News & Updates
New Zealand debutant Fielder fires on the Austrian trails
Caitlin Fielder, seen here competing on the Golden Trail Series in Chamonix, finished an outstanding 12th in the short trail race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Austria today. Credit: (Jordi Saragossa).
Caitlin Fielder defied the wet conditions to produce an excellent performance on her New Zealand international debut to place 12th in the women’s short trail race at the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria.
The 30-year-old Athletics Nelson athlete executed a smart tactical race to complete the gruelling 45.5km distance with a total of 3132m of elevation gain in a time of 5:21:10.
Starting out in good conditions in the city of Innsbruck before heading out to the craggy peaks of the Stubai Alps, Andorra-based Fielder, who has only been competing seriously in the sport for ‘four or five years’, started conservatively and hit the 23.5km checkpoint – a little after half distance in 19th.
However, as the rain started to fall with increasing ferocity in the second half of the race and utilising her strengths on the downhill, Fielder, a consistent performer on the Golden Trail Series over the past couple of seasons, made a strong late push to advance from 16th at the 38.4km split up to her final finishing position of 12th.
The Kiwi athlete, who is a professional artist and the partner of Kiwi Tour de France cyclist George Bennett, said: “I knew it would be a brutal course. I spent a week prior checking out the course and I also knew having a course that was net uphill would make it more difficult because my strength is more in the downhills. I felt I gave it as much as I could, and I pushed really hard on that final downhill. My dream scenario would have been a top five but for me 12th was the best that I could do today.”
Fielder, who is coached by six-time former World Mountain Running champion Jono Wyatt, admitted the race was one of the hardest she has experienced but she relished competing in the Kiwi vest.
“The crowds were really encouraging, and it was cool to run for New Zealand because usually I’m racing for my sponsors,” she added.
Of the three other Kiwi athletes in the race, New Zealand trail running champion Katie Morgan (Run Timaru) placed 50th (5:57:34) – inside the top third of the 164-strong field – followed by Jessica Campbell of Sumner AC who clocked 6:26:07 in 75th. Amelia Horne (Athletics Nelson) was the fourth Kiwi home in 100th (7:02:40).
French athlete Clementine Geoffray took individual gold in 4:53:12 and led France to team victory. New Zealand finished a highly respectable 11th in the team competition with Fielder, Morgan and Campbell clocking a cumulative time of 17:44:51.
In the men’s short trail race, New Zealand’s lone competitor Dwight Grieve (Fiordland) placed 110th out of a field of 185 – completing the distance in 5:46:48. Stian Hovind Angermund of Norway in 4:19:00 took individual gold to retain the title he won in Thailand last year.
The increasingly torrential run saw the race suspended with around 50 athletes unable to finish.
Day three of the championships features the 85.6km long trail race – with 5554m of elevation gain – which starts at 4.30pm (NZ time) on Friday.
New Zealand boasts a three-strong men’s team led by Weston Hill (Trentham United Harriers), who finished a respectable 43rd in this race at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand. He is joined by the 2022 national long trail running champion Samuel Hansby (Wellington Harriers) and the vastly experienced Wayne Botha (Takapuna Harriers). Shannon-Leigh Litt (Hatea Harriers), a former New Zealand 100km champion, is the sole Kiwi competing in the women’s long trail race.
***For live results go here
***There will be a livestream of the event via the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships see more here and via their Facebook page
SHARE |
