Imster Radmarathon: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

Route A is the flagship course of the Imster Radmarathon: 110 kilometres and around 2,300 metres of climbing on a loop through the Tyrolean mountains, starting at the Agrarzentrum West in Imst. The event reaches its eleventh edition in 2026, has been part of the Tiroler Rennradcup since this year, and carries its motto Explore your Limits for a reason.

The heart of the course is the Haimingerberg climb up to the Sattele from kilometre 53: almost ten kilometres at 10.5 percent average gradient with ramps up to 16 percent, roughly 1,000 vertical metres in a single block. A climb of this length at this steepness is rare even by alpine standards, and it splits the race into a before and an after.

The before is no warm-up. From kilometre 14.8 a first ascent works uphill for six and a half kilometres at close to five percent. The after bites too: from kilometre 85.7 a steep ramp at nearly nine percent leads into a final climb from kilometre 90.2, four kilometres at a good eight percent with peaks around 15 percent. Long and partly technical descents connect these chapters before the loop returns to Imst.

Pacing Strategy

This course is decided on a single climb: the HC ascent from kilometre 53, which demands more than 1,000 metres over 9.6 kilometres at an average of 10.5 and a peak near 16 percent. Everything before it is preparation. The category-3 climb at kilometre 15 is moderate at 4.7 percent; ride it controlled and burn no matches there, because you need exactly those on the HC climb.

Ration your power so you reach that key ascent in a steady, sustainable rhythm; the double-digit average punishes any over-eager start without mercy. After the long descent, the category-2 climb from kilometre 90 stacks another 327 metres onto already tired legs; keep a reserve for it. The main trap is hitting the HC climb too hot: overcook the lower slopes and you stall in the steep 15-percent ramps.

Use the descents for active recovery and eat early and often, because over 2,400 metres of climbing, fuelling decides as much as the legs.

Training plan for Imster Radmarathon: 12-week build

Plan on four and a half to six and a half hours for the 110 kilometres with their roughly 2,300 metres of climbing, depending on your level. The character is classically alpine: long, even climbing blocks rather than hectic surges, separated by descents that demand concentration and bike handling.

Everything is subordinate to the Haimingerberg. Almost ten kilometres at 10.5 percent average means 50 to 90 minutes of uninterrupted steep climbing depending on your power, often at low cadence. That is precisely what you must train: long hill intervals of 20 to 40 minutes around threshold, plus dedicated sessions on the steepest climbs you can find to build strength endurance at eight to twelve percent. Gearing deserves equal attention. Check whether you can still hold a cadence at 10 to 16 percent that will not wreck your legs over the hours.

The second decisive phase starts at kilometre 85.7: the ramp and the final climb at a good eight percent land on legs that already carry the Haimingerberg. Simulate this with long rides whose hardest climbing block comes at the end.

Do not neglect descending. On a course with this much downhill, minutes are won and lost there, and confident descending saves energy on top. Finally, plan your fueling for five or more hours, including eating on the climb itself, because the long ascent leaves few calm stretches for it.