A name less familiar to the North American audience – this is our heads up to the Western States prognosticators – there’s a German ready to make her mark in June. That German? Rosanna Buchauer a trail runner who resides in the heart of the Tyrolean Alps where snow is already on the ground and the skis are getting waxed and ready. Despite that sounding very wintery, the big focus for Rosanna in 2025 will be the iconic California 100-mile race that fascinates so many, the Western States 100-mile. The rest of 2025 remains up in the air for her and many professional athletes with the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and the UTMB World Finals only a month a part – a tough choice will likely have to be made with a double in the fall not possible for many nations. Now back at home in Austria, Rosanna is embracing the off-season to recover and reflect on what is next.
“While I am answering this there is heavy snowfall outside and today’s training for sure will be on skis. Usually I stay here in the Alps over winter. I love skiing, ski-touring, cross-country and so does all my family. It is a great time to spend time with them and friends, go to some remote huts and switch the mind off from the hard pushing in summer while still building the base. For the next months it will be a little be different than the last two winters. This time I will try to include at least 1-2 running sessions per week and in March or April I will go to some warmer and snow free places to be prepared as best as possible for my big WSER adventure.”
In order to earn her golden ticket into WSER Rosanna ran an impressive race at CCC 101km where she finished 3rd. After a DNF in 2023 and a 5th place in 2022 this year’s finish was especially sweet. She battled through the seemingly standard ultra-running lows to complete what has been a lifelong dream – to finish on the podium of one of the iconic UTMB races in Chamonix – she did just that. Her family was there to support her, and in her view that helped her overcome some of the doubts that she had creeping up relatively early in the race.
“I only went to Chamonix a few days before the race, and I felt so ready. It is hard to explain, this year I felt so at peace and content with myself that it seemed like ranking and time are not so important. I focused so much on my personal journey, making myself while proud and reaching the arch in Chamonix that I gave myself a lot of calmness and strength. I was alone on the track and I had to fight hard not to have a mental breakdown. Fortunately, I have been working with a mental coach since April this year and I learned that you have the power to turn the inner dialog around. I focused on being nice to myself, allowing myself to run slower and focusing on getting some gels and carbs in. I found out that I was in third position after the last aid station and I wanted to keep the position. All that inner battle made me super emotional at the finish line. Still, one of the best moments in my life.”
A couple months after CCC she conquered a very different race – the Snowman race in Bhutan, a grueling 109-mile (175km) stage race at a dizzying height. The average altitude of that event is 14,000 feet with passes as high as 18,000 feet. She loved the experience and is happy to have won the event – but this might be one and done kind of thing…
“The Snowman Race is a very special race, hosted by his Majesty the King of Bhutan. It was the wildest experience in my life and the wildest ride I ever had in a race. From being altitude sick and having hallucinations, to being very emotional within our small and very international athlete group to feeling so grateful to have been able to experience the race, the country and the people. It was very hard and very tough and I fought all the challenges. We had 5 days of blue skies and good views and I won. I feel like I should leave that experience as a once in a lifetime outstanding memory.”
Her golden ticket performance at CCC and win in Bhutan weren’t even the high points of the season. In June of this year Buchauer won the 120km La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Italy in a dominating fashion in 14:09:23. After battling injuries for much of the winter and spring this result really made her happy.
“My biggest win personally was Lavaredo. After being injured all winter and having so many doubts if I would run races at all in 2024, arriving at the finish line in 1st place and with a healthy foot was the best. We made a full family trip out of it and it just seemed like perfect five days in Italy. I am so happy, that my sport brings those trips bring everyone together in my family, with my siblings and parents and partners.”
While 2024 might have felt like a break out year for Buchauer has many fine results to her name. She won the Eiger Ultra Trail 50km race in 2022 in a course record time, and finished 5th at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in 2022 and 2023. Maybe most interestingly Rosanna came from a speed skating background and still gets to lace up the ice skates here and there, but not as often as she would like.
“Unfortunately not very often. Speed skating on the 400m ice rink is so much fun but a lot of my friends stopped and are parents now, so it is harder to organize. Sometimes we just go ice skating on the lake. It is not the same and still so much fun.”
We’ve got our fingers crossed that Rosanna has a winter and spring that is injury free so that she can line up in Olympic Valley in June for another Lavaredo sized performance!