TRAIL WORLDS

The IAU has conducted a biannual Trail World Championships event since 2007. From 2015, an annual event has been held. The inaugural Trail World Championships event took place in Huntsville, USA on 8 December 2007.

The inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) were held in Thailand in November 2022. Originally scheduled for 2021, but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the creation of the WMTRC followed the formation of a partnership with World Athletics that brought the world championships for trail running and mountain running under a single world championships as part of a plan to elevate the status of trail and mountain running globally. The WMTRC are held every two years.

The 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) will take place in Cape Town, South Africa. The event is organized by the IAU, WMRA and ITRA, uniting the best off-road and trail athletes across multiple disciplines.

AUTRA will continue to assist Australian Athletics in the selection of teams to represent Australia at all future Trail World Championships. Australian Athletics and AUTRA will be managing the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. Both Australian Athletics and AUTRA have a desire to send a strong and competitive team.

Please refer to the attached Australian Athletics Team Selection Policy for more information on qualifying events. 

More details to come when available. Visit Australian Athletics here for the relevant forms.


2026 world mountain Trail running Championships, Lecco-Valtellina, Italy

DOCUMENTATION

TEAM APPLICATION DATES

Nominations for selection are opening soon.

The qualifying period will be confirmed shortly.


PAST EVENTS:

The 2025 World Mountain Trail Championships were held in Canfranc Spain in September 2025

Australian Athletics along with AUTRA sent a large team to compete at the 2025 World Mountain & Trail Running Championships, held in the stunning Canfranc Pirineos.


RESULTS


Womens Uphill Vertical Kilometre


Lara Hamilton - 42nd 52:55

Jessica Ronan - 56th 55:09

Emily Bartlett - 88th 1:03:23


Mens Uphill Vertical Kilometre


Michael Kernahan - 54th 44:52

Nathan Pearce - 63rd 45:52

Fraser Darcy - 78th 47:12

Iain Best - 98th 50:18


Womens Long Course


Nicole Paton - 55th 12:58:11

Cecelia Mattas - 57th 12:59:19

Kellie Angel - 81st 14:24:15

Hannah McRae - DNF


Mens Long Course


Ben Burgess - 49th 10:26:53

Andrew Gaskill - 81st  11:13:14

Matthew Crehan - 82nd 11:13:14

Thomas Dade - 110th 12:14:26


Womens Short Course


Sarah-Jayne Millar - 69th 7:05:27

Patricia McKibbin - 76th 7:21:44

Jessica Jason - 79th 7:24:50


Mens Short Course


Blake Turner - 85th 5:55:09

Vlad Ixel - 89th 5:56:20

Billy Curtis - 157th 7:26:04


Womens U20 Classic


Ruby Smith - 57th 53:50


Mens U20 Classic


Alec Franzke - 29th 37:18

Robert Shannon - 73rd 42:42

Tadhg Nolan - 78th 46:54


Womens Classic


Jessica Ronan - 57th 1:27:30

Emily Bartlett - 84th 1:36:01

Lara Hamilton - DNF


Mens Classic 


Nathan Pearce - 46th 1:10:31

Michael Kernahan - 49th 1:10:58

Fraser Darcy - 62nd 1:12:21



WMTRC's 2025

The 2023 Trail World Championships were held in Innsbruck, Stubai on on June 9th 2023.

Team:


MEN (87km)

  • Thomas Dade
  • Andrew Gaskill
  • Bastien Missud
  • Majell Backhausen
  • Nigel Hill

WOMEN (87km)

  • Nicole Paton
  • Claire O'Brien Smith

MEN (44km)


  • Vlad Ixel
  • Matthew Crehan
  • Fraser Darcy
  • David Longo

WOMEN (44KM)

  • Kellie Angel
  • Patricia McKibbon
  • Madison Reynolds
  • Danielle Van Der Heul
  • Jasmine Sargeant

Individual Results:


MEN:

Thomas Dade - 12:23 (76)

Andrew Gaskill - 13:10 (98)

Bastien Missud - 13:28 (106)

Majell Backhausen - 13:34 (107)

Nigel Hill - 13:58 (111)


Vlad Ixel - 5:06 (59)

Matthew Crehan - 5:18 (75)

Fraser Darcy - 5:27 (88)

David Longo - 5:55 (118) 



WOMEN:

Nicole Paton - 14:17 (56)

Claire O'Brien Smith - 14:50 (66)


Kellie Angel - 5:47 (41)

Patricia McKibbon - 6:30 (69)

Madison Reynolds - Timed out

Danielle Van Der Heul - Timed out

Jasmine Sargeant - DNF

The 2019 Trail World Championships were held in Mirandha do Corvo in Portugal on June 8th 2019.

Team:


MEN:

  • Ryan Lowe

WOMEN:

  • Stephanie Austin
  • Jodie Earl
  • Sara Ludowici
  • Jessica Collins
  • Laren Rooke

Individual Results:


MEN:

105th: RYAN LOWE 04:25:19



WOMEN:

19th: STEPHANIE AUSTIN 04:33:58

77th: JODIE EARL 05:15:12

104th: SARAH LUDOWICI 05:29:41

137th: JESSICA COLLINS 05:56:47

142nd: LAUREN ROOKE 06:12:14


Team Results:


MEN:

No placing due to insufficient representation



WOMEN:

15th placed female team, 15:18:52


The 2018 Trail World Championships were held in Penyagolosa, Spain on 12 May 2018. The event was 85km in length.

