Salzkammergut Trophy

The Salzkammergut Trophy has been running since 1998 and bills itself as the toughest mountain bike marathon in Austria. Its extreme course is the stuff of legend among marathon riders: the organiser speaks of drop-out rates of up to half the field, and even seasoned professionals have found it daunting.

The routes climb through the mountain scenery of the Salzkammergut around Bad Goisern, Lake Hallstatt and the Dachstein massif, with some courses starting from Bad Ischl or Obertraun and finishing back in Bad Goisern. Alongside the classic marathon courses there is a technically demanding All-Mountain competition.

For all its hard reputation, the organising MTB Club Salzkammergut puts real effort into bringing newcomers to the sport: time limits on the shorter courses are generous enough for riders averaging under 10 km/h, feed stations line the routes, and masseurs wait in the finish area. A team prize even rewards the slowest squads that still make the cut-off.