Nordschwarzwald Triathlon: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

The day starts at 06:30 at the Nagold reservoir: 3.8 kilometres of swimming in two 1.9-kilometre laps with a short landing in between. From transition at the reservoir a roughly 28-kilometre approach drops down towards Nagold before the bike loop proper begins.

The roughly 51-kilometre circuit between Altensteig, Oberer Wald and Nagold is ridden three times and defines the race. Its landmark is a 2.1-kilometre climb averaging 6.6 percent with ramps close to twelve, recurring at kilometre 29, 78 and 128; each lap also brings a long two-kilometre drag at just over three percent and a short kilometre at five. Only about 15 percent of the bike course is genuinely flat, a good third climbs and a third descends, all of it on roads fully closed to traffic.

The closing marathon runs six laps through Nagold and is tame by comparison, but not flat: around 660 metres of climbing are spread over two small rises per lap, each 300 to 450 metres long at about four percent with spikes near ten. Coming around six times, they add up. The finish line closes at 21:30.

Pacing Strategy

Everything hinges on the first bike lap. Out of the water you roll 28 mostly downhill kilometres into Nagold, where everything feels easy, and where the marathon is usually thrown away. Ride that approach deliberately conservatively and treat the three laps as the actual race.

The decisive section is the 2.1-kilometre climb at 6.6 percent, met three times. It takes eight to twelve minutes depending on your level and invites you to stand and push; ride it seated with an even cadence on the third pass and you own the day. The long drag just after it is deceptive too; three percent can be over-ridden for a long time, and it quietly eats your legs.

The classic trap is the descents. A third of the course runs downhill, and coasting instead of pedalling gives away more time than any climb can win back. On the marathon you then run on what the bike left you: shorten your stride on the small rises each lap and pick the rhythm straight back up over the top. The last two of the six laps decide your placing.

Training plan for Nordschwarzwald Triathlon: 12-week build

For the long distance in Nagold, expect roughly ten to fourteen hours of racing depending on your level; the cut-off is fifteen. The effort is mostly aerobic, but the bike is far more undulating than a flat long-distance course; only about 15 percent of it is level, the rest alternates constantly between climbing and descending.

The race is decided on the two-kilometre climb that comes around three times, and on whether you can still run an even marathon after 180 hilly bike kilometres. The marathon itself demands rhythm stability rather than strength: twelve small rises across six laps on tired legs.

Training should therefore centre on very long rides with the climbing loaded into the back end: five to six hours with the final ascents ridden fatigued. Add repeated sweet-spot blocks of eight to twelve minutes on real climbs so the length of the key ascent becomes familiar, and practise pedalling actively through descents.

Brick runs straight off long, rolling rides are mandatory, as are long runs of two and a half to three hours on undulating ground. Open-water sessions with sighting and a rehearsed landing prepare you for the two-lap reservoir swim. Plan fuelling for a race day that starts at 06:30 and can run into the evening.