Saturday, July 1, 2017

Marathon #85 (country #10): Zermatt Marathon, Switzerland

5:40 finish. Very scenic but brutally challenging, high altitude, uphill course in the Swiss Alps. As expected, this was my second hardest and slowest marathon ever aside from Pikes Peak. The race starts in the tiny village of St. Niklaus, at about 3,800 feet. The first half is the "easy" part, going along mostly paved roads with a gradual uphill climb to the resort town of Zermatt, at about 5,300 feet. After Zermatt, in the second half, there are prolonged sections of very steep inclines along dirt roads and trails, forcing most people to walk. There are a few short flatter sections in the late miles, and even a couple of downhills, but they save the hardest uphill for the end. In the last two miles, without trees at this altitude, it is possible to see the finish area. It's so steep, however, that looking towards the finish you can only see a line of very slow, zombie-like "runners" working their way up. That last section was painfully slow, but the finish was worth it. At about 8,500 feet, the finish line near the Riffleberg railway station provides great views of the surrounding Alps, and if it were a clear day, the famous Matterhorn mountain. My finish was far from pretty, but considering the conditions and the fact that I'm a crappy trail runner even if it's flat, I have no complaints.

Race map and details