For years, our family vacation has unfailingly taken us to Austria. The mountains call to us like the soft song of a mermaid. As always, our itinerary includes hiking and cycling with stunning views and fresh mountain air. As a gran fondo rider, the Kufsteinerland Radmarathon had been on my wish list for some time, but I hadn’t managed to ride it until this year. That changed now.
Photo: the medieval town of Kufstein.
The Kufsteinerland Radmarathon is a gran fondo (referred to as 'Radmarathon' in Austria) that starts and finishes in the charming town of Kufstein. The town, with its eye-catching fortress, takes pride in its historic medieval character.
This gran fondo offers three distances:
I opted for the Radmarathon. The night before, we booked a room at the Arte Hotel Kufstein. No hassle with another car ride in the morning—just a nice, relaxed start, with a hotel right next to the registration area and, even better, right next to the start line. I have nothing but praise for the hotel. It’s modern, with large rooms offering all the amenities. With the start scheduled for 7:30 a.m., the extra rest beforehand was more than welcome.
Collecting the participant packet was super smooth, and the bag containing the chip and race number also included a nice towel as a gift. You could pick up your race number the day before or on the day itself from 5 a.m.
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, I was eager for the start. The starting area was nicely decorated, and a speaker provided the entertainment. There were start interviews, and several motorcycles along the route livestreamed the race, covering both the men's and women's events on YouTube. Very cool!
About 4 km after the start, we immediately began climbing toward Hinterthiersee—an 11 km ascent that you tackle in three sections. At the first bend, I had to find my own rhythm and pace myself. On the descent, marshals were present to highlight dangerous spots, a testament to the quality of this Radmarathon.
After the descent, we encountered undulating roads and a few calf-burning climbs, all offering great views. How wonderful it was to be here. Along the way, I engaged in some small talk and felt a twinge of jealousy toward the Belgian rider who had decided to move here ten years ago.
After 60 km, the second challenge for me arrived: the climb to Brandenberg. The group I was in completely scattered on this 4 km climb. The ascent led us to a beautiful, remote Alpine village. Meanwhile, my wife and daughter had driven up here by car and provided my personal feed stations. In Brandenberg, the organization had also set up official feed stations. Throughout the course, there were a total of three official feed stations provided by the organizers.
Photo: the beautiful surroundings of Brandenberg. © Koen Theys
After Brandenberg came the descent, which was briefly interrupted by a steep climb, and 7 minutes later, the speedometer ticked over 60 km/h again. Once down, there was a flat section where my group could spin nicely. On the last shorter climb, there was another official feed station, and I managed to grab a cup of water while riding. Top-notch arrangement.
Given the headwind, there was little incentive (or chance of success) to go it alone against the rest, so we all rode towards Kufstein, where in the finale we passed right by the foot of the medieval fortress to finish at our starting location. In the end, I finished sixth in my category (40-49) and 49th overall (600 participants in the Radmarathon; 900 across all distances).
Photo: a flat stretch with mountain peaks in the background. © Koen Theys
Then it was time for a refreshing shower and a pasta meal, both provided by the organization. Every participant received a nice finisher's medal, and the top three in each category (men/women) were awarded a spot on the podium. We ended the race day with a walk through Kufstein and a visit to a small restaurant.
If it fits into the family schedule next year, this Radmarathon is back on my list. A beautiful course, great scenery, almost no cars along the way, and excellent organization. The Seenrunde follows the same course as the Radmarathon but without the climb to Brandenberg.
Full results can be found here.
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