Wylandlauf: Course, Route Profile & Map

Course & Elevation

Start and finish are at the Sporthalle Andelfingen, and in between the course runs as one large loop through the open countryside of the Weinland. More than half of it is flat, and the three rises worth naming are all short: about 500 metres at just under seven percent from kilometre 3.1, then two gentler swells of a good 400 and 850 metres at kilometres 5.8 and 8.6.

What shapes the course is not the profile but the surface. Around sixty percent runs on unsealed farm tracks — field paths between arable land and vine slopes that, over 14.4 kilometres, cost noticeably more than asphalt and can soften after rain.

The Wylandlauf is organised by Sport-Club Alten and has been held since 1988; larger editions have brought more than 1,100 finishers home, and the course record stands at 49:55. The main category is one of twelve scoring races in the ZKB Zürilauf Cup, where points accumulate across the season — and that shapes the field: many are here not for a one-off race but as part of a series. The start is at 11:00 a.m., open to those born in 2006 or earlier.

Pacing Strategy

The course provides almost no structure, so you have to bring your own. Across 14.4 near-flat kilometres, evenness decides it: a pace you can hold from the first kilometre, rather than a quick opening on the sealed section by the start that the farm tracks then reclaim.

The three rises between kilometres 3 and 9.5 are short enough to run through — the first, at just under seven percent, is the only one where a controlled change of rhythm pays. After that the profile has nothing left, and the second half of the race asks you to hold pace with nothing prompting you.

The real trap is the surface combined with the cup. On unsealed ground the same pace costs more than on asphalt, and in a scoring race, sitting on a group that is quicker than your own plan only shows up on the closing kilometres of field track. Earn the points with an even second half, not with a bold start.

Training plan for Wylandlauf: 12-week build

Depending on your level, 14.4 kilometres here means roughly 55 to 100 minutes. The effort is steadily aerobic and for many sits just under threshold — there are no climbs where intensity accumulates and no descents that hand recovery back.

That sets the main training content: the ability to hold a high, even pace for an hour and more. Tempo runs of 30 to 50 minutes and long intervals of 2,000 to 3,000 metres rehearse the demand directly. Hill work is secondary for this course; the three rises are covered by a few short uphill strides.

The second focus is the surface. Around sixty percent of the route runs on unsealed farm tracks, and soft ground changes stride length, push-off and the load on your calves. Do part of your faster sessions on exactly that kind of path, and run at least one longer steady run entirely on it so your legs know the mix.

For conditions, date and time of day are what count. Early September at 11:00 a.m. across open fields means little shade, often noticeable midday warmth, and wind without cover on the ridges of the Weinland. Do some longer sessions in the late morning, and plan your own drinking strategy on a course with only a few aid points.