Fichtelberg Ultra 2024

A few months after nailing a sub-4h marathon in London (that was just a one-night run — let’s never speak of it again!), I’m back on the dirty trails, spending my Saturdays climbing stairs in Humboldthain Park, north of Berlin. More determined than ever to explore sub-50k events and finally earn my ultrarunner badge, I found myself on the starting line of the Fichtelberg Ultra — a low-profile event in Sachsen that I’d heard a few runners mention before.

I don’t have much to say about the race. I had fun running it, but probably not enough to go back another time. There’s nothing particularly special about it — except maybe one thing I really liked: the route is more or less a 50 km straight line to the Fichtelberg, the highest peak of the Erzgebirge. It’s a small mountain range along the Polish and Czech borders where I love to run, just a three-hour drive from Berlin.

Runners gather at sunrise in front of Klaffenbach Castle, south of Chemnitz. The whole event feels like a backyard run organized by a veteran couple. We drop our backpacks and poles into a car that drives them to the foot of the Fichtelberg, where we can pick them up later. The start is nothing more than a quick countdown and some clapping. Everyone just takes off — I don’t think there are more than 50 of us, and that’s probably the average age too! It’s one of those “What am I doing here?” moments, so far from the massive trail events you find in France. But that’s exactly what I love — getting back to the essence of the sport: just a bunch of dads who had a few beers and decided to run 50 km to the highest peak!

Not much to say about the route itself. It’s mostly hilly, rocky paths and endless forest trails. What gives the event its charm is that you don’t run a loop like most races, but a straight line to the Fichtelberg, which you can actually spot on the horizon quite early. After the first “wow, that’s pretty far away” moment, you get the pleasure of watching it inch closer after every section, until you finally reach its base, where you can grab your poles and start the final climb.

The finish line is right at the top — a great way to end a race. I’ve done plenty of events where the peak sits in the middle of the course and you have to drag yourself back down afterward. But here, once you’re done climbing, you’re done. After a long and exhausting 1 km ascent, you reach the Fichtelberghaus, a massive building at the summit, where you get your medal, a beer, and a large plate of pasta with mushrooms. Eventually, a bus takes you back to Klaffenbach, where you can sleep like a baby.

All in all, it’s a humble but enjoyable event — the kind you can register for three days before without spending half a month’s salary. I had a good time running it, apart from getting stung by 3 pretty aggressive bees at a water fountain. But don't let that be a deal-breaker, if you’re in the area ;)