9. Drachenduathlon.
Three laps of the Drachensee on foot and two passes of the same rolling bike loop: the Olympic distance at the Drachenduathlon is a race built out of repetition. Close to an hour of running comes before the first transition, and the closing leg covers ground you already ran twice that same morning.
No date has been announced for the next edition yet. The course, elevation and route profile are from the most recent edition.
the Drachenduathlon: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
Start, finish and transition area sit together at the DLRG boat jetty on the Drachensee. The opening run leaves the transition area, circles the lake twice and returns to the same spot, the bike loop starts and ends there, and the closing run takes one more lap of the same lakeside path. Both changes happen at the bike rack: inside the transition area the bike may only be pushed, and the helmet stays buckled from the moment you lift the bike until you rack it again.
The order inverts the triathlon logic most athletes carry with them. You reach the first transition not after a swim but after close to an hour on your feet, and you ride the second bike lap already carrying that load. The second transition sends you onto a route you have covered twice that day. You know exactly what is coming, which can steady you or tempt you.
The bike is ridden without drafting and therefore alone, on roads that are only partly closed and with no aid station anywhere on the loop. Drinks are handed out on the run lap only, solid food waits at the finish. Two cutoffs structure the day, one after the opening run and one after the bike, and missing either takes you out of the race. Your bike stays racked in any case: the transition area only opens once the last cyclist is out on the run course.
+23 m
+381 m
Run 1
9.4 km · +23 m| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
Bike course
40.3 km · +381 m| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 6.8 | 0.7 km | 3.8 % | 4.9 % | +27 m | — |
| km 14.8 | 0.5 km | 3 % | 3.9 % | +16 m | — |
| km 17.4 | 0.5 km | 4.4 % | 5.9 % | +22 m | — |
| km 24.3 | 0.7 km | 3.8 % | 5 % | +27 m | — |
| km 32.2 | 0.5 km | 3 % | 3.8 % | +16 m | — |
| km 34.8 | 0.5 km | 4.3 % | 6.2 % | +23 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace the Drachenduathlon.
Settle into the race
Roughly half of your race time is spent on the bike, about a third on the opening run, and the small remainder on the closing lap. Let that distribution drive the plan: the first run is not a 10k, it is the approach to a solid hour of time trialling, and that is exactly why it is the biggest trap of the day. Two identical laps invite you to race a race inside the race.
Spread the effort
The Olympic distance is decided on the second bike lap and in the change onto the final lakeside loop. Finishing the first bike lap feeling comfortable proves little, because only the second pass shows what the opening run actually cost. Hold your output steady there instead of trying to win back places.
Finish strong
The second issue is fuelling. Nothing is handed out on the bike, so you carry everything for that hour yourself, and what you drink on the run lap co-determines how the closing loop goes. A deficit built over the first nine kilometres rarely shows on the bike, it shows afterwards.
Training plan for the Drachenduathlon: 12-week build
Build all three disciplines
Plan for two and a half to three and a half hours of racing across three sections and two transitions. The demand is mostly steady aerobic work, interrupted twice by a change of discipline that costs a few minutes each time before heart rate and movement pattern settle again. What you train is therefore less the top end than the ability to hold a stable output for three hours.
Brick sessions
The second half of the day decides the race, and it can only be prepared as a whole. Put a few sessions covering the full race duration into your final weeks, even at lower intensity. The point is that the third hour of the race is not the first hour of that kind you have ever done; a short jog after a moderate ride does not represent this race.
Practise transitions
Fuelling is its own training content. Since nothing is handed out on the bike, the entire plan for that hour has to travel with the bike, and it needs rehearsing in exactly the sequence the race uses: drink on the run lap, take on food while riding, then run again without your stomach objecting.
Arrive fresh
That leaves transitions and conditions. Both changes happen at the same bike rack, the bike is pushed, the helmet is buckled before you touch it, and that sequence deserves a few dry runs rather than first thoughts on race morning. September brings cool mornings at the lake and a noticeably warmer afternoon, and the race is held in any weather. Clothing that covers both ends of the day, and confident handling on open roads, belong in the preparation.
Courses
Download each leg of the Drachenduathlon as its own GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for 9. Drachenduathlon dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about 9. Drachenduathlon.
How long is the Drachenduathlon?
the Drachenduathlon is 54.4 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does the Drachenduathlon have?
the Drachenduathlon has around 414 m of elevation gain over 54.4 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the profile of the run course at the Drachenduathlon?
The run course at the Drachenduathlon is classified as Flat, averaging 2.4 vertical metres per kilometre. 93% of the route is flat, 1% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 0% is steeper than 6%.
Is there a GPX file for the the Drachenduathlon course?
Yes. Each leg of the Drachenduathlon is on this page as its own free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for the Drachenduathlon?
Preparation for the Drachenduathlon should account for 54.4 km, 414 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for the Drachenduathlon?
The pacing strategy for the Drachenduathlon should reflect 54.4 km, 414 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does 9. Drachenduathlon 2026 next take place?
No date has been announced for the next edition yet. The most recent one was held on September 20, 2026.
Where does 9. Drachenduathlon 2026 take place?
9. Drachenduathlon 2026 takes place in Furth im Wald, Germany.
Which distances does the Drachenduathlon offer?
the Drachenduathlon offers 3 distances — Olympische Distanz: 54.4 km; Sprintdistanz: 30 km; Sprintdistanz Staffel: 30 km.
How do I register for the Drachenduathlon?
Registration runs through the organiser: drachentriathlon.de. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
