Trail races in Germany
Germany offers a very varied trail running scene: from the forested mid-mountains of the Black Forest and the Harz to the Bavarian Alps, with century-old races and a deeply rooted hiking and mountain culture.
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“From the Black Forest to the Alps: trail with century-old tradition”
2.962 m
Zugspitze, Germany's highest point
16
Federal states
May – Oct
Race season
+50 años
History of mountain marathons
Terrain
Southern Germany, on the Austrian border, holds the high mountains: the Bavarian Alps reach the country's highest point at the Zugspitze (2,962 m) and offer genuine alpine trail around Berchtesgaden and the Watzmann. Further north, the Black Forest and the Harz are forested mid-mountains with moderate but constant elevation gain, ideal for historic mountain marathons. The Rennsteig, in Thuringia, traces a forested ridge over 100 km long that has been the cradle of German trail running since the 1970s.
Key areas
Climate & best season
Trail season in Germany runs from May to October, peaking in summer when alpine passes are free of snow. September and October offer mild temperatures and autumn colours, much valued for the mid-distance mountain marathons. In winter, snow closes much of the mountain trails, though some Nordic trail and snowshoe events persist.
Trail culture
Germany has one of Europe's oldest hiking and mountain running cultures, with mountain marathons that have been held since the 1960s and 70s. The country also hosts the Zugspitz Ultra Trail, a UTMB World Series race in the Bavarian Alps, and the Rennsteiglauf, one of the continent's largest and most veteran mountain cross races. The German trail community combines organisational rigour with strong local roots: many races are annual events for an entire town or region.
Iconic races
Regions
Photo: Daniel Seßler / Unsplash
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is home to the Black Forest, a forested mid-mountain range in southwest Germany topped by the Feldberg (1,493 m). Home of the Schwarzwald-Marathon, one of Europe's oldest mountain marathons.
2 races
Photo: Philip Jahn / Unsplash
Bavaria
Bavaria concentrates the German Alps, with the Watzmann and the Berchtesgaden region as the epicentre of genuine alpine trail: glacial lakes, exposed ridges, and Germany's highest point, the Zugspitze.
7 races
Photo: Marina Reich / Unsplash
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt hosts the main flank of the Harz, a mid-mountain massif with the Brocken (1,141 m) as its legendary summit. Home of the Harz-Gebirgslauf, northern Germany's most demanding mountain marathon.
1 race
Photo: L. Beck / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) / Unsplash
Thuringia
The Thuringian Forest and its ridge path, the Rennsteig: 170 km of mid-mountain forest and home of the GutsMuths-Rennsteiglauf, Germany's biggest gathering of ultrarunners.
1 race
Photo: Eifelyannick / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Unsplash
North Rhine-Westphalia
From Eifel National Park to the Teutoburg Forest: wooded hills, reservoirs and two German trail classics, the Rursee-Marathon and the Hermannslauf.
3 races
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Unsplash
Lower Saxony
From the Lüneburg Heath to the western Harz: Lower Saxony is the starting point of the Brocken-Challenge, the winter ultra from Göttingen to the Brocken summit.
2 races
Photo: L. Beck / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) / Unsplash
Saxony
The Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) and the sandstone towers of Saxon Switzerland: narrow paths, short steep climbs and the SachsenTrail as eastern Germany's big trail event.
1 race
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Unsplash
Rhineland-Palatinate
Vast forests and Moselle valleys near Trier: the Hochwald hosts HoWUT, an ultra trail from 10 km to 100 miles.
1 race
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Photo: Milseburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Alb Marathon Schwäbisch Gmünd
Schwäbisch Gmünd
36th edition on 24 October 2026: 50 km and +1,229 m over the three Kaiserberge, plus a brand-new 60 km Alb-Ultra.
Photo: Schwarzwald-MarathonSchwarzwald-Marathon
Bräunlingen
59th edition in 2027: the world's most veteran forest marathon, with +620 m of elevation gain through Black Forest pine woods.
