Trail running community Wipptal

Trail running community Wipptal

With fresh energy and a lot of enthusiasm, Charlotte Dewilde, Erik Stockmann and Martin Gschließer launched a new trail running community around six months ago - an open running program for locals. Up to 15 people now regularly take part in the group runs. In addition, the three offer trail running retreats in the Wipptal valley. We spoke to co-founder Martin about the project.

What exactly is trail running - and what fascinates you personally about it?

Trail running means running away from paved roads - mostly on narrow hiking trails and paths through nature. In contrast to classic mountain running, trail running not only involves running uphill, but also downhill. What excites us about it? Quite clearly: the movement in nature, the peace and quiet away from everyday life and the constant change in the landscape. Every run feels a bit like a little adventure - sometimes it challenges the body, sometimes it relaxes the mind. Whether as a personal balance or as a sporting competition with like-minded people: Trail running offers something for everyone.

How did your trail running community come about and what do you currently offer in the region?

Erik and Martin's joint training as certified trail running guides was the starting point. This gave rise to the idea of founding an open running group and with Charlotte, a former Belgian professional runner who has lived in Steinach for several years, the team was complete. Since then, we have been regularly inviting people to free community runs. These joint runs are ideal for beginners who want to try out trail running and exchange ideas with others. If you want to delve deeper, you can take part in our multi-day trail running retreats, which we organize in collaboration with the Wipptal tourism association. Our aim is not only to inspire sporting enthusiasm, but also to make a contribution to sustainable and gentle tourism in the region.

What are your goals for the future?
With our community, we want to make an active contribution to the sustainable development of our region - both in tourism and in everyday life. The next generation is particularly important to us: we are currently working on a child-friendly trail running offer to get children and young people excited about outdoor exercise in a fun way. Our aim is for trail running to become a lively, open movement in the Wipptal - for all age groups and fitness levels.

The Wipptal region with its natural mountain valleys offers ideal conditions for anyone who wants to get into the versatile sport of trail running. At the multi-day trail running retreats run by Charlotte, Erik and Martin, participants benefit from holistic support from ASTA-certified trail running guides and experienced experts. A qualified physiotherapist and a nutritionist are also on hand to provide valuable tips. Curious to find out more? Then take a look at www.wipptal.at/trailrunning - maybe you'll be running in the next community run!