Austria Trail Award 2025: nominated for Trail Runner of the Year
A nomination recognising a varied season: wins at GGUT and Hochkönigman, second in Snowdonia and tenth at the TOR des Géants.
I have been nominated for the Austria Trail Award 2025 — Trail Runner of the Year. An independent jury has recognised my performances this season, and that means a lot to me.
A season of very different challenges
Four results stand out:
- 2nd at Snowdonia 100M in Wales
- 1st at the Grossglockner Ultra-Trail 100 — my third victory
- 1st at Hochkönigman — also my third victory
- 10th at the TOR des Géants 330 in Italy
Both GGUT and Hochkönigman celebrated their tenth anniversaries in 2025. Being part of those occasions made the victories particularly special.
The Grossglockner Ultra-Trail was exceptional: extreme weather, 1,500 starters and only eight finishers. Mathias Deutschbauer and I crossed the line together in 13:54:38. That race demanded mental strength as much as physical fitness.
At Hochkönigman, I added a third win to my victories in 2016 and 2019. Winning repeatedly over that period means more to me than a single outstanding result.
Snowdonia brought second place against strong international competition. And although tenth at the TOR des Géants was not the podium I had hoped for, it was an immensely valuable experience.
Strong company
The other nominees show just how much quality there is in Austrian trail running:
- Andreas Rieder: consistently strong international performances
- Thomas Roach: European champion with an impressive record across several disciplines
- Johannes Nussbaumer: national runner-up and international competitor
- Hans Peter Innerhofer: multiple national champion
- Maximilian Meusburger: youth world championship runner-up
It is an honour to be considered alongside them. Each has earned that recognition through their own achievements.
Recognition should be about performance
Voting runs from 1 to 12 October 2025 on the Austria Trail Award website.
I am deliberately not asking you to vote for me. I would like sporting achievements to be judged on their merits, rather than on who can mobilise the most followers.
Real sporting performance speaks for itself. It needs fair assessment, not a campaign.
For me, the nomination recognises consistency, versatility, mental strength and the willingness to compete internationally. Those are the qualities I want to keep developing, whatever the outcome.
What this means beyond sport
Recognition also calls for humility. No achievement happens entirely alone: a team, support from others and the right circumstances all play a part. That is as true in business as it is on the trails.
Three principles matter to me:
- Consistency beats a one-off highlight. Sustainable performance grows over time.
- Stay authentic. Recognition should follow what you do and stand for.
- Respect the competition. Other people’s achievements do not diminish your own.
The award ceremony takes place on 25 October 2025 at the Salzburg Trailrunning Festival. I am looking forward to meeting and talking with the community, regardless of who wins. May the best performance be recognised.
You can find more about my race results and the lessons I share in my talks.
The nomination is already an achievement: recognition from people who understand the sport.
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