Hohe Winde Trail.
The marathon course of the Hohe Winde Trail leaves Büsserach for a lap of the Jura through the Schwarzbubenland, touching three cantons on the way. Its hardest block comes first and its last big descent comes at the very end, so preparing for this race means preparing to still be running through the second half after a hard opening.
Hohe Winde Trail 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The lap starts in Büsserach at a little over 400 metres and hardly lets you warm up. A kilometre in, the first long climb begins, two and a half kilometres at nearly ten percent, and three more follow before km 13. The worst of it starts at km 8 on a very steep ramp just short of a kilometre long. The centrepiece follows soon after: two kilometres at 14 percent up to around 1,150 metres.
It then drops below 900 metres but stays high, rolling around 950 metres until km 21, when a steep kilometre and a half takes you into the highest part of the course at about 1,200 metres. From there it loses a little over 300 metres across seven kilometres. Two short kicks from km 30 and km 35.5 interrupt the way down, and the final four and a half kilometres fall almost without pause toward Büsserach.
There is no single summit that everything builds toward. The route strings together points across the Jura instead: Birgel, Welschgätterli, Trogberg, Rotmättli, Lingenberg and finally the Thierstein ruins before the return to Büsserach. Along the way you cross between the cantons of Solothurn, Jura and Basel-Landschaft, which gives a fair idea of how wide this loop swings through northwestern Switzerland.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 0.9 | 2.6 km | 9.9 % | 20.6 % | +252 m | Cat. 3 |
| km 3.8 | 1.9 km | 9.9 % | 32.7 % | +185 m | Cat. 3 |
| km 8 | 0.9 km | 17.7 % | 28.4 % | +159 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 10.6 | 2 km | 14.1 % | 25.4 % | +283 m | Cat. 3 |
| km 15.7 | 1.2 km | 5.5 % | 11.8 % | +66 m | — |
| km 20.9 | 1.5 km | 13.4 % | 23.8 % | +198 m | Cat. 3 |
| km 30.4 | 0.8 km | 11.7 % | 32.8 % | +94 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 35.6 | 0.6 km | 13.3 % | 22.4 % | +80 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 Hohe Winde Trail.
Start under control
Nearly half of this lap's climbing sits in the four ascents of the first 13 km. Take them so that you feel you are doing too little. At 14 to 18 percent, the ramps from km 8 and km 10.6 will be walking sections for most runners, and a strong hike costs far less there than a forced run while giving up little time.
Hold your rhythm
The race is decided between km 21 and km 30. The climb to the high point arrives when the opening is already in your legs, and the descent that follows is the longest stretch where you can still run with any flow. Find a rhythm up here and those nine kilometres will earn you more than all the early ramps combined.
Spend what is left
The trap is downhill. More than a fifth of the course falls steeply, and if you take the early descents with heavy braking or too much enthusiasm, the bill comes at the very end: the 340 or so metres down to Büsserach land on quads that have already covered more than 39 km.
Training plan for Hohe Winde Trail: 12-week build
Build the base
Age-group runners should expect roughly 5:30 to 8 hours here. That makes it a long aerobic effort, but rarely an even one: very little of the course is flat, and the rest alternates between climbing and descending, with hard spikes on the steep ramps and active recovery in between.
Train race pace
The course asks two questions worth training separately. The first is whether you can handle long climbs of ten to fifteen percent again and again without touching the reserves you need for the second half. Hill sessions on steep slopes with repeats of ten to twenty minutes, mixing running and strong hiking, are the answer. Practise the hiking on purpose, because race day will demand it.
Rehearse the course
The second question concerns your quads in the final third. Long runs with plenty of climbing should therefore not stop at the last ascent but finish on a long descent, run cleanly and relaxed on tired legs. That prepares you for the drop to Büsserach far better than more flat mileage. Two long sessions on consecutive days help you reach race duration without overdoing any single one.
Arrive fresh
The 20 March date puts the key weeks in January and February, so work out early where you will find steep climbs and long descents during that period, since neither can be replaced by flat ground. Use the longest runs to test your fuelling as well, because it has to sit well over that many hours of mountain running.
Courses
Download the Hohe Winde Trail course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Hohe Winde Trail dynamically
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Everything about Hohe Winde Trail.
How long is Hohe Winde Trail?
Hohe Winde Trail is 43.7 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 Hohe Winde Trail have?
Hohe Winde Trail has around 1,831 m of elevation gain over 43.7 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Hohe Winde Trail?
Hohe Winde Trail is classified as Mountainous, averaging 41.9 vertical metres per kilometre. 9% of the route is flat, 22% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 22% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Hohe Winde Trail have?
The hardest climb of Hohe Winde Trail starts at kilometre 10.6, runs for 2 km at an average of 14.1% and gains 283 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 3. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Hohe Winde Trail a loop course?
Yes, Hohe Winde Trail is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Hohe Winde Trail course?
Yes. The Hohe Winde Trail course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Hohe Winde Trail?
Preparation for Hohe Winde Trail should account for 43.7 km, 1,831 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 Hohe Winde Trail?
The pacing strategy for Hohe Winde Trail should reflect 43.7 km, 1,831 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 Hohe Winde Trail take place?
Hohe Winde Trail takes place on March 20, 2027.
Where does Hohe Winde Trail take place?
Hohe Winde Trail takes place in Büsserach, Switzerland.
Which distances does Hohe Winde Trail offer?
Hohe Winde Trail offers 2 distances — Hohe Winde Trail Marathon: 43.7 km; Hohe Winde Trail Halbmarathon: 23.1 km.
How do I register for Hohe Winde Trail?
Registration runs through the organiser: hohe-winde.run. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
