Sonnenterrassen Trail

The Sonnenterrassen Trail is based in St. Veit im Pongau, a market town in the Austrian state of Salzburg that sits on a sunny plateau above the Salzach valley. It succeeds the Schwarzach-Trail, held for many years in neighbouring Schwarzach, and now makes its home on the "sun terrace" that gives it its name. The Trailrunning Club Sonnenterrasse, founded in 2026 and based at the St. Veit tourist office, organises the event. All races start and finish on the market square in the heart of the village, which becomes the event hub with food, music and entertainment.

On Saturday, three loop courses, all run clockwise, follow the spirit of the old Schwarzach routes. The K53 starts at 8 a.m. and covers 53.4 km with 2,808 m of ascent and an 11-hour time limit. It strings together several summits topped with crosses: the Buchberg around the 15 km mark, then the Gamskögerl, the Hochegg and the two Schneeberg peaks past 30 km, before the Hochglocker at km 44. It includes a long stretch of about 17 km without food between Goldegg and Ploibauer, broken only by a water fountain at the Pfeiffenberger hut. The K35, off at 10 a.m., covers 34.3 km with 1,566 m of climbing via Goldegg, several alpine pastures and the cross on the Hochglocker. The K11 starts at 11 a.m.: 11.1 km and 407 m of ascent on the paths around the village. The K53 and K35 are UTMB Index races.

The K11 suits a first taste of trail running, the K35 already calls for solid mountain endurance, and the K53 is for runners used to long days in the Alpine foothills, where late-spring weather can be unpredictable: the final Schwarzach race was run in rain and fog. Courses may be altered in bad weather.

The scenery alternates between forest, alpine meadows and ridges with views over the Salzach valley and the peaks of the Pongau. The routes pass through Goldegg, a village known for its lake and castle, and return past the St. Veit regional clinic before heading back to the market square. The evening before, the programme opens with children's races by age group and a three-person village relay, in which each runner covers about 5 km and 100 m of climbing.

On the practical side, runners must bring their own cup, as no disposable cups are handed out at the aid stations, which include Goldegg, the Althaus Alm and the clinic. Bibs are collected at the tourist office on the market square on Friday evening or on Saturday morning in time slots by distance. The K53 briefing is mandatory, and the finish closes at 7 p.m. Showers are available at the sports ground. Schwarzach-St. Veit station on the Tauern railway is right nearby.