At 5:00 pm on Friday, June 22nd, 74 teams and 98 individual runners took part in the adidas INFINITE TRAILS World Championships Prologue in Gastein/SalzburgerLand. More than 20 countries were represented and the runners swarmed across the valley and up the mountain side despite inclement weather from start to finish. The race was forced to be shortened as at the peak of Stubnerkogel mountain, the temperature dropped to nearly freezing and the winds gusted mercilessly. Italian, Martin Dematteis took home the first place prize but with finish times between 1:23 and 1:30, team adidas INFINITE TRAILS finished as the top group. This means that the favorites coming into the Championships will start first on Sunday.
At the first aid station, Kongresszentrum in Bad Gastein after 7.8 km, there were two clear leaders. American, Joshua Eberley and Spaniard, Luis Alberto Hernando (both adidas TERREX athletes). They established a blistering pace during the flat portion of the run – nearly 8 km in just over 28 minutes - and didn’t seem inclined to slow down. Michelle Maier (Team aIT Global) was the leading lady, crossing this point in 32:42. As the leaders approached the second and final aid station at Altböckstein, Eberley and Hernando were joined up front by Swiss runner, Werner Marti (Team aIT multi-mix) Lou Tao (Team adidas China) and Martin Dematteis. This final stop before the finish line was after 12 km and 1,000 vm of running and the top five runners managed it in under 45 minutes. Dimitrii Mitiaev at this point snuck into the top ten and his teammate, Timothy Olson, trailed five minutes behind as the leading runners started their steep vertical climb.
As the runners fought through a progressively colder route, the top-ten was represented by nine different countries. A few of the leaders were those only participating in the Vertical Open and not in the World Championships and the top of this group was Martin Dematteis. The veteran runner and adidas TERREX team member had only recently dropped out of the Championships due to an illness suffered by his teammate and brother, Bernard. He and Josh Eberley raced neck and neck while Luis Alberto Hernando was just steps behind as they headed towards the peak.
With bad weather conditions in mind, the race director decided on short notice that he would be forced to not allow competitors to run over the Stubnerkogel bridge and that they would have to end the Prologue in a different location than originally planned. The total distance was changed to 15.5 kilometers and the finish line was moved to the Stubnerkogel mid-station. The goal was shortened but the final point was reached first by the Italian, Dematteis after just over one hour and 20 minutes. He reacted as he reached the finish line: “I ran very fast in the flat portion so in the vertical part I was a little tired but it was Okay. I enjoyed myself and for me it was easy because I do not run Sunday. I am happy and today I dedicate this win to my twin bro