The main street at the foot of the mighty Kufstein fortress was packed with cyclists: the organisers announced a record number of 1,515 participants at the 9th edition of the Kufsteinerland Cycle Marathon - the last ones decided to take part at the last minute in the sunny weather but cool temperatures in the morning before the start. After that, it didn't take long for the participants to warm up. The first long climb to Thiersee awaited right at the city limits - and no sooner had you caught your breath than the ramp behind Thiersee awaited, which first made the blood in the veins of many a debutant stand still, then turn sour: a 10 per cent climb - after which everyone knew early on what their legs would be like for the rest of the route. At breakneck speed, the route led back into the Inn Valley and then hilly to Kramsach, where the long and middle distance ("Lakes Circuit") split - a little difficult for some participants to notice. From there, the "cycle marathon" route led to the most difficult section of the day: the road from Kramsach up to Brandenberg at almost 1,000 metres - another four kilometres with double-digit gradients. The route then took a picturesque route through the valley of the Brandenberger Ache back to the Inn - but there was hardly any time for panoramic views on the technical descent. After Breitenbach, you had to make the final decision - stay with the group or stop briefly at the refreshment point? The route continued over a few undulations towards the finish. There was a very close finish for the women in the shadow of the Kufstein fortress: after 3:21:50 hours, Monika Fritz was just a tenth of a second ahead of second-placed Lisa Hartung. In the men's race, Austrian mountain champion René Pammer celebrated a solo victory after 3:01:26 hours.
Many women at the start
Kufsteinerland is particularly proud of the high participation of female cyclists. According to the organisers, 19 percent of the participants on the three routes were women, with 156 women taking part in the longest 120-kilometre "Cycle Marathon" route (the percentage of women in the Ötztal Cycle Marathon was recently around eight percent). Kufstein has obviously found the right approach. "Cycling, including amateur cycling, has always been a male-dominated sport," says Lulu Keller from the interest group Female Cycling Force in Munich, which cooperated with the organiser. They are certain that women are pulling other women along with them. Together, the Munich club and the Tyrolean cycling organiser want to give women more courage to compete in cycling marathons - and not feel left alone there.
The event, which starts and finishes in Kufstein, has reached the limits of its growth, at least for the time being - as demonstrated by the dense crowds on the town square before the start and at the pasta party after the finish. In addition, the route on the narrow Inn cycle path is hardly safe for the ever larger fields with oncoming traffic. Road closures would also make sense in the first few hours on the dangerous sections between Kufstein and Hinterthiersee - there were always risky moments when cars moved along the route and thus into the groups of cyclists.
Tyrolean cycle marathons in a series from 2026
The next edition is already planned: The 10th edition of the cycling marathon in Kufsteinerland will take place on 23 August 2026. The Tyrolean Road Bike Cup will then start for the first time, combining the Imst Cycle Marathon (17 May), the Arlberg Giro (2 August) and the final round in Kufsteinerland in an overall ranking.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
