Weißsee Glacier World Trail

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• 293m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• High point at 2635m. Control your HR at altitude.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.1km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–0.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 0.9km–6.5km · Climb of 870m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 6.5km–30.8km · Descent of 293m averaging 19%, climb of 608m, high point 2635m, descent of 1860m averaging 10%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Home · 30.8km–36.4km · 5.6km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 1500m+. With 41m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 26% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 29% flat. The longest climb runs 6.5km at an average 13.4% grade (870m of vertical). The longest descent runs 18.6km at an average 10.0% grade (1860m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 36.0% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 34.7% over 0.2km. Surface: 76% trail and 20% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 55.4 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Hinterer Schafbichl (2348m), 6.5km from the start.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 8.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 31 of 100), with 43% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.1km, then run your race pace.
• #2 · 6.5–8.1 km · 293 m D−, -19.0% · 28.4 km ahead → control
• #1 · 12.2–30.8 km · 1860 m D−, -10.0% · 5.6 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 19°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 73%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 15% of days around this date.

Results

521 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Josef Bodner (Austria) in 3:15:10. Women's winner: Greta Haselrieder (Italy) in 3:50:25.