Tschirgant Sky Run Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The TS16 Adventure is the entry distance of the Tschirgant Sky Run in Imst, Tyrol: a 16-kilometre loop with roughly 800 metres of climbing that starts and finishes at the Sportzentrum Imst. The opening kilometres ease you in with short rises around kilometre 2.8 and 4 before the course reveals its true character.

From kilometre 5 the defining climb begins: 4.4 kilometres at an average of 14 percent with ramps above 30 percent, just over 600 metres of gain in one block. How you pace this section largely decides how the rest of your race feels. From the top, the route drops back towards the valley on the narrow paths typical of this Tyrolean event; nearly 30 percent of the course is steep descent, and a short counter-climb at kilometre 15.7 guards the finish.

The organisers explicitly welcome trail newcomers on this distance, and the race carries ITRA and UTMB recognition. The TS16 packs the Sky Run experience of singletrack and mountain panoramas into a compact format, without the extreme ridge sections of its longer siblings.

Pacing Strategy

The 16-kilometre loop is a race at heart: one climb, one descent, roughly net level. The first five kilometres roll only gently over two short ramps, so hold a brisk but relaxed pace and waste no matches. The decisive section begins at kilometre 5: 4.4 kilometres at nearly 14 percent with pitches to 32 percent, up to around 1,445 metres. Settle into an even power-stride and run only where the gradient truly allows, rather than overcooking the base.

From the high point at kilometre 9.5 the course drops almost continuously to the finish. That is exactly where the trap sits: max out the climb and you can no longer run the long descent fluidly.

Pace it so you still control your stride and quads up top, because clean downhill technique wins you the most over the final kilometres.

12-Week Preparation

For a typical age-group runner the TS16 means an effort of roughly two to three and a half hours. The distance sounds short, but with nearly 48 metres of climbing per kilometre this is a genuine mountain race, not a fast trail circuit.

The effort splits into two distinct halves: a long, hard aerobic block on the climb from kilometre 5, followed by a technically demanding descent. On a gradient averaging 14 percent you will walk sections, and strong power-hiking is race craft, not weakness. Train steep uphill repeats and purposeful hiking on gradients above 15 percent, with poles or hands on thighs, until it feels like a gear rather than a surrender.

The descent decides as much as the climb: almost 30 percent of the course drops steeply. Runners who descend relaxed and confident gain minutes at no cardiovascular cost. Schedule regular downhill running sessions, short and controlled at first, then longer and on tired legs, so your quads adapt to the eccentric load before race day.

In the final weeks, long runs that include a single sustained block of 600 to 800 metres of ascent mirror the course demands directly. And because a short counter-climb waits at kilometre 15.7, practise shifting back into uphill effort after extended descending, so the finish does not catch you flat.