Kitzbüheler Radmarathon: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

The race sets off from Kitzbühel's Vorderstadt at around 760 metres. From kilometre 11, Pass Thurn sets the first rhythm with 7.2 kilometres at a moderate 4.2 percent, followed by the long, largely flat run through the Pinzgau. At kilometre 49.8 the day turns serious for the first time: the Gerlos Alpine Road climbs 5.4 kilometres at an average of 8.9 percent with ramps to 16 percent, topping out above 1,500 metres.

After the long descent into the Zillertal and flat valley kilometres, the steepest regular climb of the day arrives at kilometre 105.9, the Kerschbaumer Sattel: 5.9 kilometres at 9.6 percent with pitches around 16 percent, 565 metres of gain in one block. The loop is far from done. Three short climbs through the Brandenberg countryside break up the rhythm between kilometres 126 and 138, the last of them 1.4 kilometres at 8.8 percent, and another rise bites into tired legs at kilometre 178.

The Brixental leads back to Kitzbühel via Kirchberg and Reith, where riders in the Klassik classification do not turn towards the finish but up the Horn at kilometre 207.2: 7.9 kilometres, 11.9 percent average, over 19 percent on the ramps, 933 metres of climbing to the Alpenhaus at around 1,660 metres. An HC summit finish at the end of a full day in the saddle defines this race more than any other number.

Pacing Strategy

A third of the course is flat, and that is the first decision point: riding disciplined in a group through the Pinzgau and Zillertal saves the energy you will need at kilometre 207. Find wheels that match your pace early rather than sitting alone in the wind.

The race is decided on the Horn and usually lost before it. The Gerlos and the Kerschbaumer Sattel, at 8.9 and 9.6 percent, are long enough to split a field, and that is exactly where the temptation to follow stronger riders appears. Treat the final climb as a race of its own instead: 45 to 75 minutes at your limit on gradients that rarely dip below ten percent, with nine percent of the whole course classed as steep and almost all of it in that finale.

The rolling kilometres through the Brandenberg countryside and the Brixental are your last chance to eat and drink properly. Little goes down on the Horn, and a very low gear there is not comfort but a prerequisite, unless you want to ride 19 percent ramps at cadences below 60.

Training plan for Kitzbüheler Radmarathon: 12-week build

For 216 kilometres with roughly 4,300 metres of climbing and a summit finish, plan on eight to eleven hours of riding depending on your level. The effort is steadily aerobic for long stretches, punctuated by three long threshold blocks on the Gerlos, the Kerschbaumer Sattel and the Horn. Long endurance rides are the foundation, building over the months towards five to seven hours with 2,000 to 3,000 metres of climbing.

What decides this race is not the total climbing but its distribution: the hardest ascent starts at kilometre 207. Climbing on deeply fatigued legs is therefore the core ability this course examines. Deliberately place the toughest climbs of your long sessions at the end rather than getting them out of the way early.

The Gerlos and the Kerschbaumer Sattel call for even climbing blocks of 20 to 40 minutes at or just below threshold, and the capacity to repeat several within one ride. The Horn adds its own demand: low-cadence strength work on double-digit ramps. Fit a bail-out gear for 15 to 20 percent well before race week.

At eight-plus hours, fuelling is a training topic in its own right. Practise taking in 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour under load. And plan clothing realistically for a September day: an early valley start, a finish at 1,660 metres, and a wide temperature range in between.