[Advendure]: First of all, we are very happy to work together once again! The event has many friends in Greece and we hope for even more participation in the future. Is the spirit high for GGUT 2024, is there any real Winter in Kaprun (because we don’t have but really mild weather here in Greece) and how are the preparations for this year's event going?

[Hubert Resch]: The winter in Austria was beautiful and cold, even if there is of course no longer the masses of snow that we were used to 30 or 40 years ago. But overall we are very happy with the cold months, I think we absolutely need this time of year - to give nature a break under the blanket of snow, to replenish our groundwater reserves, to basically cool the earth down. And if we humans are too cold, there is a solution: dress warmer!

Preparations for GGUT 2024, which traditionally takes place at the end of July, are in full swing. Everything that is needed for a successful event has already been agreed with various stakeholders. It is great to enjoy the support of sponsors, tourism associations and other institutions such as Alpine clubs - we all know that we can only realize such an elaborate event as the GGUT, which takes place in the high Alpine region, together. We are also very pleased with the number of registrations - we are currently trying to bring the Greek superstar Fotis Zisimopoulos to Austria!

[Advendure]: Immediately after the pandemic period, you were one of the first mountain running organizations to extend the duration of the event to three days, Friday to Sunday. How successful was that, in terms of managing the whole event and also in terms of satisfying athletes, volunteers and visitors?

[Hubert Resch]: Extending the event to three days has brought us advantages on many levels, and we have only had good experiences with it. The additional competition day has helped us to streamline the race program, after all, we offer five courses and kids' races and holding them all on a single day means a lot of organizational effort on the one hand, but on the other hand also less visibility for all those who take part, from the first to the last. For the runners this means less traffic on the trails which we consider nice. The split over more days gives us more leeway, we can celebrate the finishers, we also have two award ceremonies for the best. And in terms of sustainability, it's better to go to one place for several days than just for, say, 36 hours. On the other hand, more race days also means more work for everyone involved. Thus, it is more costly than to have it more concentrated. Whether we will remain with this setting will depend on the further development of registration rates.

[Advendure]: Kaprun Scenic Trail 15Κ was last year’s new "kid on the block" for GGUT. Who is this relatively new race of the organization addressed to and what are the highlights for someone that will run it? In general, if we exclude the Mini-GGUT which is addressed to children, the other 5 races of the event are addressed to what level of athletes and how to choose someone who will come to Kaprun for the first time to take part in the event?

[Hubert Resch]: The Kaprun Scenic Trail was very, very well received by the athletes. With 16 kilometers and 1000 meters of elevation gain, it is well suited for those who want to take their first steps on the trails. Of course, the meters in altitude up the Schneckenberg come in one piece, some training for it is necessary, but the route is not technically difficult and easy to run. The view of Kaprun and Zell am See as well as the Grosse Wiesbachhorn and the Grossglockner make up for the exertions!

[Advendure]: The Grossglockner Ultra Trail (110K, +6.500m), changed the route direction from 2021, but it was 2022 when it was completed for the first time, weather permitting. Was this route direction change ultimately successful, after the feedback you received from the hundreds of athletes who finished the race, and of course your own organizational experience?

[Hubert Resch]: The change of direction (clockwise) was primarily necessary in order to be able to deal with the midsummer thunderstorms in the mountains.

Before 2021, the Kapruner Törl was the last high point at 2,639 m in the second half of the route. Now, weather permitting, it will be reached quite soon after the start; this means that the runners leave the high mountains behind after around 80 kilometers and then find themselves in the low mountain range or in the valley, where thunderstorms very rarely lead to a race interruption or cancellation.

As beautiful as the area in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the middle of Austria is, it is also clear that we have to contend with meteorological imponderables from time to time. But we have always completed the GGUT in recent years: 2021 on a shortened route, 2022 in the worst possible weather, 2023 on an alternative route. The feedback from participants was and is positive, as the route around the Grossglockner offers everything a trail runner’s heart desires: technical sections, runnable routes and always a great view of nature!

[Advendure]: The other big change of the event was the relocation of the start and finish to the center of Kaprun on Salzburger Platz, something we had experienced in our first participation to the race back in 2016, but definitely not with the same atmosphere and the same number of athletes and spectators as now. Was it finally successful? Will it be maintained this year? Are there any new changes in the organization and/or also on technical issues?

