Allgäu Panorama Marathon Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The Ultra is the flagship distance of the Allgäu Panorama Marathon: a 69.5-kilometre loop out of Sonthofen with around 3,100 metres of climbing through the Allgäu mountains. Eight counted climbs spread the difficulty across the day, and the course saves its hardest card for last.

The first test arrives early. From kilometre 3 the route climbs for 5.4 kilometres at close to 10 percent, gaining 529 metres in one push, followed by two short, steep ramps between kilometres 9 and 12 with pitches above 23 percent. After a calmer middle section, a short but vicious climb at kilometre 35 averages over 12 percent. Then comes the finale: 3.4 kilometres of climbing with 348 metres of gain at kilometre 49, and at kilometre 58 the steepest stretch of the entire race, 1.3 kilometres averaging 26 percent. Only after that does the course drop back towards Sonthofen.

Barely a tenth of the distance is flat, and nearly half of it runs on steep gradients up or down. The event, holding its 19th edition in 2026, keeps its field deliberately capped and is known for its festival-like, low-key atmosphere.

Pacing Strategy

The loop returns to start elevation, but with only ten percent flat there's barely any real recovery. The long climb right from kilometre 3 gains 529 metres over five kilometres — the biggest temptation on fresh legs, and the one you pay for most in the end. Take it at a calm baseline pace and run the rolling middle under control.

The race, though, isn't decided until kilometre 58: a short wall averaging over 26 percent that still demands 337 metres after 58 kilometres. Whoever hasn't overspent by then runs away here. Watch the steep descents between the high paths too — they make up nearly a quarter of the course and quietly drain the quad strength you need for that final wall.

12-Week Preparation

Depending on your level, plan for nine to thirteen hours of effort. The Ultra is an almost entirely aerobic affair: the race is won by managing resources, not by speed. With about 45 metres of vertical per kilometre and a quarter of the distance on steep uphill grades, you will hike a lot of it, so efficient power-hiking deserves as much training time as running.

The decisive section is the final third. The climb at kilometre 49 and the 26-percent ramp at kilometre 58 arrive when most of the 3,100 metres of climbing are already in your legs. Prepare for exactly that with long mountain sessions that put the hardest vertical at the end. The descents matter just as much: nearly a quarter of the course drops steeply, and quad durability ultimately decides whether you can still run the final kilometres into Sonthofen. Practise downhill running on tired legs regularly.

Build in long training days of four to six hours on comparable terrain to rehearse fuelling and hydration, because over nine-plus hours the stomach is often the limiter. The race starts in early August, so add some heat exposure in the preceding weeks, for example by occasionally training through the midday warmth. General strength work for trunk and legs completes the preparation and protects you against fatigue-induced mistakes on the steep ground.