Running Races in Graubünden

Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland, kicks off the festivities with its medieval alleys and flower-decked fountains 🏃. For a running race in Graubünden, the canton offers valley roads, lakeside loops and urban runs at the foot of the mountains.

The terrain varies with altitude. In the Rhine Valley, the roads stay flat and fast. In the Engadine, at 1,800 m, the lakes of Sils and Silvaplana offer scenic loops where the thin air puts your lungs to the test. The season runs from May to October, with cool mornings, bright days and a blazing autumn 🍂. Large popular gatherings remain rare, which is why it's worth looking at the neighbors too. Chur serves as an ideal base, with its pedestrian old town, the banks of the Rhine and trails that start directly from residential neighborhoods. Visiting runners will find loops of every length, from a morning jog to a long Sunday run.

The local running race calendar is discreet but original. The Backyard Ultra Chur, in August in Chur, requires you to start again every hour on the same loop, until only one runner is left standing 🔁. In the neighboring cantons, the St. Gallen Marathon opens the season in May, while the Ascona Locarno Run closes October in Ticino. For a complete overview, running races in Switzerland go much further.

Johanna Spyri set Heidi in the alpine pastures of Maienfeld, in the north of the canton: the little girl frolicked on the slopes with her goats, training that is well worth an interval session 🐐. Her legend is a reminder that running in Graubünden is first and foremost a matter of pleasure 😄. Everyone can therefore choose their race according to their level and desire, from loop-based adventure to major urban events.