Spiegelberger Räuberweglauf

The Spiegelberger Räuberweglauf is a winter trail race held in mid-December around Spiegelberg, a village in the Rems-Murr district tucked into the Swabian Forest north-east of Stuttgart. It was created in 2021 by Ultras im Ländle, the project of a trail enthusiast who has been staging long, no-frills races in this hilly, wooded region since 2019. The route follows the Räuberweg, or “Robbers' Trail”, a waymarked hiking loop well known to local walkers. Start and finish are at the Gasthof Zum Goldenen Ritter, the inn in the hamlet of Vorderbüchelberg.

Both distances start together at 8 am, at sunrise. The Räuberweglauf covers about 57 km with 1,600 m of elevation gain; its results go into the statistics of the DUV, the German ultramarathon association, and into the UTMB Index in the 50K category. The shorter Räuberwegläufchen covers about 26 km and 800 m of climbing and counts in the UTMB Index 20K category. There is no cut-off: the finish stays open until the last runner is back. Timing is taken at the start and finish, and runners may be asked for their GPS track as proof.

The challenge comes as much from the terrain as from the season. The course mixes forest trails with technical sections, notably the Hüttlenwald gorge, classed as alpine terrain, where a short scramble awaits. The route leaves the official Räuberweg, marked with a white R on orange, in places, and the 26 km course is not marked at all: navigation, which the organiser describes as far from trivial, is done by GPS watch using the supplied track. Past editions have seen snow and temperatures down to −13 °C, and runners are advised to allow four to five hours for the short course in wet conditions.

This is a gathering of enthusiasts rather than a big event. Numbers are capped at around fifty because parking is limited, and every runner is fully responsible for themselves before, during and after the race. There are three aid stations on the long course, the short one using only the first two; they offer water, cola and seasonal food, but no cups. Recommended kit includes a hydration vest holding at least one litre, a head torch since darkness falls early, cold-weather clothing, gaiters in bad weather, food, a charged phone, a survival blanket and a small first-aid kit.

The setting is the Swabian Forest, inside the Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park: deep wooded valleys, quiet woods, small lakes and orchards on the higher ground, a landscape that easily takes on a mysterious air under December frost. After the race a room at the inn is reserved for runners to shower, eat and have a drink, and the inn also has rooms for an overnight stay. Parking behind the Goldener Ritter is tight, so the Linde and Seewiese hikers' car parks serve as alternatives. Advance registration is compulsory.