[Advendure]: Hannes, tell us a few things about yourself so our readers can get to know you better. How did you get started in sports, what was your first contact with mountain sports—we know that skiing was your first love—and what ultimately drew you to trail running? How do you think skiing has influenced and improved your performance on the trails?

[Hannes Namberger ]: I am Hannes Namberger, 36 years old, and I live in Inzell, south of Germany. I have been a sporty person since I could run. I started with alpine skiing until I was 21 years old, but an injury stopped my career. I later found the love for the mountains without gondolas or chairlifts and, by fair means, started to hike up. Later, a little bit faster and faster until I could run up the mountains. In 2015, I did my first trail running race in Austria. From this moment on, I knew I would start something new.

[Advendure]: Last season also included a trip to the United States, with a 3rd place at The Canyon Endurance Runs – 100K and an 11th place at the historic Western States Endurance Run 100 miler. Tell us a bit about these races—especially the iconic WSER—and also about how you perceive the cultural differences between European and American trail running.

[Hannes Namberger ]: Its cool to run in the US but its also only running. The Canyon Endurance Race went well for me because it was cold and like at home in Germany at this time. But WSER was to hot for me. I prepared myself perfect for this conditions but it was not enough. You can simulate the heat at home but 40 degrees are really crazy. I did a lot of mistakes at this race but at the end I finished the iconic WSER.

[Advendure]: Let’s go back one year, to 2024 and your 4th place at UTMB®, with the outstanding time of 20:31:54. Even though you have won the Lavaredo Ultra Trail three times, do you consider this your greatest achievement so far? What memories do you have from that race?

[Hannes Namberger ]: 2024 was my best season so far with these 2 perfect races. The 3rd win at Lavaredo was important for myself to show myself that I can run at a high level over many years. Lavaredo fits perfectly with my running skills. 120K is perfect for me. Also, the 4th place at UTMB was my 3rd finish in the Top 10. Now I know how this race works, and that's a good sign for me. I think I can do it again, but I am getting older. My performance is not better at the moment, but I know I can show this again with more confidence. We will see what 2026 will bring. I am motivated to show this level again.

[Advendure]: You are a Dynafit athlete, and with your experience, you helped create the DNA line, which has become popular trail running shoes. Tell us about your relationship with Dynafit, your favorite products from the company, and what it’s like to be a professional trail runner. Is there any new project or product that you have contributed to recently?

[Hannes Namberger ]: I have been with Dynafit since 2018, and at the beginning, they had no good trail running shoes but they were okay. Since 2021, I run every race in prototype shoes to help work on and develop better shoes. At the end of 2025, I tried something new, and that was a really big step forward. The shoes are a really big step forward and make me faster, and I can run longer—in training and races. I feel like 29 again, and that is great. But we also work on shirts, tights, backpacks, and even socks to make every small part a little bit better. Sometimes they are only small details, but at the end it can make you and me a little bit better. I really love to develop trailrunning products.

[Advendure]: You seem to be drawn to ultra-trail races, and with outstanding results at that. What is it that attracts you to these long-distance events, and what do you believe are the key factors that “unlock” success in them, both in training and during the race itself?

[Hannes Namberger ]: I’m just better at it than in the short races. I can really make use of my skills here, and my body is also better suited for it. Especially, the mental factor can be decisive here, and that's where I come in. ...

[Advendure]: What is your opinion on the boom that trail running is experiencing, with highly competitive series like the Golden Trail Series, the UTMB® World Series, and the potential inclusion of the sport in the Olympic Games in the coming years? Do you think the “soul” of mountain running has changed compared to a few years ago, or is it more a matter of how each athlete or participant perceives it?

[Hannes Namberger ]: Trail running is currently a trendy sport, and many people are jumping on this fashion sport or at least trying it out once. Fortunately, I started with it when no one cared about it yet. With series like UTMB or Trail World Major, many athletes (myself included) benefit, and everything is becoming more intense. Whether trail running will become Olympic is not currently my focus, as it would likely only be a short-loop course and certainly not an ultra in the mountains. I think it is important to give this change a chance and observe it for a few years. Whether it will be positive, we will see.

[Advendure]: You are more than a decade in trail running, and with spectacular results in huge races. It would be great if you could share 2–3 moments that stood out to you - perhaps emotionally - from the races you have competed in so far.

[Hannes Namberger ]: Actually, everything in my career has always worked out well, and I have been able to perform at my best in the races most of the time. I have been able to share the most beautiful experiences, like the Lavaredo victory or 4th place at UTMB, with my wife and my son. Whenever they waited for me on the course or at the finish line, it was the most beautiful feeling on Earth. I don't want to do such races alone, so we always try to combine races, adventures, and vacations. We will do the same again this year, as a team and a family.

[Advendure]: Apart from racing, you surely have a favorite trail and a mountain that you love to run on! Isn’t that right?

[Hannes Namberger ]: Actually, I don't have a favorite mountain; I like to associate mountains with experiences or with people who are special to me.

[Advendure]: What’s your big dream—when it comes to racing—that you would like to fulfill? What would you like to remain as the feeling and the legacy when you eventually complete your career?

[Hannes Namberger ]: Unfortunately, I have to say that I don't talk about it. My dreams or goals stay in my head. I also don't talk about my goals during a race. I always focus on my tasks during a race and not on the outcome. However, I am very happy with what I have achieved, and I also know that more will come. I don't know what will happen after my sports career. It could be that I stay involved in sports or completely disappear from the scene.

[Advendure]: Let’s close with a touch of Greece. Do you know anything about trail running in our country? Would you like to take part in a race here in the future? Is there anything you’d like to say to the Greek trail running community?

[Hannes Namberger ]: Honestly, I don't know anything about their culture, races, or mountains. I have only been there once for a vacation, but that doesn't count. A German in Crete hasn't really experienced Greece, to be honest. I would still like to travel to many countries to run races or explore mountains there, but the competition schedule is tough and intense. As a professional, you have to participate in certain races to compete against the best athletes. That usually leaves little room for trips. But I think that will surely come once I approach the sport more relaxed.

Dimitrios Troupis