Trail Marathon Heidelberg 2026
„HERRLICH.HÖHER.HÄRTER“ is the motto of the Trail Marathon Heidelberg since 2013. For 2026, we have worked to make it even more challenging. This year promises to be more trail-focused, higher, and tougher! Here's a first taste:
On the northern section of the course, on the way to the Thingstätte and Heiligenberg, we have added another uphill trail for all categories. Afterwards, we will descend again over the wonderfully beautiful Brandplattenweg with its old oaks, pines, and its almost Mediterranean flair. From there, as usual, we ascend the serpentine path towards Merian-Kanzel.
On the southern Neckar side, there were many quite wide forest paths on the way to the Rindenhäuschen. We've changed that! From Wolfsbrunnenquelle, we run two magnificent trails up and two down again; after another uphill trail, we return to the Felsenmeerweg towards Rindenhäuschen, where the 20 km and 30 km routes run down to the Schlossgarten as usual. Overall, this section will be much more trail-like and varied for you!
We have combined the 41 km of the marathon course and the 50 km course of the Long Distance Trail. The result is the best of both worlds: the Heart Core Trail over 45 km and 2,019 meters of elevation gain! If you have already run the marathon course, you can also manage the new, 3 km longer distance. If you ran the Long Distance Trail over 50 km, you will recognize many beautiful trail sections in the Heart Core Trail. For us, the effort to mark two nearly equal-length routes with different layouts was ultimately too great. The new route is suitable for all of you who love elevation gain. We are currently applying for the ITRA points for the new route.
Schedule
Saturday, September 19, 2026:
- 15:00 - 18:00: Bib pickup (Karlsplatz Heidelberg)
Sunday, September 20, 2026:
- 07:00 - 8:45: Bib pickup (Karlsplatz Heidelberg)
- 09:15: Start HEART CORE TRAIL (HCT) (Karlsplatz Heidelberg)
- 09:20: Start HALF-TRAIL (HT) (Karlsplatz Heidelberg)
- 09:30: Start BASE-TRAIL (BT) (Karlsplatz Heidelberg)
16:30: Finish line closes for all categories