Mountain Races in the Canton of Bern

In the Oberland, the mountains don't just decorate the postcard: they serve as the course. Mountain races in the canton of Bern benefit from a multi-tiered backdrop, from Lake Thun and Lake Brienz up to the glaciers of the Jungfrau 🏔️, with profiles where every kilometer gains altitude.

The season runs from June to October. The first outings still take place on residual snow, summer offers clear passes and endless light, and autumn tints the larches gold 🍂. The air thins out from 2,000 m: long climbs, exposed ridges and technical descents mean you should have tested your legs before race day. A windbreaker in your pack is still an excellent idea, as the weather changes quickly at altitude.

The Jungfrau Marathon, held in Interlaken in September, finishes at the Kleine Scheidegg, facing the Eiger and the Mönch. In August, the Inferno half-marathon in Lauterbrunnen and the Glacier 3000 Run in Saanen offer two high-altitude rendezvous 🥾. The Swiss Highlands Trail in Gstaad follows in September, ahead of the Berglauf Rinderberg in October, in the heights above Zweisimmen. Earlier in the year, RunThrough Trails Interlaken serves as a warm-up. In short, the Bernese mountain race calendar leaves no summer weekend without a bib number.

Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, meaning the Ogre, the Monk and the Maiden: with such a trio, the mountains are never short of characters 😄. At the finish, a Meiringen meringue, a specialty born in the Oberland, is well earned after the effort 🍰. Everyone will find their race according to their level, whether aiming for the clock or simply for the finish line with a smile. To extend the weekend, the mountain races in Switzerland offer other summits to go after. The starts in Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen or Gstaad are already dreamy even before the starting gun.