Sunmaya |
772 |
|
ESP |
GARCIA |
Azara |
771 |
|
FRA |
BOHARD CAILLER |
Manon |
769 |
|
FRA |
TANGUY |
Audrey |
767 |
|
CZE |
VAŠÍNOVÁ |
Marcela |
765 |
|
ESP |
ARENAS |
Gemma |
762 |
|
GER |
BUCHAUER |
Rosanna |
762 |
|
POL |
TRACZ |
Paulina |
759 |
|
FIN |
ANTILA |
Johanna |
756 |
|
JPN |
YOSHIZUMI |
Yuri |
755 |
|
AUS |
MCKENNA |
Anna |
752 |
|
POL |
WILK |
Katarzyna |
745 |
|
FRA |
DELESPIERRE |
Marion |
744 |
|
ITA |
TURINI |
Giuditta |
744 |
The women's field at these Long Trail Championships is extremely strong. The average ITRA Performance Index for the top 5 is 778.2 and for the top 10 is 769.5. Once again, it's difficult to predict who will win.
|
Ranking |
ITRA Performance Index |
|
Top 5 |
778,2 |
|
Top 10 |
769,5 |
Last year, the men's Long Trail Team World Champions were the Americans, then the French in second place, followed by the Spanish.
If we look at the ITRA Performance Indices for all the male athletes this year, the French are expected to come out on top, followed by the Americans and then the Italians. The Spanish and Swiss are in fourth and fifth place respectively. Are the French ready to win the title of World Long Trail Team Champion? Will the Americans succeed in retaining their World Champion title?
LONG TRAIL BY TEAM
WOMEN
On the women's side, the first Long Trail World Champions were the French, followed by the Spanish in second place and the Italians in third.
This year, the predictions once again point to the French in first place. Two nations well placed to make their debut on the podium are the Polish for silver and the Germans for bronze. However, we must not discount the Spanish, who will not let their title of World Vice-Champion slip away so easily. As for the French, will they be able to retain their Long Trail World Championship title?
See you on Friday 9 June 2023!
Discover all the Startlist: All the Trail Long race startlist