Cycling & running events in Fribourg, 2026

Fribourg Training Notes

Running: Locals start easy runs from Fribourg SBB/CFF Train station and let the Old Town do the work. The Fribourg Highlights route runs 9km and gains +280m as it threads medieval walls, alleys, steep cobbled streets, wooden and stone bridges, and quiet Sarine river banks. The route crosses a train viaduct at 1km and heads out to the Gotteron Gorges. Locals keep intervals honest on the climbs and use the river banks for calmer Z2. The city centre gets Wake up and run at 05:30, while Morat-Fribourg and Marchethon de Fribourg stay the anchor races.

Cycling: Locals ride gravel when they want real work without making a big production of it. The FR55 Gravel Tour starts and finishes at the ETAPE cafe in Marly, runs 55km, and stacks 1180m of gain on gravel paths and quiet roads. The route passes forests and countryside, then gives views of Hauterive Abbey, Lake Seedorf, the Montagny keep, and the Pre-Alps. The climbs stay fairly short but dynamic, so the loop suits punchy base miles as much as gran fondo prep. Velo-Club Fribourg, founded in 1905, brings over 200 members, regular outings, camps, and races, while BergiBike gives the mountain bike crowd an anchor event.

Season: Spring opens the useful season, and late autumn usually still works for steady runs, gravel rides, and Z2 volume. Summer puts the trail focus toward the Fribourg Prealps, where Préalpes Trail du Mouret runs through the Berra massif and closes the summer trail season. Les Paccots gives runners those peaks and crests when the city legs need singletrack instead of cobbles. Winter changes the rhythm rather than shutting it down, with Fribourg by Night Trail set for December 12, 2026, and cyclists swapping long FR55 days for shorter outings when the roads and gravel decide the plan.