French endurance athletes Marion Delespierre and Benjamin Roubiol enjoy victory in gruelling 86.7km event at the World Mountain and Trail Running Champs

When the so-called ‘short trail’ races at this week’s World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai in Austria took athletes more than four hours, it was clear the ‘long trail’ events on Friday (June 9) would be ultra-challenging to say the least.

After 86.7km of racing, including 6500m of ascent, it was two French athletes who emerged as winners too with Marion Delespierre and Benjamin Roubiol winning the women’s and men’s titles respectively.

Delespierre, who works as a doctor when she is not running on the trails, finished in 11hr 32min 21sec ahead of Katharina Hartmuth of Germany as another French athlete, Manon Bohard Cailler, took bronze, while defending champion Blandine L’Hirondel pulled out in the early kilometres.

Roubiol, 23, beat Italian Andreas Reiterer into second as Peter Frano from Slovakia took bronze. Reiterer led for the first 45km but began to struggle although he held on for silver as Roubiol clocked 9hr 52min 59sec.

“It was awesome to see that I came closer and closer to the leader,” said Roubiol. “After I overtook Andreas I did not realise that I would win. I tried to stay focused. It is so great to be here now.”

Leading Brits home were Thomas Joly de Lotbiniare with 11th in the men’s race and Fiona Pascall with 18th in the women’s race.

The championships conclude on Saturday (June 10) with the under-20 and senior up-and-down mountain races.