INNSBRUCK, May 1, 2026 – The debut of the new elite format TRAIL HUNT as part of the adidas Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival proved a resounding success. The world’s top trail runners—a discipline that could join the Olympic programme from 2030—went head-to-head in a fiercely contested second stage, a pursuit race, in perfect weather conditions. The overall winners came from Germany and Italy. In the women’s race, Tyrolean Anna Plattner delivered an excellent run to finish second, earning a spot on the podium. In the men’s race, Manuel Innerhofer from Salzburg was the top Austrian finisher.
TRAIL HUNT
The third day of the eleventh edition of the adidas Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival, featuring 8,500 participants from 82 countries, centred on the decisive stage of the new elite race, the TRAIL HUNT, and the calm ahead of Saturday’s main race programme. At 9:30 a.m. sharp, the women set off in the first TRAIL HUNT pursuit race, with the men’s race starting at 10:00 a.m.—the time intervals between individual starts were based on the results of yesterday’s Vertical Race up to the Seegrube. Today’s course for the toughest pursuit race in the Alps started at the Landestheater and took runners across the Nordkette for 24 kilometers and more than 1,450 metres of elevation gain.
PLATTNER MAKES IT TO THE PODIUM AFTER ALL!
In the women’s race, yesterday’s winner Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga appeared to be heading for an unchallenged start-to-finish victory. But in the final stretch around the Hungerburg, the Kenyan took a wrong turn and lost crucial time. Germany’s Hanna Gröber claimed victory with a time of 2:15.52 hours. The top German runner finished six minutes ahead of Tyrolean Anna Plattner, with Renee Cardinaals (NED) coming in third. Gitonga, who had led for much of the race, slipped back to a disappointing fourth place. “I still can’t believe she got lost. But I made up a lot of ground after the final climb. This victory in this great new format is definitely my biggest success since winning team silver at the World Championships here three years ago. Now bring on the European Championships,” Groeber said. Anna Plattner was also absolutely thrilled: “It was incredible. I was in third place for a long time, and then I ended up second—I never would have expected that. The TRAIL HUNT is a fantastic new race format. The many spectators on the Nordkette also provided pure adrenaline.”
ITALIAN CELEBRATES “HOME VICTORY” IN INNSBRUCK, INNERHOFER FINISHES FIFTH
The men’s race proved equally dramatic. The race leader, world silver medallist Richard Omaya Atuya, quickly lost his lead, and his Kenyan compatriot Ephantus Mwangi Nijeri moved into the lead. By the halfway point of the race, the top three—including Italian national team runner Daniel Pattis—were within 30 seconds of each other. But in the final stretch, Nijeri cut the course, resulting in a 5-minute penalty. This cleared the way for Italian Daniel Pattis to claim victory. The South Tyrolean won in 1:50:26, ahead of Nijeri and his compatriot Richard Omaya Atuya. Behind the third Kenyan, Kiriago, Salzburg’s Manuel Innerhofer finished fifth as the top Austrian, about 7.5 minutes back. He said: “The atmosphere gave me goosebumps. Unfortunately, I slowed down a bit at the end, but I’m absolutely satisfied with my first race of the year.” The 28-year-old Italian Pattis felt the same way: “I live in Innsbruck, so it’s almost like a home victory! I felt great, and this is a huge success for me. I feel sorry for Nijeri that he got lost.” Josef Bodner from East Tyrol finished ninth as the top Tyrolean.
YOUNG TALENTS RACE, KIDS TRAIL, AND EXPO
Yesterday afternoon also saw the second edition of the Young Talents Race for athletes aged 14 to 22—also part of the ÖLV Trail Youngsters Cup. Emilia Giesen from Innsbruck won ahead of Mariella Ortner from Finkenberg and Anna-Lena Mandl from Graz. In the boys’ category, Lukas Stock from Kramsach took first place ahead of Tobias Eberharter and Oskar Tegelhütter from Germany. Today, the youngest trail runners are also in good hands at the IATF! Children between the ages of three and ten will gain their first trail running experiences today. Around 200 children will participate in the KidsTrail and enjoy being active in front of the Landestheater, which will be packed with spectators! The Expo Area, featuring 50 exhibitors, is also located there. The biggest brands in the scene will present innovations from the world of trail running and the outdoors.
MIDNIGHT START K110 & K85
The wait is almost over. It won’t be long until the legendary midnight start of the premier events, the K110 “Masters of Innsbruck” and the K85 “Heart of the Alps Ultra.” Both races kick off the race day of the adidas Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival—in spectacular and unique style! The atmosphere is already electric, and you can literally feel the anticipation!
The countdown is on!
LIVE CENTER
All results are available here in the Live Center.
Tomorrow, the Live Streamof the main competitionswill run between 9:45 a.m. and 14:30 p.m.
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