Ireland's Hanna: 'I was the only European mountain runner to beat the Kenyans. I know I can beat them, it’s just doing it on a more consistent basis'

Down man Zak Hanna competes Wednesday in the Word Mountain running championships in Innsbruck - a 7km suffer-fest with more than 1000m of elevation and an utterly sadistic 40 per cent gradient in the last half mile

Zak Hanna: Finished third in last year's World Championships behind two Kenyans

“Anytime you run for Ireland is a very, very proud moment,” says Zak Hanna, speaking in Innsbruck, Austria, ahead of today’s World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. 

The 27-year-old has been here, amid the stunning scenery of the Tyrol, for the past week, acquainting himself with the suffer-fest course that awaits in today’s Vertical Uphill – a 7.1km race with more than 1000m of elevation gain, featuring an utterly sadistic 40 per cent gradient in the last half mile.