Grossglockner Ultra-Trail

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1840m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1256m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 847m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 81.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 99.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–24.0km · Climb of 1842m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 24.0km–56.5km · Descent of 1256m averaging 12%, climb of 776m. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 56.5km–99.9km · Descent of 509m averaging 25%, climb of 792m, high point 2664m, descent of 1389m averaging 19%. Plus 2 more climbs. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 99.9km–108km · Descent of 847m averaging 10%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 6500m+. With 59m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 25% flat. The longest climb runs 18.1km at an average 10.2% grade (1842m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.7km at an average 11.8% grade (1256m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 35.0% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 37.5% over 0.2km. Surface: 73% trail, 13% road, 7% technical, and 6% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 181.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Glatzberg (2627m), 62.4km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Hinterer Schafbichl (2348m) and Greibühel (2247m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 21.2km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 61 of 100), with 33% of the load in the first half: 3 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 81.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 99.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 24.0–34.7 km · 1256 m D−, -11.8% · 73.4 km ahead → control
• 54.7–56.5 km · 321 m D−, -18.3% · 51.6 km ahead → your pace
• #3 · 67.8–69.8 km · 509 m D−, -25.1% · 38.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 74.7–81.9 km · 1389 m D−, -19.4% · 26.2 km ahead → control
• 99.9–108.1 km · 847 m D−, -10.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 21°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 70%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 22% of days around this date.

Results

334 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Robert Berger (Austria) in 14:22:42. Women's winner: Miranda Krekovic (Croatia) in 17:27:37.