Recommended gear · Best Overall
Coros Pace 3View on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)Compare with other options →
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)10 Teiche Marathon Hahnenklee
Hahnenklee
11 September 2027: 42 km marathon (+1,014 m) in the Harz. Registration open until 10 September.
Photo: Peter Gercke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Brocken-Challenge
Göttingen
13 February 2027: 80 km and +1,900 m from Göttingen to the snowy Brocken summit. Places by application, 1-7 November.
Photo: Panoramio / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)Allgäu Panorama Marathon
Sonthofen
8 August 2027: 69 km ultra and mountain marathon along the Hörnergruppe with panoramic views of the Allgäu Alps.
Photo: Allgäu GmbH / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)MOUNTAINMAN Nesselwang
Nesselwang
8 May 2027: 10 to 70 km and up to +3,900 m in the Allgäu. Registration open.
Recommended gear · Best Overall
Salomon Sense Ride 5View on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)Compare with other options →
Photo: M(e)ister Eiskalt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Rab GaPa Trail
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
24 April 2027: 10, 20 and 26 km in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Registration open since 7 July 2026.
Photo: RunThroughRunThrough Trails Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden
RunThrough's German debut: 44K of pure alpine trail between the Watzmann and Lake Königssee, with +2,200 m of elevation gain.
Photo: Besenbinder / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)U.Trail Lamer Winkel
Lam
3 July 2027: 54 km and +2,600 m over the Arber and the Lamer Winkel summits, with over 70% singletrack.
Photo: Ermell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz
Ebermannstadt
23-24 April 2027: 100 km and +3,930 m among Franconia's limestone and castles. Registration from 6 October 2026.
Photo: Panoramio / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Zugspitz Ultratrail by UTMB
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
17-20 June 2027: the 167 km ZUT100 and the classic 107 km around the Zugspitze. Counts towards the UTMB World Series.
Photo: Der Wolf im Wald / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)Hermannslauf
Detmold
55th edition on 25 April 2027: 31.1 km of forest from the Hermannsdenkmal to the Sparrenburg, one of Germany's biggest trail races.
Photo: ArthurMcGill / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Rursee-Marathon
Simmerath-Einruhr
8 November 2026: marathon and 52 km ultra among the lakes and forests of Eifel National Park, the perfect season finale.
Photo: J. Braukmann Milseburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun
Lennestadt
6 June 2027: 11 and 21 km in the Sauerland. Registration open, online only until 5 June.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Hochwald Ultratrail (HoWUT)
Osburg
27-29 May 2027: from 10 km to 100 miles in the Hochwald. Registration open, only 400 places.
Photo: Harz-GebirgslaufHarz-Gebirgslauf (Brocken-Marathon)
Wernigerode
48th edition in 2026: northern Germany's most demanding marathon, climbing to the legendary Brocken (1,141 m).
Photo: Aagnverglaser / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)SachsenTrail
Breitenbrunn
25-27 June 2027: 74 km UltraTrail with +1,920 m through the forests of the Erzgebirge, on the Czech border.
Photo: Panoramio / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)GutsMuths-Rennsteiglauf
Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig
54th edition on 22 May 2027: the 73.9 km Supermarathon along the Rennsteig, the ultra with the most finishers in Germany.
Top trail running gear for this country
Best-selling gear among mountain runners
Black Diamond
Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z
Ultralight carbon Z-pole foldable trekking poles. 137 g per pole in 110 cm length, 33 cm folded. EVA grip and adjustable strap. The trail running reference.
Hoka
Hoka Speedgoat 7
The best-selling trail shoe in the US and an absolute ultra-trail classic. Max Hoka cushioning, a Vibram Megagrip outsole with 5 mm lugs for grip in mud and technical terrain, and a snug Matryx upper. Built to eat up kilometres without punishing your legs in long races.
Icebreaker
Icebreaker Merino 200 Oasis LS Crewe
Long-sleeve thermal top in 100% merino wool (200g). Natural temperature regulation, genuine multi-day odor resistance and a soft, non-itch handfeel from the fine merino yarn.
Altra
Altra Lone Peak 9
Trail running shoe with zero drop and wide FootShape toe box that allows natural toe splay. 25 mm stack with EGO foam for balanced cushioning without losing ground contact. MaxTrac outsole with 3.5 mm lugs, ideal for non-technical trails, forest tracks and long-distance paths.
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Gear up for the mountains
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