9. Östlicher Kreiswanderweg Ultramarathon 2026

The Östlicher Kreiswanderweg Ultramarathon is a 45 km trail race beginning in Groß-Umstadt, Germany. It uses the eastern district hiking route, HW 8, a primary marked trail of the Odenwald-Club, and participants have up to 9 hours to complete it. The race is small and low-key, with no fixed entry fee, only a small voluntary donation, and the field is limited to 25 runners. The course is an out-and-back from Groß-Umstadt to Bernhardsbrunnen near Darmstadt, featuring approximately 350 m of elevation gain. Much of the route crosses forest, passing through Dieburg as the main town. Runners navigate using a GPX track, unlike a typical large-scale race setup. Finishers receive an immediate certificate, online results, and a finisher beer. One past edition saw 18 finishers, with Mirko Peters completing the 45 km in just under three and a half hours.