Zermatt Marathon

Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon: the King’s Way through the Mountains!!

The Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon runs from St. Niklaus through the deepest valley in Switzerland up to the Riffelberg at Gornergrat. This is one of the most demanding Marathon courses in Europe. And for those who do not find the 42 kilometres and over 1,800 metres of altitude enough of a challenge, there is always the Gornergrat Zermatt Ultra Marathon.

The Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon is quite simply the Alpine running challenge. 42 kilometres and a bit more than 1,800 metres of altitude to overcome. The start in St. Niklaus is already the first power boost: Around 1,600 runners are at the start with spectators to fire them up and other spectators, who are "along for the ride." Because now they are setting off through the deepest valley in Switzerland – left and right, the highest mountains in Switzerland tower overhead. Those “along for the ride” are in the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, which is the train with waving spectators travelling next to the racers all the way to Zermatt.

What the Iron Man is to Hawaii, the Ultra Marathon race to the top of Gornergrat is to Zermatt. The course is the same from St. Niklaus via Zermatt and up to Riffelberg. But then it continues for another 3.4 kilometres with an additional tough 514 m of altitude to overcome. Something for the really tough ones! And there are at least 800 people, who accept this challenge. Every single one of them deserves a huge applause when they reach the finish line at 3,089 m on Gornergrat.