Southlander Dwight Greive's selection into a 22-strong New Zealand Mountain and Trail Running squad, saw him trade his Fiordland stamping grounds earlier this month (7-10 Jun), for the heady altitudes of Austria's alps.

Only into its second year as a duel discipline competition, the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) attracted 1,290 of the worlds very best professional and amateur athletes from 68 countries.

Greive travelled to Austria with his Fiordland Athletics running mate Sagar Khemani and their coach, New Zealand WMTRC Team Coach Shaun Cantwell.

(L-R) Sagar Khemani, NZ Team Coach Shaun Cantwell and Dwight Greive pause next to Lake Te Anau before their departure to Austria in June. Photo: Bill Jarvie

Khemani was also competing in the world championships, having been selected to represent India in the competition's 15km Mountain Classic.

Greive said the event, with its massive tents, stage and banners, had effectively taken over the Austrian host town of Innsbruck.

"They actually built a trail through the town, put up barriers, rocks and gravel, and a water race [that] we had to run through."

Organisers literally built a trail through the streets of Innsbruck. Photo: WMTRC

Combining the world mountain and trail running championships also meant a much higher standard, Greive said, creating a 5-day festival with the feel of an Olympic village.

"It is just so motivating to be a part of it."

Greive's 190-strong men's Short Trail race started in the middle of Innsbruck, within a pack of around 400 runners, before setting out on a 45km course that would see them climb 3,132 vertical metres before finishing in the tourist town of Neustift im Stubaital.

"[My] fuel tank was absolutely full to brim. I was really happy, smoking along at 4-minute kms on the flat, feeling great."

"It wasn't till half way, when my legs started to go," Greive said.

"A little bit of frustration, I remember that."

"And when my legs truly died, my head went with the altitude and I just got really dizzy."

Dwight Greive striding it out along a flatter section of the WMTRC Short Trail race. Photo: Supplied

"I'll never forget the despair at not being able to run at my full potential, very frustrating."

"[But] you're wearing a New Zealand singlet...you don't give up, you don't die."

Greive said he was really happy when it came to his final downhill leg.

"[I was] really stoked to absolutely send myself down the hill as fast as I could, and feel like I'd then given my best."

"Coming down the hill was very steep, very loose underfoot and lots of trees."

"I managed to bounce my way through a few trees."

Members of the New Zealand WMTRC squad in Austria. Photo: Supplied

"But I promise there wasn't much more speed I could get down that hill."

Greive said the entire 45km course had been lined with people yelling, supporting and screaming at the athletes to keep going.

"It was literally like the Tour de France... people crowding in on the side of the road, leaving a small narrow channel for you to run up."

"Just an amazing, powerful atmosphere... [an] absolutely amazing experience."

Greive finished 110th from a field of 190, with a time of 5:46:48.

"Considering I was [up] against professional athletes, that actually wasn't bad."

"I'm happy with how I went... [but] always want to go faster, always want to be better, always want more," he said.

Greive also paid tribute to his long-time Te Anau coach, Shaun Cantwell.

"I could have never done this without Shaun for these last ten years. I would not even be near this level."

"Distance running is quite often viewed as an individual sport, but it's a team, with the coach and the other people you train with," Greive said.

Grieve is already thinking of the next championships in Spain 2025 and the changes he would need to make to improve his performance.

He said he would be looking at doing more altitude training, perhaps in Central Otago, arriving at the event earlier and maybe having a recovery holiday afterwards.

But for now Greive is happy to concentrate on his recovery runs, although he does have his eye on this December's Kepler Challenge.

"I've done the sprint [Luxmore Grunt], and I'm going back to what I love which is that big beautiful lap."

"I have done 5:29 twice and I want 5:15," he said.

Greive's running and travel mate Sagar Khemani finished 114th in his 15km WMTRC Mountain Classic event with a time of 1:21:24.