Kaiserkrone Trail Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

A full circuit of the Kaiser massif: the Ultra is the marquee distance of the Kaiserkrone Trail, 56 kilometres with around 3,640 metres of climbing, starting and finishing in the village centre of Scheffau am Wilden Kaiser. The route runs on forest paths and rocky alpine terrain, with the Wilder Kaiser overhead and the Kitzbühel Alps across the valley.

Only four percent of the course is flat, and roughly two thirds of it is steep. After an opening climb of 250 metres from kilometre 1.4, a first major ascent of 480 metres begins at kilometre 7.6. The crux of the first half starts at kilometre 18: three and a half kilometres gaining over 730 metres at an average gradient above 20 percent. The second half gives nothing back. From kilometre 28 the course climbs nearly 390 metres, from kilometre 33 another 610 metres over almost five kilometres, and then short, brutal ramps pile on, including a kilometre at 27 percent average starting at kilometre 44.6.

The Kaiserkrone Trail bills itself as a race for seasoned mountain runners and ambitious newcomers alike, and the Ultra is its most honest examination: one long day spent circling a single mountain range.

Pacing Strategy

Over 56 kilometres and 3,600 metres of climbing, the only viable strategy is a pace that feels almost too modest on the early ascents. The three climbs up to kilometre 18 are the race's trap: long but runnable, and tempting to force for exactly that reason – keep a clear reserve here. The decisive wall comes from kilometre 18, over 700 metres of climbing averaging 21% up to around 1,570 metres; take it at a steady, strong hiking stride rather than alternating running and stopping.

The middle demands constant eating and drinking – over this distance your fuelling fails before your legs do. The race is truly decided on the short wall at kilometre 44.5, which hits tired muscles at 27% average with ramps over 60%: ruin your quads early and you'll fall apart here.

Work every descent actively but under control to spare your legs for that finale.

12-Week Preparation

Plan for 8 to 13 hours of racing over the 56 kilometres and roughly 3,640 metres of climbing, depending on your level. The profile never allows a conventional running rhythm: two thirds of the course is steep and flat ground barely exists. The day is a cycle of strong uphill hiking, technical descending, and short stretches of running in between.

The effort is aerobic but muscularly punishing. The roughly 3,580 metres of ascent are matched by an equal amount of descent, much of it on steep, rocky alpine ground that demands footwork and sustained concentration.

Two phases decide the race. First, the steep ascent from kilometre 18, gaining 730 metres at an average above 20 percent: overcook it and the second half will collect the debt. Second, that very second half, where from kilometre 28 more than 1,200 metres of climbing remain in two long ascents plus several short ramps of up to 27 percent, all arriving on deep fatigue.

Build your preparation around long mountain days of four to six hours with plenty of purposeful hiking on steep gradients, ideally placing the climbing late in the session to mirror the course. Train descents deliberately, including on technical terrain, because whether your quads survive back to Scheffau is decided there. Add leg strength endurance, for example repeats on a steep slope of 300 to 500 vertical metres, and a fuelling routine proven over many hours, and the foundation is complete.