Ötscher Trail (IÖBLC)

The Ötscher Trail is a mountain trail-running series in the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park in Lower Austria, held on and around the Ötscher massif. It has run since 1997, making it one of Austria’s older trail events. The current program ranges from the beginner-friendly Easy Trail to steep, technical mountain races: Vertical Race, Speed Trail, Marathon Trail, and Skyrace. Runners who complete the right races can also enter the HERO and KING/QUEEN classifications, described by the organizers as Austria’s toughest three-day challenge. The Vertical Race is 5.1 km long, climbing 1,140 m straight up to the Ötscher summit. The Marathon Trail goes through the Ötschergräben, a deep gorge often called Austria’s Grand Canyon. The Skyrace includes light rock climbing on the Rauhe Kamm ridge before reaching the Ötscher summit, while the Speed Trail finishes on the Kleiner Ötscher. The Easy Trail offers newcomers singletrack running and a finish in Lackenhof. The Skyrace is part of the Skyrunner Austria Series, and the Vertical Race counts toward the Vertikal Austria Series.