[Hubert Resch]: Yes, we will be starting again this year at the Salzburger Platz in Kaprun! We are very happy that we have returned there, the atmosphere is unique, the spectators are there from the first to the last runner, the expo nestles around the finish area. Kaprun is a small and beautiful village, everything is narrow. That is one of our advantages at this location, there are no long distances. And together with the local institutions and our partners, such as Datasport for timekeeping, we have had everything under control for years. That won't change this year.

[Advendure]: Will you give us some highlights that stood out at GGUT 2023 edition?

[Hubert Resch]: When I think back to the last edition of the Grossglockner Ultra Trail, the two winners over 110 km come to mind. Jordi Gamito Baus from Spain is a regular guest with us, he has won virtually all distances. I hope he will come back, his sympathy for the GGUT will be reciprocated by our appreciation of him. And I am thinking of Kirsten Hindhammer Amundsgård from Norway, she is one of the athletes from our main sponsor DYNAFIT, and she won the Ultratrail with a lead of hours - simply fantastic! But I don't want to forget all the other winners, there are Austrian superstars and also local heroes from the region. Well, those who know the conditions have a slight advantage. And there was also Christian Meier from Canada, who came 15th in the 57 km race. This is important because he won the TDS four weeks later during the UTMB week - it shows how good a GGUT race can fit into the running calendar of everyone! All in all, the GGUT 2023 was a huge success!

[Advendure]: 9th edition this year for the GGUT and certainly ranks among the most popular and successful ultra - trail events in Europe. What do you think have been the milestones in the evolution of the race over the years that have contributed significantly to it?

[Hubert Resch]: Thank you for these kind and appreciative words! Everything that is created has its origins in an idea. The idea ten years ago was to organize an ultra trail around the Grossglockner. High mountains have always fascinated humankind, and running around them is just as inspiring. Just think of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. We then worked on improvements from year to year, always keeping our most important stakeholders in mind: the participants, those who set off on the routes and to whom we have wanted to offer an unforgettable experience since 2015. That's why new routes were added or old offers, such as the GGUT 110-team event, were dropped, why we changed the running direction or relocated the start-finish area. The fact that around 2000 runners join us every year and all leave the Salzburger Land highly satisfied proves us right in our efforts.

[Advendure]: Does all this "by UTMB" hype affect you at all? How do you experience the rapid developments in mountain running, in relation to the commercialization of the sport? Do the original values and philosophy of GGUT, which were focused on offering an unforgettable experience on the Grossglockner trails and to the individual athlete, still remain?

[Hubert Resch]: The hype surrounding trail running can be felt everywhere, not just through “by UTMB”. There is the Golden Trails World Series, there are the World Trail Majors, there is an European Trail Cup, and so on. From my point of view, trail running is just about to take the next big step and become an actual business - or maybe it already has. The UTMB Ironman group is showing what is possible. Competitions are being bought or newly created, not all of them may have the desired success, but trail running is booming. This doesn't have to be all negative, anyone who has ever been to the finals in Chamonix will rave about it for the rest of their lives.

We, at the Grossglockner Ultra Trail have decided to remain independent for the time being. We are currently doing very well even without being part of a race series. We offer one of the most beautiful ultra trails in Austria, in one of the most beautiful landscapes, we live the trail sport and organize it at a very high level. To put it in this words: Those who run with us are rewarded with much more than a few points or stones that other events offer.

[Advendure]: Closing the interview, we would like you to look deep inside yourself and tell us what GGUT means to you personally! After all, the mountains are also an emotion!

[Hubert Resch]: I travel from my office in Lower Austria to Kaprun or Kals around 20 times a year to meet with mayors, tourism managers, hoteliers, sponsors and others. Every time I'm in this area where the trails go, my heart opens up: so beautiful, so magnificent, so majestic! The Grossglockner Ultra Trail epitomizes everything I expect and think of as a mountain lover. Running there means soaking up nature with all your senses, seeing it, smelling it, hearing it. As I'm giving this interview, I'm getting all fidgety. I would love to jump up and go to where the heart of the GGUT beats!

Video of the 2023 edition of the Grossglockner Ultra Trail!

Dimitrios Troupis