Grossglockner Mountain Run & Bike Challenge

Grossglockner Mountain Run

The carefully selected route covers multiple levels of altitude – taking participants through a broad diversity of landscapes ranging from alpine farmlands all the way to the high-alpine glacier region. To begin with, the race leads through the village to the valley head just outside of Heiligenblut. From there, competitors run up  to the Sattelalm pasture and on to the Briccius Chapel,  finally traversing the Trogalm pasture until they reach the Pasterze, the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps. The finishing line is on the Kaiser Franz-Josefs-Höhe – after a total distance of 13km and an elevation gain of 1494m.

To find out more about the Grossglockner ‘Berglauf’ Mountain Run visit

Grossglockner Bike Challenge

The Grossglockner Bike Challenge traditionally takes place one day before the Grossglockner Mountain Run. Setting out from the lower part of Heiligenblut (known as ‘Winkl’), the competitors follow the Grossglockner High-Alpine Road to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe – the very same place where the Giro d’Italia had its finish line in 2011. For the ultimate racing experience, the road is entirely closed to traffic for the duration of the competition.

To find out more about the Grossglockner Bike Challenge visit

Didn’t make it to the race? Check your progress anyway!

As of summer 2016, the route of the Grossglockner mountain run is subject to a permanent stop-watch. Simply go to the official starting point of the race, log into  the ‘Meinberglauf’ app – and go! Once you have reached the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Höhe, you can compare your best time with the top competitors of previous races. Since 2018, you can also measure your time along the hiking trail 'Natural Hazards Info Trail' between the Rossbach middle station and the Schareck mountain station. The altitude difference is 900 metres.