Schwarzwald Bike Marathon Furtwangen Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The 94-kilometre course is the long distance of the Schwarzwald Bike Marathon in Furtwangen, an event holding its 28th edition in 2026 and known as a folk festival of mountain biking in the High Black Forest. The big loop gathers around 2,500 metres of climbing, yet without a single long pass: the work is spread across eight counted climbs of one to two kilometres at five to ten percent, linked by constantly rolling forest roads and woodland tracks.

The first major block arrives between kilometres 16 and 29, four climbs in quick succession, including 2.2 kilometres with pitches up to 24 percent at kilometre 18.3 and a grinding ascent of 152 metres at kilometre 27. A second one-two punch follows at kilometres 48 and 51, the latter the steepest of the loop at nearly ten percent average. The profile stays restless from there until a final, gentler climb at kilometre 85 tests tired legs before the run back into Furtwangen.

Only a fifth of the route is flat and almost a third climbs at moderate grades, which makes the 94 kilometres a rhythm race for endurance-minded riders, carried by the familiar atmosphere of an event that donates five euros per entry to the Katharinenhöhe rehabilitation clinic.

Pacing Strategy

The opening kilometres roll along fairly gently before the first hard block arrives between kilometre 16 and 27: four back-to-back climbs with pitches up to 24 percent add around 600 metres of vert. This is where the race is often quietly decided — take these ramps seated and just under threshold and you keep something back for the second block at kilometre 48 to 52.

The main trap is overcooking that first block in the early excitement; with more than ten percent of the course spent on steep uphill, every ramp ridden too hard is paid back later. Ration your matches so the late climbs at kilometre 63 and 85 can still be pedalled rather than pushed.

The many steep descents in between are technique, not rest — use them actively but under control to recover.

12-Week Preparation

Plan for four to six and a half hours depending on your level. Unlike alpine marathons with long passes, the load here is a constant alternation: eight climbs of five to fifteen minutes, linked by rolling sections and descents. That calls for a wide aerobic base combined with the ability to climb repeatedly above threshold and recover actively in between.

The backbone of your preparation is long base rides of three to five hours on rolling terrain, ideally matching the course's climbing density of around 20 vertical metres per kilometre. Add structured sessions with hill intervals of five to fifteen minutes, ridden at the intensity you intend to use on the race's climbs, separated by short rolling recoveries rather than full rest.

The decisive phase is the climbing block between kilometres 16 and 29: four ascents in close succession, early enough that the field sorts itself out there. Overcook that section and you will ride the double climbs at kilometres 48 and 51, and the last rise at kilometre 85, in deficit. Practise stacked efforts in training, and rehearse your fuelling for an effort of four-plus hours, because on a course with no long recovery stretches, eating is easily postponed until too late.

Round this out with confident descending on forest roads and gravel tracks, including practice for the conditions a September date can bring, such as damp leaves and slick patches. A stable trunk helps you ride the fifth and sixth hour cleanly to the line.