Angermund and Geoffray claim 45km trail short titles in Innsbruck

Norway’s Stian Angermund and France’s Clementine Geoffray ruled supreme on day two of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai on Thursday (7), claiming gold in the 45km trail short events.

The race set off at 9am from Innsbruck’s old town before rising into the craggy peaks of the Stubai Alps, with 3,123m of altitude gain in total, which left many competitors questioning that ‘short’ in the race’s title. While conditions were decent for much of the morning, a torrential downpour in the early afternoon meant the race was suspended with about 50 of the competitors unable to finish as a result.

But the vast majority made it to the line before that, with Angermund the first of them in 4:19:00, more than two minutes clear of Britain’s Thomas Roach (4:21:18) and Italy’s Luca Del Pero (4:22:04).

A group of four ran together through the opening kilometres into the Nordkette Mountains, with Angermund, Britain’s Thomas Cardin, USA’s Garrett Corcoran and Sweden’s Petter Engdahl bunched together. Angermund made his move just before halfway, on the trail to Mutterer Alm, which he reached with a 44-second advantage over the chasers. That continued to grow over the mountains that followed, with Angermund passing the Schlicker Alm just after 30km with a 2:37 lead over Roach, who in turn had a similar lead over the chasing pack.

Del Pero sliced through the field over the latter kilometres to claw his way into the medal positions at the right time. But by the time the others reached the finish, Angermund was already enjoying the well-earned plaudits, having retained the title he won at the last edition of these championships in Thailand.

His plan coming into the race? “It was to try to stay with the first guys and then try not to burn out,” he said. It had been far from straightforward. “At the start I felt super dizzy, I started to see like black spots,” he said. “What I could hear was like I was underwater. So I was about to hold on to the next person because I struggled with balance.”

When did he realise he had victory in the bag? “Two minutes before the finish, not before,” he said. “I think I will start crying soon, but I'm just too tired.”

Roach was equally thrilled with his silver, having also helped Britain to team gold. “Honestly, I was thinking top 10 would be some achievement. Top three is unbelievable,” he said.

Del Pero was thrilled with bronze, revealing that his goal had been a top-10 finish. “I just can't believe it,” he said, adding that the race was “very painful.”

The women’s race saw Switzerland’s Judith Wyder set off at a searing pace, passing Kranebitten after 9km with a 58-second advantage over France’s Clementine Geoffray. That stretched out to 3:11 by the time the pair reached the Mutterer Alm after 20km. At that point Germany’s Laura Hottenrott was in second, but after fading through the field through the latter half, she was unable to finish and stopped shortly after 35km.

At that point, passing Kreuzjoch, Wyder still had a 50-second advantage over Geoffray but The Frenchwoman was closing fast, passing Wyder at Starkenburgerhutte, and then powering down the descent, pulling away with every stride. She hit the finish in 4:53:12, with Wyder 2:01 back in second, and her Swiss teammate Theresa Leboeuf taking bronze in 5:09:29.

“The last ascent, I was very good and I saw I came back on Judith, it was really motivating,” said Geoffray. “I passed her at the top and on the last descent I knew I was good at that, so I went as fast as I could. Then it was beautiful.”

Geoffray, who is based in Grenoble in the French Alps, told herself on the final incline that this was just like one of her local training routes. Her best previous result at the championships was finishing 11th in 2019, but she was doubly rewarded for her victory, also helping France to team gold.

“I knew I was in good shape, but I’d never done a long race with so many uphill and downhill metres,” she said. “I am so in love with this sport, so I’m proud of this.”

Wyder was content with silver. “I’m really happy,” she said. “Maybe I pushed it a bit too much in the beginning to be first at the first aid station. She was better in the end. On the uphill I felt really (bad) and had cramps. I’m not used to having cramps, so it was hard to handle. When you feel like you’re really trying and it doesn’t work, it’s hard, but at the end it’s a happy feeling that remains.”

Leboeuf won her first World Championship medal in third and was overjoyed at her achievement, saying: “The downhill at the end was super tough, I had blisters and my legs were cramping, I just had to play it safe and get down. I wanted to make the top 10, and if everything went perfect, top five.”

Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

 

Leading results

Women
1 Clementine Geoffray (FRA) 4:53:12
2 Judith Wyder (SUI) 4:55:13
3 Theresa Leboeuf (SUI) 5:09:29
4 Jennifer Lichter (USA) 5:11:55
5 Emilia Brangefalt (SWE) 5:15:11
6 Daniela Oemus (GER) 5:16:34
7 Oihana Kortazar (ESP) 5:18:45
8 Emelie Forsberg (SWE) 5:18:45
9 Emkay Sullivan (USA) 5:19:43
10 Louise Serban-Penhoat (FRA) 5:20:21

Team
1 France (15:35:53)
2 Switzerland (15:44:14)
3 USA (15:54:29)

Men
1 Stian Hovind Angermund (NOR) 4:19:00
2 Thomas Roach (GBR) 4:21:18
3 Luca Del Pero (ITA) 4:22:04
4 Thibaut Baronian (FRA) 4:25:41
5 Jonathan Albon (GBR) 4:26:57
6 Francesco Puppi (ITA) 4:28:16
7 Andrzej Witek (POL) 4:29:21
8 Kristian Jones (GBR) 4:30:37
9 Frederic Tranchand (FRA) 4:31:07
10 Benedikt Hoffmann (GER) 4:32:28

Team
1 Great Britain and Northern Ireland (13:18:52)
2 Italy (13:26:32)
3 France (13:34:38)