16. Glasmacherlauf 2026

The Glasmacherlauf is a small forest race in Piesau, a village in Thuringia, with its start and finish at the village square. It has been run since 2010 and offers a hilly 10 km run, a 2 km children’s race, and a 10 km Nordic Walking event. The race is organized by LAV Saale-Rennsteig e.V. and usually draws a local-sized field of around 101 to 300 participants. Runners and walkers can also score points in the Sparkassen-Cup and the TLV Lauf- und Nordic Walking-Cup. The main route uses parts of the Rennsteig and all courses stay on forest paths, making this a trail-style village race rather than a road 10K. Nordic walkers must carry poles, and anyone using running-style racing technique in that event can be disqualified. The 10 km run includes a club team competition, counted separately from the two fastest women and three fastest men from each club. The finish area overlaps with the Piesner Kirmes fair, where participants receive food, can keep their drinking cups, and attend the awards ceremony in a festival tent. Overall winners receive glass trophies, a fitting prize for a race named after glassmakers.