Photos and report from the 10th Kufsteinerland Radmarathon

The Kufsteinerland Radmarathon celebrated its tenth anniversary with a new participation record. In ideal conditions, 1,800 cycling enthusiasts lined up at the start. Brigitte Filensky from Germany and Christian Oberngruber from Austria triumphed in the flagship 120-kilometre event.

Under blue skies and in pleasant temperatures, 1,800 riders from 33 nations took on the race – including 942 from Germany and 782 from Austria. The varied course, with its numerous climbs, kept the race wide open and gave more than just pure climbers a chance of a top placing. The age range also reflected the diversity of the field: the youngest participant was eight, the oldest 85 years old. Women were particularly well represented, accounting for 22 per cent of the field. No fewer than 40 riders from the Munich road cycling community female cycling force lined up at the start – making it the club with the most participants in the race.

Right on time at 7:30, the starting gun was fired at Oberer Stadtplatz, in the heart of the fortress town. First away were the riders in the 120-kilometre road marathon with 1,800 metres of climbing, as well as the 95-kilometre Seenrunde with 1,160 metres of climbing. At 7:40, the 48-kilometre Panoramarunde with 400 metres of climbing followed. Alongside the classic road bike routes, the E-Bike-Runde was deliberately positioned as an option for leisure riders. For the first time, 2026 also saw a dedicated handbike category on the Panoramarunde. Former road racer Benjamin Hundsbichler was among the prominent names on the start line: “It’s fantastic that my home race has its own handbike category for the first time. I hope the Kufsteinerland Radmarathon will set an example for other races too.” Lina Schneeweiß, Theme Manager at the Kufsteinerland Tourist Board, is equally convinced by the event’s diversity: “It’s important to us to offer the right challenge for different ambitions – from the demanding road marathon and shorter distances to e-bikes and handbikes. We’re open to everyone who enjoys cycling.”

In the flagship 120-kilometre event, Brigitte Filensky dictated the women’s race from the outset. The German moved to the front early and managed to stay with a group of men on the long climb to Brandenberg. This allowed her to extend her lead over her pursuers. Behind her, an exciting battle developed. Austria’s Birgit Stegmeier initially led a chase group of around six riders, which also included local favourite Lea Horngacher, Austrian national champion Corina Pichler and Germany’s Lisa Hartung. The course repeatedly demanded changes of pace from the riders. The section from Vorderthiersee to Hinterthiersee, along with the climbs in Kleinsöll near Breitenbach and up to Brandenberg, offered particularly good opportunities for attacks. In between, the deep-green Thiersee with its Passionsspielhaus, views of the Kaisergebirge and Kufstein Fortress provided an impressive backdrop to the racing. Things became seriously tight again over the final kilometres: Lisa Hartung clawed back second after second and came dangerously close to Filensky just before the finish. In the end, the leader carried an advantage of around one second across the line to secure victory in the anniversary edition. Hartung finished second, while Tjade Scharer completed the podium in third – giving Germany all three podium places in the marathon event.

The pace was high from the outset in the men’s race too. Defending champion René Pammer, Christian Oberngruber and Germany’s Jan Kattanek initially set the tone at the front. However, a mechanical on the descent from Brandenberg towards Kramsach dropped Pammer back and ended his hopes of successfully defending the title. Oberngruber made full use of the situation, held the lead and steadily pulled away from his pursuers. Kattanek initially tried to bring the Austrian back, but was later caught by the next group and dropped behind. That chase group included former Kufstein pro Max Kuen and Miguel Brugger. Up front, Oberngruber never looked in danger. After 2 hours and 59 minutes, he reached Kufstein alone and set a new course record. Behind him, a tight battle for second place developed, with Germany’s Jasper Britz prevailing over local favourite Max Kuen.

Another first in 2026 was the Tiroler Rennrad Cup: together with the Imster Radmarathon and the Arlberg Giro, the Kufsteinerland Radmarathon formed a joint race series for the first time. Participants benefit from a reduced entry fee and a guaranteed start place at all three events, among other advantages. From 2027, the Dolomitenradrundfahrt will also become part of the series.

After three days packed with road cycling, encounters and outstanding sporting performances, the tenth edition ended where it had begun on Sunday morning: in the heart of the fortress town of Kufstein. With 1,800 starters, 33 nations and women making up 22 per cent of the field, the anniversary edition set new standards – both in sporting terms and for the future development of the Kufsteinerland Radmarathon.