The Ultra Alpine Marathon - or "Veitscher Grenzstaffellauf" by its German name - is held annually at the end of June in the old mining village of Veitsch in Austria.

Veitsch sits in a narrow valley on the eastern edge of the Alps, close to the railway line between Vienna and Graz.

The route is a 54-kilometre loop on dirt roads and trails through forests and mountain pastures. Only the first and the last 1.5 kilometres are on asphalt roads.

As the course is very demanding - it includes 2200 metres of ascent and 2200 metres of descent - many runners take part in the 3-person relay race.

The highest point on the course is at an elevation of 1860 metres on the 5km-long grassy ridge of the Hohe Veitsch.

Last year, the fastest ultra marathon finishers were Herbert Pross (4:10:36) and Carola Bendl-Tschiedel (5:26:38).

 

Country: Austria

Venue (Map): Veitsch (83km from Graz, 123km from Vienna)

Date: 30 June 2012 (Saturday)

Race distance: 54km; 3-person relay (16.5+16+21.5km)

Start time: 9.00

Start and finish: near the Hallenschwimmbad (public swimming pool) in Dorf Veitsch

Entries: online or by e-mail; payment by bank transfer; late entries on the day (until 8.30)

Entry fees (individual runners): € 35 (until 23 June 2012), € 37 (until 30 June 2012)

Entry fees (relay teams): € 99 (until 23 June 2012), € 105 (until 30 June 2012)

Entry fees (relay teams, first member runs 54km): € 101 (until 23 June 2012), € 107 (until 30 June 2012)

Race centre: Public swimming pool in Veitsch (Friday 29 June 17.00-20.00, on the day 7.00-8.30)

You get: T-shirt, goodie bag, photo service, bus service for relay runners, entry into the post-race prize raffle, free entry to the public swimming pool after the race, free camping near the start

Prizes: to the first 3 in each category

Showers and changing facilities: yes

Award ceremony: ca. 17.00

Number of finishers 2011: 127 individual runners and 73 relay teams

Event website (in English): ultraalpinemarathon.jimdo.com

 

No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page.