Kandern Trail Masters

The Kandern Trail Masters take place in early May in Kandern, a small town in the Markgräflerland at the south-western foot of the Black Forest, in the district of Lörrach, not far from the Swiss border. The event was dreamed up in 2024 by three running friends from the town, Jasper, Tobi and Isabelle, who have since formed the Kandern Trail Masters e. V. association. It began as a trail run among friends and has kept that spirit: it is run by volunteers, all income goes back into the race, partners are chosen for their local roots and every finisher gets a beer. All distances start and finish in the Au, at the Kandern football ground.

The flagship route, Ultra Fun, covers 65 km with around 2,580 m of elevation gain. Starting at 7 am, it crosses two iconic summits of the southern Black Forest: the Blauen, Kandern's home mountain at 1,165 m, and then the Belchen at 1,414 m, before heading back to town; part of the course passes through nature reserves. More Fun, 35 km with about 1,250 m of climbing, starts at 8:30 am and also tops out on the Blauen, which on a clear day looks out over the Rhine plain. Both distances earn UTMB Index points. The third option, Fun, is a big 12 km loop with around 330 m of ascent towards Sitzenkirch, reserved for Nordic walking.

The organisers expect participants to have genuine off-road experience. Waymarking is limited to key points only: everyone needs to load the GPX or Komoot route onto their watch, and running in a group is recommended. The routes use public roads, tracks and trails, road traffic rules apply and road crossings call for particular care. The 65 km is aimed at seasoned trail runners able to manage their own food and kit over a long day in the hills, while the 35 km is a realistic goal for runners who already have a few hilly trail races behind them.

The 35 km has two aid stations and the 65 km three, offering at least water, cola, bananas, bars and salted pretzels, but no cups, so bring your own. No kit is mandatory, but the organisers recommend a phone, around 1.5 litres of water, a few bars or gels, a windproof or waterproof jacket, a long-sleeved top, a survival blanket, a gauze bandage, a whistle, poles and some cash. An emergency number is issued before the start for reporting a withdrawal, and pick-up from the course is only provided when necessary and may take some time.

At the finish there are communal showers and toilets on site, a small spread of food for runners, and the FC Kandern clubhouse serves hot meals. A potters' town known for its ceramics, surrounded by the vineyards of the Markgräflerland and the forests of the Blauen, Kandern is a pleasant place to make a weekend of it, and its proximity to Basel and Freiburg makes it easy to reach.