After three-action-packed days of trail-running the 2nd ZUGSPITZ TRAILRUN CHALLENGE finished on a sweet note Sunday afternoon. Over 1,000 racers participated in what probably would be best described as weekend festival for like-minded athletes looking for a way to cure their addiction to running off-the-beaten-path. Add to that the setting at the base of Germany’s highest peak which looms more than 2,000 m above the valley bottom and one gets the idea behind the event.
Not surprisingly, the ZUGSPITZ TRAILRUN CHALLENGE attracted predominantly German racers but a notable contingent of athletes hailed from Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands and Great Britain. Most racers would have registered for a single specific race distance but the intrepid where certainly drawn by the opportunity to run in three very distinct race categories over the long weekend. Cumulative individual race times for each of the three events went into determining a so-called Triple Ranking.
The race triad involved a short-distance sprint race through world-renowned Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Day One (Friday), a true trail marathon up the Zugspitz massif on Day Two (Saturday) and a half-marathon at mid-elevation on Day Three (Sunday). Fifty-five racers finished the Triple within tightly specified time limits and were aptly celebrated in the Sunday’s award ceremonies. Ahead of all others, Konrad Lex of Germany, who finished the Triple with a cumulative time of just under seven hours (6:57.57) saving a lead of nearly 23 minutes on the second-fastest race time of 7:22.51 hours by Markus Mingo (GER). Mathias Bode (GER, 7:37.48) came in third and relished the thundering applause at Sunday’s finish venue in Ehrwald, Austria.
Among the Women it was Maria Koller (GER) with a time of 8:48.22 hours who garnered the top podium position for the fastest cumulative time over the three-day weekend. Trailing the leader by twenty-three minutes was Stefanie Felgenhauer (GER, 9:11.46) in second place, followed by Eva Färberböck (GER, 9:26.35) in third.
However, the limelight didn’t just shine on the participants of the Triple ranking but on all successful racers regardless of age or race category. In fact, the long weekend started out Friday afternoon with a Kid’s race on a shortened course through Garmisch-Partenkirchen. No less than 57 kids between the ages of 3 and 13 participated in the event sponsored by VIKING Footwear.
Early Friday evening local hero Laura Dahlmeier, biathlete extraordinaire and committed exercise advocate, set off on a blistering speed in the AOK City Run which she finished in a sensational time of 5.17,6 minutes – uncontested by any of the other 77 female racers (239 participants in total). Among the Men it was Thomas Kühlmann who set an unbeatable time in the AOK City Run with his stellar performance of 4.39,3 minutes on the track.
Saturday was all about the Zugspitze, the namesake mountain of the hosting German-Austrian tourism region. Two contemporaneous races were on the day’s race agenda – both of which were to ascend the mountain. The undisputed highlight was certainly the SCOTT Rock the Top Marathon for which no fewer than 233 athletes had registered for. On account of inclement weather near the summit of the Zugspitze (2,962 m a.s.l.) the classic marathon distance had to be cut short to 39.7 km but still accumulated 3,160 m of positive vertical along the way. It was no other than last year’s winner Konrad Lex (GER) who again managed to claim the fastest time in just under five hours (4:59.50) – a performance that would give him a leg up in the Triple ranking. Mathias Bode (GER), himself no stranger within the trail-running community, came in second (5:19.26 h) followed closely by Markus Mingo (5:20.59 h, GER). Konrad Lex was jubilant upon arrival at the finish – just short of the actual summit. „What a race. The marathon was really tough but a grand race at it. I’ll definitely be back next year- and then, hopefully, will reach the summit. This mountain is so much fun – I fear I’m already addicted to it“. When questioned about the race organizer’s decision to shorten the race due to threatening weather, the 34-year-old confided „that it would have been too dangerous to run up to the summit. It was definitely the right decision to resort to the course alternative“. Indeed, the summit remained shrouded in fog for much of the day with occasional showers, pelting hail and intermittent gusts of wind.
Among the Women British athlete Sophie Grant managed to distance herself from Maria Koller (GER) with a winning time of 6:15.14 hours on the shortened 39.7 km marathon course (3,160 m V+). Koller, on the other hand, claimed the leader position in the Triple ranking (6:22.34). Susanne Schultealbert (GER) arrived after 6:30.23 hours on the trail which landed her in third place on the marathon podium.
Racers in the SCOTT Rock the Top Vertical Challenge (14.7 km; 1,727 m V+) started on their all-uphill course over two hours after the marathonistas but the leaders in the sprint race still managed to reach the finish before noon. Twenty-five year-old Thomas Kühlmann (GER) claimed the fastest sprint ascent in 1:45.38 hours with a five minute-lead over second-placing Stefan Paternoster (1:50.56) of Germany. Third to join the podium ranks was Philipp Schädler (GER, 1.52,28).
The Women category in the Vertical Challenge was dominated by German Kathrin Schichtl who finished in 2:34.36 hours ahead of Petra Theiner (2:38.17) of Italy. Third place went to Ulrike Mayer-Tancic of Germany who arrived on the foresummit plateau in 2:44.08 hours.
The weather improved markedly by Sunday morning, which once again offered two race opportunities. A half-marathon course beckoned with 22.3 km and 1,032 m of cumulative vertical gain. But with two race days in the legs the shorter variant thereof would have appealed to many already tired registrants with its distance of 10.1 km and merely 554 m of positive vertical. All in all, 298 racers started to blue skies and sunshine in Sunday’s races.
The 10-K loop above Ehrwald, Austria, was dominated right off the start by 14-year-old trail prodigy Maximilian Gratzl who finished the course ahead of 97 other racers in 54:08 minutes. Denis Heydorn (GER) was able to claim the second-fastest time with 54:55 minutes, with Moritz Sparbrod (GER, 56:29 / Master Men Kategorie) not far behind. Franziska Strobl (GER, 1:11.27) dominated the Women racers ahead of two Austrians Gisela Marini (1:12,10) and Lena Hainz (1:13,08).
Racers on the Half-Marathon course were last to arrive at the finish venue in Ehrwald, Austria. Konrad Lex (GER) ran a convincing race in 1:52.53 hours which earned him the Triple Victory but also race victory in the Master Men category. Second to arrive was Markus Mingo (GER) in 1:56.42 which cinched victory in the Men’s category for him. Jutta Buschmann (GER, 2:14.05) proved fastest of the women ahead of sisters Steffi and Maria Koller (GER). While triple leader Maria Koller had to let her sibling finish ahead of her, her time on the 22-K course was still sufficient to secure Triple victory. Maria Koller had nothing but praise for the race weekend. „The best thing about the weekend was spending time with the other participants, lots of sunshine and the opportunity to challenge oneself on and around Germany’s highest peak. I’m overjoyed to have finished all three races. Today’s course was simply top-notch“.
Not just the racers but also the host venues and race organizers had reason to rejoice. „The 2nd ZUGSPITZ TRAILRUN CHALLENGE turned out a big success given that participant numbers pretty much doubled compared to last year’s inaugural event“ shared Katrin Perktold. „This event managed to validate the appeal of our tourism region as a tried and tested trail run destination – not the least as a result of the transboundary collaboration of the Zugspitz Arena Bavaria-Tyrol Tourism Board. The ZUGSPITZ TRAILRUN CHALLENGE has all it takes to qualify as an annual touristic highlight for us. We already look forward to next year!“
