Neither Here Nor There: The Power of Running In-Between

Yesterday, I took part in a very special race—the Vertical Short, part of the Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival (IATF). The format is simple: over the course of 5 kilometers, runners climb just over 1,000 meters in altitude to reach the summit and the finish line. A classic mountain race.

(Official IATF press photo)

What I hadn’t realized was that this event also served as the Austrian Championships for U18/U20 youth and 60+ senior athletes. So, there I was at the start line, surrounded on one si...