Großglockner Ultra-Trail Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The GGUT 110 circles Austria's highest mountain: starting and finishing in Kaprun, the course follows the Glocknerrunde around the 3,798-metre Grossglockner through three federal states, seven valleys and the Hohe Tauern National Park, past 14 glaciers and some 300 three-thousand-metre peaks. Officially the route measures 110 kilometres with 6,500 metres of climbing; the track itself adds up to a good 6,800 metres of both ascent and descent.

The race starts on Friday evening at 9:30 pm, so the entire first night is run in darkness. From kilometre 7 the course climbs in two steps totalling about 750 metres towards the Kapruner Törl at 2,639 metres. The crossings of Kalser Tauern (2,518 m), Stockerscharte (2,465 m) and Untere Pfandlscharte (2,663 m) follow, along with the Glorer Hütte at 2,642 metres. The hardest stretch sits between kilometre 50 and 60, where two long ascents of 769 and 725 metres of gain come back to back. Another 650-metre climb arrives at kilometre 69, and at kilometre 93 the final big ascent demands one more 650-metre effort.

Around 80 percent of the distance runs on trails that are at times highly technical, including several mandatory snowfield crossings. The cutoff for the finish back in Kaprun is 28 hours.

Pacing Strategy

Over 110 kilometres with almost 6,900 metres of climbing, energy management counts for more than pace. More than half the course is steep — take every climb in the low aerobic range, hiking briskly where needed, and eat consistently from the first hour. The early ramps around kilometres 9 and 21, with gradients up to twenty percent, feel invitingly grippy; pushing here is the classic trap, because the race is settled far later.

The four categorised climbs from kilometre 50 on — each with 650 to 770 metres of gain in one go — hit you with tired legs; the last big climb around kilometre 93, averaging twenty percent, is the real decision. Keep reserves and fuel for it. Downhill, the altitude adds a concentration cost — on the steep sections above 2,000 metres, controlled running guards against expensive mistakes.

12-Week Preparation

Budget roughly 16 to 28 hours of effort for this race, starting at 9:30 pm and, for most runners, including a second night on your feet. Preparing for it is less about classic run training and more about getting ready for a full high-mountain day and then some.

The terrain dictates the effort: nearly 60 percent of the distance is steeply up or steeply down, and the major climbs average 14 to 20 percent. Efficient pole-supported hiking matters more here than running speed, so train fast, sustained uphill hiking on long steep climbs. Just as important are the roughly 6,800 metres of descent: condition your quads with long, technical downhill runs to handle that eccentric load, otherwise the second half's descents become an exercise in damage management.

The decisive sections are the back-to-back pair of 700-metre climbs between kilometre 50 and 60 and the final big ascent at kilometre 93, which arrives after 20 hours or more for many. Long mountain runs with the climbing deliberately placed late, and back-to-back weekends with two long mountain days, replicate exactly that demand.

Then there is the setting itself. Practise moving and eating at night by headlamp, spend training time above 2,000 metres since the course repeatedly exceeds 2,500, and rehearse your mandatory kit and fuelling strategy over many hours. Confident footwork on snowfields and blocky alpine terrain is something to build before race day, not during it.