Sickinger Rundlauf Training Plan & Preparation
The main race of the Sickinger Rundlauf is a fast, largely flat road course over nine kilometres with only about 120 metres of climbing. Two short, sharp rises – one soon after the start, one at kilometre 7 – break the rhythm. Preparation targets sustained pace and the ability to relaunch race speed immediately after a steep pitch.
Course & Elevation
The Hauptlauf of the Sickinger Rundlauf is a 9 km loop that starts and finishes on the market square of Schörfling am Attersee, in the heart of Austria's Salzkammergut. It is a road-and-path race through the village and the surrounding countryside, run traditionally on 15 August since 2002.
The course is more undulating than its flat overall numbers suggest: across just 9 km you gather around 119 metres of climbing, split between two short ascents. The first comes early, from kilometre 1.4, rising over roughly 680 metres at an average of 7.3 percent with a brief ramp up to 19 percent through the Marktwald. The high point of the loop, at around 561 metres, sits at the top of this climb.
What follows is a long, gently descending and rolling section through the open terrain near the Attersee, where you can carry speed up to about kilometre 5.7. From kilometre 7.15 the second, shorter climb of around 380 metres at roughly 7 percent waits. The final kilometre and a half runs mostly downhill back to the market square, so the loop closes with a fast finish. On balance the route is close to flat.
Pacing Strategy
On this course, even high pace is what counts: a good third is flat, the rest only rolls gently. The first short climb comes already at kilometre 1.4 – barely 700 metres with ramps to 19 percent. Take it strongly but not as a sprint, or in such a short race you break your rhythm early.
After that you can hold a steady pace for long stretches; use the slight descents to carry momentum, not to recover. The second pitch at kilometre 7 (up to 16 percent) falls in the closing phase when it already hurts – this is where your finishing time is decided. Whoever can press again over the final two kilometres after it gains seconds.
The typical trap: overcooking the first hill and then fading on the flat sections.
12-Week Preparation
For the 9 km Hauptlauf, expect roughly 38 to 55 minutes of effort depending on your level, with competitive runners coming in under that. This is a distance around your threshold: hard and steady for most of it, yet short enough that you have to keep the pace honest from the gun.
The demand is mostly steady aerobic work with two short surges on the climbs. The first hill arrives already at 1.4 km and, with a ramp up to 19 percent, is steep enough to break your rhythm if you set off too fast. Pacing discipline at the start is therefore decisive, along with the second, shorter climb from kilometre 7.15, which hits while you are already tired after the fast middle section. The downhill finish then settles the rest.
Build your training around two priorities. First, threshold-paced strength through tempo runs and intervals near your goal 9 km pace, so you can hold steady pressure across the rolling course. Second, short, sharp hill efforts of 30 to 90 seconds that mirror the two steep ramps and train you to re-settle into race pace afterwards. Practise economical downhill running too, since both the long middle section and the finish reward relaxed, quick legs on the descents. A few sessions on mixed road-and-path surfaces round out the preparation.
Course Map
Profile Parameters
Slope Distribution
Climbs on Route
| Start (km) | Length | Ø Gradient | Max Gradient | Elev Gain | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KM 1.4 | 0.7 km | 7.3% | 19.3% | +49m | — |
| KM 7.2 | 0.4 km | 6.9% | 16.3% | +26m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself — length and gradient — regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
Adaptive race preparation
Let YOUB adapt your plan for 24. Sickinger Rundlauf dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Frequently asked questions
How should I prepare for Sickinger Rundlauf?
Preparation for Sickinger Rundlauf should account for 9 km, +119m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Sickinger Rundlauf?
The pacing strategy for Sickinger Rundlauf should reflect 9 km, +119m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
How long is Sickinger Rundlauf?
Sickinger Rundlauf is 9 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Sickinger Rundlauf have?
Sickinger Rundlauf has around +119m of elevation gain over 9 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
When does 24. Sickinger Rundlauf 2026 take place?
24. Sickinger Rundlauf 2026 takes place on August 15, 2026.
Where does 24. Sickinger Rundlauf 2026 take place?
24. Sickinger Rundlauf 2026 takes place in Schörfling am Attersee, Austria.