Bernina Ultraks Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The Bernina Glaciers Marathon is a 42-kilometre loop with around 2,650 metres of climbing, starting and finishing in Pontresina. The first long climb arrives just after four kilometres: more than five kilometres averaging roughly eleven per cent lift you into high-alpine terrain, followed by two short, very steep ramps to the high point just below 3,000 metres. Here you cross the glacier world around the Morteratsch and Pers glaciers, partly over moraine scree, partly on passages secured with spikes and by mountain guides where snow remains.

After a long descent back to around 2,100 metres, the decisive climb of the day waits at kilometre 23: almost four kilometres averaging 18 per cent and 710 metres of gain up to the Diavolezza station. A further steep pitch near kilometre 32, at over 20 per cent, tests tired legs before the final descent leads back to Pontresina. The route runs along the UNESCO World Heritage line of the Rhaetian Railway, with views of Piz Bernina and Piz Palü. Two big mountain blocks, with technical ground above 2,000 metres in between.

Pacing Strategy

At almost 63 metres of climbing per kilometre and pitches over 40 percent, a steady hard tempo is impossible — the race is a chain of steep ascents and descents you have to meter one at a time. The first big climb from kilometre 4.5 (a good five kilometres, averaging over 10 percent) tops out near 3,000 metres; here the altitude dictates how much reserve you keep.

Don't spend yourself in the first half, because the real centrepiece is the categorised climb from kilometre 23: nearly four kilometres at 18 percent on average and over 700 metres of gain in one go, deep into the race. Whoever can still march rather than crawl here makes the result. On the steep ramps use a committed power-hike with poles and spare your legs for the technical descents, which the thin air and the length make doubly demanding.

The biggest trap is a too-ambitious first climb — at altitude, every excess of intensity is punished mercilessly later. Eat and drink early and regularly; the long day demands a stable energy supply.

12-Week Preparation

For most age-group athletes the marathon means six to nine hours of effort, almost entirely aerobic but rarely steady. The climbing falls into two large blocks plus several short, very steep ramps above 20 per cent that you can barely run, so efficient power-hiking belongs firmly in your training.

The decisive section is the long climb at kilometre 23: 710 metres of gain at an average of 18 per cent, after more than twenty kilometres already in your legs. Lose your strength here, or on the steep pitch near kilometre 32, and you lose a lot of time. Train uphill efforts at the end of long runs, when your legs are already pre-fatigued.

The descents matter just as much. Around 2,650 metres of downhill, often over scree and moraine, load your quads and joints heavily. Technical downhill running under fatigue protects against the classic second-half collapse. Plan long sessions with clearly back-loaded climbing, get used to uneven alpine ground, and adapt to the thinner air near 3,000 metres. A high-summer start at altitude brings rapid weather changes: heat in the lower sections and cold on the glacier crossings can occur in the same run, so tune your kit and fuelling accordingly.