Naturns is a real highlight for mountain runners. © TG Naturns/Manuel Parzeller

One more month until the first big trail run

The countdown is ticking down inexorably! In 31 days, the Alpenplus Ötzi Trailrun Naturns, the first big running spectacle in this still young 2024 competition season, will take place.

March 06, 2024

From: pm

The Sunny Mountain Trail (30 km/2100 hm) and that Skyrace Naturns (15 km/1200 hm) will demand everything from the enthusiastic participants on Saturday, April 6th, including Daniel Pattis and Sarah Kistner, who won last year.

The Alpenplus Ötzi Trailrun Naturns is a magnet for participants. In just three weeks, 100 more trail runners registered for the young, but no less well-known event in the thermal village near Merano. One month before the big showdown, 370 athletes from 18 different nations are currently registered - and the trend continues to rise.

Daniel Pattis won last year. © TG Naturns/Nathalie Kobald

In addition to the many hobby endurance athletes, mainly from the Alpine region, several top athletes have also registered for one of the two trails in and around Naturns. Starting with South Tyrolean local hero Daniel Pattis from Tiers, last year's winner of the Sunny Mountain Trail (30 km/2100 hm). The 2017 vice-junior world champion beat top favorite Andreas Reiterer from Hafling a year ago and relegated the German Marc Durr to third place. Benedikt Hoffmann will also be at the start in a month. The German, who will celebrate his 9th birthday on March 39th, has achieved several successes in the last year alone that make him a contender for victory in Naturns this year - such as the triumphs at the Wildstrubel by UMTB, at the Davos X-Trails or at the Zermatt marathon.

Anna Hofer challenges last year's winner

The women's field of participants has also improved significantly in quality over the past few days. Last year's winner of the Sunny Mountain Trail, Sarah Kistner from Germany, wants to repeat her coup from 2023. Anna Hofer, the local hero from Rabland and last year's runner-up in the Skyrace Naturns (15 km/1200 hm), is also one of the world's strongest athletes in the junior category. Hofer is the reigning Italian champion in mountain running in her age group and has proven her great potential time and again in the World Cup.