The inaugural Hochkönig Ultraks trail running festival made its debut from June 5 to 6, 2026, attracting 2,200 athletes from 47 countries to the mountains of Salzburg, Austria.
Staged across the alpine holiday resort towns of Maria Alm, Dienten, Hinterthal and Mühlbach, the two-day event featured nine distinct race routes designed around the Hochkönig mountain massif. The festival expands the international Ultraks series, which has brought trail running and skyrunning events to alpine destinations such as the Matterhorn, Engadin, Mayrhofen and Villars since 2013.
The opening programme commenced on Friday, hosting the Raiffeisen Team Trail, the Mini Ultraks children’s races, and the Vertical race. Starting in Dienten, the Vertical course presented a steep alpine challenge covering 5.9km and 1,080m of vertical ascent before finishing on the summit of the Lauskopf. Germany’s Evi Gudelius claimed victory in the women’s division with a time of 57:53, whilst fellow German runner Alexander Brandner secured the men’s title in 46:38.
Saturday featured the flagship and technical endurance distances. The premier HK70 race took athletes on a demanding 71.5km route with 4,150m of elevation gain around the Hochkönig massif. Italy’s Stefan Ungericht captured the overall men’s victory in 7:29:47, while Sophia Reuß of Germany won the women’s competition in 9:27:39.
The race day schedule also highlighted the HK30 EXTREME, widely recognized as the weekend’s most technically rigorous course, which covered 34km and 2,680m of climbing. Johannes Wingenfeld of Germany triumphed in the men’s race in 3:49:42, and Austria’s Anna Andres took the women’s category victory with a time of 5:12:27.
The remainder of Saturday’s competitive programme catered to varying experience levels, offering the HK48, HK30 PANORAMA, HK20 and HK SPRINT events to accommodate both newcomers and seasoned trail runners.
The regional event was supported by Munich-based JACARANDA Sport Consulting, which managed the race office and media coordination. Following the Salzburg debut, the international event series shifts its focus to Switzerland for the upcoming Bernina Ultraks, scheduled for July 3-4, 2026.
www.hochkoenig-ultraks.at
www.ultraks.com
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