Supermarathon (SM)

the Supreme Course of the Rennsteiglauf Event

Overview

Route

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Supermarathon Course Map

Details and Cource Profile / Outdooractive

Course Description

The start is in the market square of Eisenach (210 m above sea level) under the responsibility of SV “Wartburgstadt” Eisenach sports club. From the market square, the route heads through the pedestrian precinct and Nikolaitor town gate, turns into Dr.-Moritz-Mitzenheim-Straße street after about 1 km and reaches the outskirts of Eisenach after just 1.5 km. The runners are heading towards a long uphill of 7.4 km. Along the forest trail they pass “Moosbacher Linde” (km 3.6 / 351 m above sea level), “Weinstrasse” (km 5.2) and “Marienblick” (km 6). At “Waldsportplatz” (km 6.9 m) runners reach the first aid station stocking liquid, which is looked after by Eisenacher Wintersportverein winter sports club.

After another 500 m the route reaches the Rennsteig trail at 7.4 km and an elevation of 434 m above sea level. The race now follows the Rennsteig, passing the Schutzhütte shelter (km 10.25) and “Jubelhain” (km 11.21 / 551 m above sea level) towards the “Ascherbrück” aid station of TSG Ruhla (km 12.66 / 570 m above sea level). Continuing past “Ruhlaer Häuschen” (km 13.64 / 639 m above sea level), Bergwachthütte search and rescue shelter (km 15) and “Glöckner-Ehrenmal” monument the runners arrive at the first food station “Glasbachwiese” (km 17.96 / 647 m above sea level), which is set up by the Bergwacht Steinbach mountain search and rescue team. Heading uphill towards “Hirschbalzwiese” (km 20 / 691 m above sea level) runners approach the next drink station at “Dreiherrenstein” (km 20.64 / 740 m) and then reach the top of “Großer Weissberg” (747 m) after another 300 m. Next is a short descent to “Brotteröder Hütte” shelter (km 22.8 / 725 m above sea level), followed by the major climb of just under 3 km across “Oberer Beerberg” (km 23.8 / 841 m) to Inselsberg (km 25.53 / 916 m). The descent then requires alertness, a just 1.3 km stretch downhill to 746 m to the “Grenzwiese” food station, which is looked after by WSV Brotterode winter sports club as is the previous drink station.

Following just a short distance after “Jagdberg” (km 29.42 / 716 m), “Prinz Andreas Platz” is the 30 km mark. The race continues with little elevation differences to “Heuberghaus” (km 30.9 / 688 m), on to “Spiessberg” hill (km 32.79 / 749 m) to the “Possenröder Kreuz” (km 33.64 / 700 m) drink station of the Harderhölzer Lauf- und Wanderfreunde Seligenthal running and hiking club. This is where the hikers of the 35 km Schnepfenthal–Oberhof course will join the route and accompany the runners along the stretch to the Grenzadler mark near Oberhof. The next food station is at “Ebertswiese” (km 37.47 / 715 m). The midpoint of the race is reached here.

This is where volunteers of SV Grün-Weiß Floh sports club distribute the oatmeal gruel that is so very popular with the runners.

Invigorated, participants then set about to tackle the next uphill to “Glasberg” hill (km 38.48 / 760 m) and pass the “Alte Ausspanne” (km 39 / 742 m) before reaching “Nesselberg” (km 40.51 / 747 m). The next drink station, “Neue Ausspanne” is 300 m further on, which is looked after by the WSV “Salzkopf” Stuth-Helmershof winter sports club. Passing “Krämerod” (km 41.43 / 765 m) and “Schmalkalder Loipe” (km 44.88 / 881 m) the route reaches “Ausspanne Neuhöfer Wiese” (km 45.41 / 850 m). Waiting there are the volunteers of the Schmalkalden “Turnvater Jahn” hiking club attending the next food station. The race goes on past “Wachsenrasen” (km 47.95 / 815 m) and “Hirtenrasen” (km 50.2) towards the drink station at “Gustav-Freytag-Stein” (km 51.25 / 876 m) looked after by SV Rot-Weiß Unterschönau sports club. A roller skiing road then leads to the next food station at km 54.2, “Grenzadler” (837 m) near Oberhof, which is attended by SV 04 Oberschönau sports club. This is a timing checkpoint. It is possible to drop out of the race here with the split time. Transport by minivan to the finish area in Schmiedefeld will be provided by the event organiser.

Just under 20 km to go. The route passes on the right of Oberhof towards “Rondell” (km 56 / 826 m). Most of the following stretch of the course is already used in the morning by the participants of the Half Marathon and those of the 15-km Hike. Some of the hikers may still be seen on their way in the early afternoon. Everybody is now facing the climb to Grosser Beerberg, at 982 m the highest peak of the Thuringian Forest. Continuing from Rondell to “Sommerswiese” (855 m), where SC Motor Zella-Mehlis sports club looks after a drink station, the route crosses the roads (at 60 km) and arrives at “Suhler Ausspanne” (km 60.24 / 922 m) with a drink station looked after by TSV 1862 Zella-Mehlis sports club before the climb to the highest elevation of the course at “Plänckners Aussicht” (km 61.77 / 973 m) just below the summit of Großer Beerberg.

What follows is almost all the way downhill past the weather station to the last food-stocking aid station “Schmücke” (km 64 / 916 m) and the last drink station “Kreuzwege” and/or “Bierfleck” (km 68.26 km/ 816 m), both of them looked after by SWV Goldlauter skiing and hiking club. As the name indicates, the “Bierfleck” distributes a “sip” of Köstritzer Schwarzbier black lager beer, a unique feature of the Rennsteiglauf event, which again boosts energy for the last stretch of the race.

The finish line is not far now. Passing through the garden area of Schmiedefeld, participants can already hear how busy the sports ground is. Members of WSV Schmiedefeld winter sports club have prepared everything for a grand reception. Warm hospitality, applauding, cheering by local spectators, guests and supporting teams along with speakers’ announcements meet the runners as they cross the finish line. A distance of 72.7 km from Eisenach to Schmiedefeld has been tackled. Every Rennsteiglauf participant is a winner, especially those who finish this course, even if they are not the first to cross the finish line.

Elevation Difference

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