Some of the planet’s finest off-road runners are heading to the Spanish Pyrenees this month for the third edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. 

The rugged and beautiful Pyrenees – more specifically the district of Cranfranc and the Aragón Valley of north-eastern Spain – will provide a stunning backdrop for the third edition of the biennial World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), taking place from September 25-28, writes Adrian Stott.

World Athletics’ vision of working with the different elements of mountain, trail and ultra running to create a true global championship is certainly bearing fruit. At the inaugural WMTRC, in Thailand in 2022 – postponed by one year due to COVID – 622 athletes participated. The following year, at Innsbruck, and undoubtedly helped by the central European location, entries had almost doubled to 1277 participants while, this time around, 1700 athletes from 80 countries are expected – by far the highest participation in the event’s history.

These championships are organised under the supervision of World Athletics and in collaboration with the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), and the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA). 

Both the WMRA and the IAU organised their own world championship events for several years but World Athletics, sensing the increased interest and participation in off-road running, worked with both organisations and ITRA to create the event that has now become WMTRC. 

The championship programme will feature five different races for men and women – uphill mountain races, classic up and down mountain races, short trail, long trail and U20 classic up and down mountain events.

Mountain teams will consist of up to four athletes per country, per gender, to start and with three to score. It’s a similar set-up for the trail teams, which can field up to six athletes per country, per gender. In each case, competitors will be battling it out for Individual medals and team titles based on cumulative position. 

What are Britain’s chances?

There will be a team of 37 athletes representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They are the defending team champions in the men’s short trail event. On that occasion, they were led home by Thomas Roach, who collected a superb individual silver medal, and he will again lead a strong men's team.

The junior teams will be sure to give a good account of themselves and challenge the team podium once again. In 2023 and 2022, the junior women struck individual gold through Rebecca Flaherty in 2023 and Jess Bailey in Thailand in 2022. On both occasions, they led their teams to gold.

Scout Adkin, recent winner of summer-long WMRA World Cup series – despite missing the series final due to an untimely injury – is selected in both the women's uphill and up-and-down races. Time will tell if she recovers well enough to challenge for the podium.

Her brother Jacob, the silver medalist in the 2024 European Off-road Championships, is also entered in both mountain races.

Naomi Lang is a strong prospect to place highly in the Short Trail. Since moving up in distance, she has had some outstanding performances this year at home and abroad.

Who are the global challengers?

Although there is an ever-crowded fixture list of prestigious races, WMTRC is not only now attracting a greater strength in depth than ever before, but leading athletes are now starting to prioritise it over other major races.

Americans Jim Walmsley and Katie Schide, plus French athlete Vincent Bouillard – all previous winners of the prestigious Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) – are prioritising the WMTRC this year rather than being tempted back to Chamonix.

Both the USA and France will have strong teams, especially in the trail races. Defending long trail champion Benjamin Roubiol, and defending European off-road trail champion Thomas Cardin will ensure the French men will be challenging for the podium in the trail races. 

Similarly, the French women, led by defending long trail champion Marion Delespierre and the vastly experienced Hilary Gerardi, along with current World and European Short trail champion Clementine Geoffray, will be hoping for the same.

In the mountain races, African runners from Kenya and Uganda made a big impression at Innsbruck, with Kenya taking a clean sweep of the gold team medals, male and female, in both distances. Individually, Kenya’s Philemon Kirago is sure to be challenging for the podium, as will Gloria Chebet and Valentine Rutto in the women's fields.

Spain, on home ground, will always be a force to be reckoned with at these championships. They will have prepared teams well, hoping to take advantage of the local terrain.

With each succeeding championship bringing more nations and athletes together, there are sure to be some surprises, with new individuals and teams making their mark.

WMTRC 2025 schedule

Sept 25: Senior Men and Women uphill races – 6.5km/986m elevation

Sept 26: Short trail Men and Women – 45km/3700m 

Sept 27: Long Trail Men and Women – 81.20km/5413m 

Sept 28: Senior Men and Women up-and-down races – 15km/820m

Sept 28: Junior Men and Women up-and-down races – 8km/400m