After taking third at last year’s Trail World Championships 80k in Thailand, Andreas Reiterer returns to run this year’s world championships much closer to his Tyrolean home. In the following interview, Andreas talks about how he feels ahead of this year’s race, what he thinks about this year’s course, and whether he has been able to focus his training on this race.
For more on who’s racing in this year’s Trail World Championships 80k, check out our men’s and women’s previews.
Andreas Reiterer Pre-2023 Trail World Championships 80k Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar here with Andreas Reiterer before the 2023 Trail World Championships. How are you?
Andreas Reiterer: Hi Bryon. Yes, I’m fine. I’m finally looking forward to the race day.
iRunFar: Yes, it’s coming up soon. Last time we spoke you had just placed third at the 2022 Trail World Championships in Thailand. How do you feel coming back to the next world championships? Do you feel strong?
Reiterer: Yeah, Thailand is now seven months ago. And I, with this world championships I was looking forward with very positive feelings because it’s not far from my home and I think I’m in good shape. And we will see.
iRunFar: Yeah, is it a little, I mean, obviously to get to run for Italy and run the world championships is exciting by itself. But is it more exciting to be so close to home. Will you have friends and family come watch?
Reiterer: Yeah, it’s always exciting to run with the Italian jersey but here it’s a bit different because a lot of friends are coming here and my family is coming. Yeah, the course is beautiful.
iRunFar: And are the trails where you live, are they similar to these trails?
Reiterer: Yeah, they are very similar. It’s not so steep as here, but the terrain is similar.
iRunFar: The terrain — how technical it is — what can you tell us about that? I assume you’ve been on this course before or parts of the trails here, yes?
Reiterer: Yes. We have seen the whole course.
iRunFar: Okay.
Reiterer: And yeah, it’s near 90 kilometers and 6,000 [meters] of climbing. It’s very steep. And it’s a race, I think, about 10 hours.
iRunFar: For the winner.
Reiterer: Yeah, for the winner.
iRunFar: The men’s winner could take 10 hours. That’s incredible.
Reiterer: It’s very slow because it’s steep in uphill, steep in downhill. And the technical parts are not so runnable. There’s only one part after 50 kilometers where there is 10 kilometers that’s very runnable. But the rest is slow.
iRunFar: Even downhill will be slow?
Reiterer: Yeah.
iRunFar: Does that make you excited? Is that the terrain you like?
Reiterer: Yeah, I like also runnable races but if this is the course you must do this, because it’s okay.
iRunFar: So, four times in a row you’ve been the Italian national champion, including this year. How did you feel at the Maremontana 60k?
Reiterer: Yeah, it’s always a goal for me to become the Italian champion. And also, this year, I had a good day at Maremontana. I’m very happy about this.
iRunFar: So, it’s a really long season. You tend to race a lot, personally. Were you able to focus on this race specifically in your training at all?
Reiterer: Yes, I’ve focused a lot on this race. First, I wanted to do Transvulcania to prepare for this race and this is my main goal. And also CCC.
iRunFar: So, this is the — for the first half of your season — this is the main goal.
Reiterer: Yes.
iRunFar: I know depending on where in the world you are, it can be hard to train in the mountains in the spring. Were you able to get good training in — in say April and May — in the mountains where you live?
Reiterer: Yeah, I, in winter I did a lot of ski mountaineering. But this year we didn’t have much snow. So, in April, end of March, I could go on the trails at my home and so it was good.
iRunFar: Not so good for skiing but good for your running fitness maybe.
Reiterer: Maybe good for this world championships, but normally it would be better if there is more snow.
iRunFar: Of course. We had the opposite problem in Colorado. Too much snow, not enough running.
Reiterer: Okay.
iRunFar: Well, best of luck and enjoy the course out there.
Reiterer: Thank you.
iRunFar: Thank you.
