The Purgstaller Marktlauf is a series of short road races held in Purgstall an der Erlauf, starting and finishing on the town marketplace. Taking place in October, the races consist of asphalt laps through the market center, allowing spectators to see runners multiple times rather than just once. The distances vary from 0.3 km for the youngest participants to 6.9 km for the longer races.
The course runs directly through Purgstall’s town center, giving the event a local, intimate atmosphere instead of a distant out-and-back route. Sportunion Volksbank Purgstall organizes the event, which now attracts over 500 participants from the surrounding region. Children, older age groups, recreational runners, and competitive club athletes all compete within the same program. The Marktlauf is also included in the Moststraßenlaufcup and has been part of the Eisenstraße Laufcup, connecting it with other regional running events in Lower Austria.