TEAM


MEN:

Turnbull, David


WOMEN:

Bruins, Robyn,

Clifton, Louise

Fowler, Gill

Schluter, Jessica


INDIVIDUAL RESULTS


MEN:

Turnbull, David - 12:25:13, 174th


WOMEN:

Clifton, Louise - 12:09:23, F42

Bruins, Robyn - 12:09:39, F44

Fowler, Gill - 12:13:49, F48

Schluter, Jessica - 12:36:08, F63


TEAM RESULTS


MEN:

No placing due to insufficient representation. 


WOMEN:

12 placed female team, 37:29:25

The 2016 Trail World Championships were held in Peneda-Gerês, Portugal on 26 October 2016.

The event was 85km in length and there were 199 finishers, of which 116 were male and 83 were female. Male winner was LUIS ALBERTO HERNANDO (SPA) in 8:20:26 and the female winner was CAROLINE CHAVEROT (FRA) in 9:39:39.


FULL RESULTS


Team:


MEN:

Davies, Brendan

Ixel, Vlad

O'loughlin, Jonathan


WOMEN:

Emmerson, Kellie

Jones, Maggie

Lamprecht, Amy


Individual Results:


MEN:

Ixel, Vlad, 9:38:15 - 25th

O'loughlin, Jonathan, 12:14:13 - 99th

Davies, Brendan, 12:16:39 - 101st


WOMEN:

Emmerson, Kellie, 11:48:28 - F30th

Jones, Maggie, 12:46:53 - F51st

Lamprecht, Amy, 13:25:19 - 66th


Team Results:


MEN:

1st - France, 25:37:10

2nd - Spain, 26:26:02

3rd - Germany, 28:24:03


19th - Australia, 34:09:08


WOMEN:

1st - France, 30:38:12

2nd - Spain, 30:50:19

3rd - United Kingdom, 33:04:37


The 2015 Trail World Championships were held in Annecy, France on 30 May 2015.

The event was 84km in length and there were 229 finishers, of which 144 were male and 85 were female. Male winner was Sylvain Court (FRA) in 8:15:38 and the female winner was Nathalie Mauclair (FRA) in 9:50:39.


FULL RESULTS


MEN:

Backhausen, Majell

Brazier, Thomas

Keyte, Michael


WOMEN:

Bartholomew, Lucinda (Lucy)

Emmerson, Kellie

Fowler, Gillian



Individual Results:


MEN:

Backhausen, Majell, 10:03:00 - 47th

Brazier, Thomas, 10:43:35 - 74th

Keyte, Michael, 12:20:20 - 110th


WOMEN:

Emmerson, Kellie, 11:17:40 - F19

Fowler, Gillian, 11:26:18 - F23

Bartholomew, Lucinda (Lucy), 13:31:10 - 61st

The 2013 Trail World Championships were held in Llanrwst/Conwy, Wales on 6 July 2013.

The 2013 Trail World Championships were held in Llanrwst/Conwy, Wales on 6 July 2013.


There were 100 finishers, of which 54 were male and 46 were female. Male winner was Ricky Lightfoot (GBR) in 5:36:03 and the female winner was Nathalie Mauclair (FRA) in 6:38:46.


FULL RESULTS


Team:


MEN:

Tuckey, Andrew


WOMEN:

Bull, Kirstin

Moore, Georgina

Noble, Mandy-Lee


Individual Results:


MEN:

Tuckey, Andrew, 6:04:12 - 8th


WOMEN:

Moore, Georgina, 7:33:41 - F20

Bull, Kirstin, 7:34:59 - F21

Noble, Mandy-Lee, 8:01:23 - F33

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The 2011 Trail World Championships were held in Connemara, Ireland on 9 July 2011.


There were 98 finishers, of which 68 were male and 30 were female. Male winner was Erik Clavery (FRA) in 6:39:07 and the female winner was Maud Gobert (FRA) in 7:41:31.


FULL RESULTS


Team:


MEN:

Hood, Allan

Mannix, Kevin


WOMEN:

No Australians


Individual Results:


MEN:

Mannix, Kevin, 8:03:57 - 43rd

Hood, Allan, 8:56:22 - M60th

The 2009 Trail World Championships were held in Serre Chevalier, France on 12 July 2009.

There were 46 finishers, of which 32 were male and 14 were female. Male winner was Thomas Lorblanchet (FRA) in 6:38:18 and the female winner was Cecilia Mora (ITA) in 7:53:18.


FULL RESULTS


Team:


MEN:

DuBois, Andrew 


WOMEN:

No Australian female participants.


Individual Results:


MEN:

DuBois, Andrew, 10:24:47 - 40th 

The 2007 Trail World Championships were held in Huntsville, USA on 8 December 2007.

There were 172 finishers, of which 128 were male and 44 were female. Male winner was Jaroslaw Janicki (POL) in 6:07:45 and the female winner was Norimi Sakurai (JPN) in 6:34:57.


FULL RESULTS


Team:


MEN:

Pirola-Merlo, Andrew


WOMEN:

No Australian female entrants.


Individual Results:


MEN:

Pirola-Merlo, Andrew, 8:35:19 - 34th