Hilary recently returned from Austria having completed the incredibly tough Innsbruck Alpine Trail Marathon on 7 May 2022 and shares her experience with us here....
"Finally I was in Innsbruck all set to tackle the first big one of the year. Training had, as always, been a little last minute. The Exe to Axe in early April had been my wake-up call – 22 miles of coast path, the only difference here was that this was 26 miles of mountain trail, starting at 600m and climbing to 1600, with a few more ups and downs after that. ........ What could possibly go wrong?
At 7.30am prompt, a field of around 300 set off from a field somewhere near Innsbruck airport It started well, along the flat through meadows in the valley, and then the three hour climb started, 1550 metres a forest trail with a few rocky sections, (which were quite welcome as they gave my brain something to focus on).
The descent was long, undulating, and equally technical with lots of tree roots and rocks. The occasional glimpses of Innsbruck below and mountains all around were spectacular. Shame about the mist, oh and the lack of oxygen.
It certainly wasn’t my greatest performance but it has spurred me on to do better next time. I definitely need to reconnect with my inner mountain goat! The next one will be Snowdonia in July."
So Hilary would you recommend a mountain marathon?
"Definitely not for everyone and it tests your mental and physical strength to the limit but if you have a passion for mountains, the exhilaration of being up there is amazing"
Comments