Transalpine Run

Results: 2026

The 21st edition ran entirely within Switzerland, from Lenzerheide to Locarno. The organizer reported finish rates of 81% of teams and 85% of solo runners but no independently verified absolute finisher count is included here.

Source: Transalpine Run official results (Datasport). Checked September 14, 2026.

Next edition: September 18, 2027. The organizer has scheduled the 2027 Transalpine Run for September 18–24, 2027; the route, fees and registration opening have not been announced.

Event Overview

A seven-stage, 245.5 km crossing of the Swiss Alps from Lenzerheide to Locarno, offered for solo runners and teams of two.

Course & Terrain

Seven mountain stages through Graubünden and Ticino: an opening loop from Lenzerheide, then a journey to the finish beside Lake Maggiore.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Rhine Gorge
• Greina Plateau
• Ticino mule tracks
• Verzasca Valley and the stone village of Sonogno
• Finish beside Lake Maggiore in Locarno

Stages use public tarmac and forest roads, walking paths and high alpine trails that stay open to other users, marked with chalk spray, signs, tape and flags. The 2026 route started at about 1,500 m in Lenzerheide, passed the Rhine Gorge's limestone cliffs, crossed the Greina Plateau above 2,200 m and dropped into Ticino on historic mule tracks through chestnut forest to the Verzasca Valley and Lake Maggiore. Snow or glacier sections can make steel shoe spikes (at least 0.75 cm) compulsory, rockfall sections can make helmets compulsory, and some stages require headlamps; the race director announces which at the daily briefings. Runners who start a stage with poles must finish with them. The organizer allows for a ±5% error in published distances and climbs.

High-mountain weather changes fast, and the organizer reroutes or shortens stages when it has to. In 2025 heavy snow the day before the start forced a modified first stage, two days of rain followed, and Stage 5 was cut to 15 km and 650 m of climbing. The 2024 race brought heat, rain, cold and snow, with helmets required on some stages, and in 2022 persistent rain stopped Stage 7 after 12.5 km at the Bremer Hütte. The compulsory kit reflects this: a waterproof jacket with taped seams and at least a 10,000 mm rating, warm layers so that no skin shows, gloves and a hat. The 2026 route finished in Ticino, where the organizer notes warmer, Mediterranean-influenced conditions.

Format & Support (as run)

Why This Race Matters

The Transalpine Run first crossed the Alps in 2005 as a race for teams of two, who must pass every checkpoint and finish within two minutes of each other; solo entries were added only in 2023. The route changes every year, usually around 250 km and 15,000 m of climbing over seven days, and runners book beds in each stage town while their bags are trucked ahead, so it is a supported stage race rather than a self-sufficient one. The 21st edition in 2026 was the first held entirely in Switzerland, from Lenzerheide over the Greina Plateau to Locarno on Lake Maggiore. The organizer quotes a finisher rate above 80%.

Preparing for a Race Like Transalpine Run

The stage race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Stage race packing list: Mandatory kit, daily carry, camp bags, food and foot care.
• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Blister prevention: Socks, taping, lubrication, shoe fit and hot spots.

Best Fit

• Pairs who want to cross the Alps together, the format the race was built for
• Experienced mountain runners who want a supported week with beds and luggage transport
• Solo runners stepping up from single-day mountain races, with stages that average 30 to 40 km
• Newcomers testing the format through the two-stage RUN2

Planning Notes

• Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Browse the multiday stage-race calendar
• Open the Stage Race format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist