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Enter the January ballot every year, consider an official package for certainty, and train back-to-back long climbs with conservative pacing for Timmelsjoch.
Best for
Watch out for
D-Score™
D+
Epic
Entry
Annual ballot / lottery
or Official package or tour-operator allocation
Route
227 km
5,500 m climbing
Terrain
Mountain
Smooth alpine tarmac
Month
Late August / early September
Annual event; 2026 date stated as 30 August
Temperature
Near-freezing to low-20s °C
Valley to summit
Roads / Format
Fully closed to traffic during the event
Large mass start from Sölden
Participants
4,000 starters
Per edition
GPX
Direct GPX download not found
Route files
One of the hardest one-day alpine gran fondos in Europe and one of the hardest to enter. The full challenge is cumulative: distance, altitude, weather, four passes and technical descents.
Enter every eligible year and keep proof of unsuccessful entries. Use an official package if a guaranteed place is essential.
No Ötztaler Radmarathon-specific tours listed yet
Explore Swiss Alps cycling tours and providers, or get notified when race packages are added.
| Route | Distance | Climbing | D-Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Ötztaler (single day) | 227 km | 5,500 m | D+ |
| ÖRM in 2 Tagen (two-day pacing option) | 227 km | 5,500 m | D+ |
Four major passes arrive one after another with almost no flat recovery. The route becomes more solitary as the field thins, and the decisive Timmelsjoch comes after many hours of accumulated climbing.
Several climbs on this route appear in Giro d'Italia history. The full route includes seven major passes.
| Climb | Length | Avg gradient | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kühtai from Oetz | 17.6 km | 7 % | First major pass from Oetz to roughly 2,020 m; sections reach double-digit gradients. |
| Brenner Pass from Innsbruck | 36.0 km | 2.1 % | Long, comparatively gentle second pass; the route rises gradually from Innsbruck to the border. |
| Jaufenpass from Sterzing | 14.9 km | 7.6 % | Sustained third pass from Sterzing to about 2,090 m, before the technical descent to St. Leonhard. |
| Timmelsjoch from St. Leonhard | 29.0 km | 6.1 % | Final and highest pass to 2,474 m; the hardest sections come late after a long approach. |
Every rider has unique gearing and nutrition needs. Below are tools we find useful for working these out before race day.
Gearing
Bike Speed & Gear Calculator
bikespeedgear.com
Estimates your climbing speed from power, weight and gradient, then helps you pick gearing that keeps cadence in a comfortable range.
Gear Calculator
gear-calculator.com
Compares chainring and cassette combinations to show resulting gear ratios and speed at a given cadence, for fine-tuning your drivetrain.
Fuelling
DIN Calculator
dincalculator.com
Upload your GPX route (or use quick mode) for an hour-by-hour carb, fluid and sodium plan based on the ride's actual climbs and descents.
Precision Hydration Planner
precisionhydration.com
Questionnaire-based tool that builds a personalised fuel and hydration strategy, including electrolyte needs, based on your sweat profile and event details.
Best base
SöldenNearest airports
Innsbruck · Munich · Verona · Bolzano
Car hire
Useful if staying outside Sölden or exploring the valley
Book ahead
Book immediately after the mid-February ballot result
Sölden is the simplest start/finish base; Längenfeld, Umhausen and Oetz may reduce accommodation pressure. The route briefly crosses into Italy.
Near-freezing temperatures, rain or early snow are possible on the highest passes even when valleys are mild.
Event size
Major event capped at 4,000 starters
Field level
Strong self-selecting experienced field
Atmosphere
Serious endurance-focused historic event
International mix
High, with riders from across Europe
Bunch intensity
High early, then small groups and solo riding
First-timer
Complete at least one D3-D4 mountain event before attempting Ötztaler
Back-to-back climbing
Train consecutive long climbs rather than one isolated ascent.
Descending confidence
Practise technical high-speed alpine descents, including in cool or wet weather.
Long-day endurance
Build progressively toward rides of eight hours or more.
Altitude and cold preparation
Prepare for cold, wind and rapid weather changes above 2,000 m.
Nutrition and pacing
Fuel consistently and save enough energy for the final Timmelsjoch ascent.