Try it for yourself: World Championship Trail Running in Innsbruck and Stubai

Last updated on 06.06.2023

The coming days will see the paths of the world’s trail running elite converging on the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai, where some 1,300 athletes from 68 nations are competing in four events. If you want to get a taste of the World Championships and try out this up-and-coming sport for yourself, you can follow in the footsteps of Hartmut Müller, blogger for Innsbruck Tourismus, and try out the world championship trails in Innsbruck and Stubai for yourself.

Trying out the new, setting personal goals and having your own body experience the emotions that top athletes go through as they run – all this can be done on the Innsbruck and Stubai World Cup trails, whether in whole or in part. Blogger and sports enthusiast Hartmut Müller wanted to experience this feeling for himself, so off he set: “As a passionate athlete I have long wanted to try out trail running. Now, with the World Cup being staged close to home, I had no further excuse not to head for the great outdoors and attempt this sport.”

First steps first: trail running-vocabulary and equipment-check

Over hill and dale, not to mention forest, meadow and gravel paths, around the lake and up to the mountain top – that’s what trail running is literally all about. And, Hartmut is convinced, it’s exactly what makes it so special: “It’s almost unique that you don’t have to create any new infrastructure for this sport – you can simply use existing paths.” Urban, rural and high-alpine: with its impressive landscape and variety of routes, Innsbruck-Stubai, chosen as this year’s World Cup region, is a major centre for trail running. As the sport is based upon the principle of “everything but asphalt”, the right equipment is essential. First and foremost is the right footwear: a good sole profile and stable construction are essential. When it comes to clothing, the “onion approach” has proved its worth for runners, and Hartmut agrees. For keeping an eye on the altitude and, far more importantly, the body’s vital signs, every running outfit should definitely also include a heart rate monitor. As an option, Hartmut recommends a backpack for runs of one and a half hours or longer. Whether the equipment comes from one of the two World Cup partners, La Sportiva and Salomon, or from another manufacturer, the ideal equipment and excellent advice are sure to be found at your local sports shop.

Two all-rounders: runner and landscape

“A really good trail runner combines surefootedness, a head for heights, fitness, orientation skills and the ability to correctly judge both terrain and risks. Trail running is thus a holistic approach with physical and mental challenges”, concludes Hartmut after his first experiences of running in Innsbruck and Stubai. The favourite routes for this newcomer to trail running include the “Sillschlucht Trail” in Innsbruck and the “Lanser-Kopf-Loop”. In the Stubai region, meanwhile, there are the impressive “Stubai Vertical Elfer WM 2023” and “WildeWasser Trail”. From amateurs to top-class runners, there’s no doubt that Innsbruck and Stubai can offer suitable routes for every running category.

Hartmut also reveals how his attempt went in his posts on the #myinnsbruck-Blog.

You can find an overview with full information about trail running routes in Innsbruck and Stubai here: www.innsbruck.info/l/trailrunning and Running & Trailrunning – Stubaital Tirol