Things get serious at the Ötzi Trailrun Naturns. © Sportissimus

Make way for the Ötzi Trailrun Naturns

It's all systems go – and the weather forecast promises perfect conditions on Naturns' sunny mountain! This Saturday, April 11th, marks the sixth edition of the Alpenplus Ötzi Trailrun Naturns, once again transforming this well-known village in the Lower Vinschgau Valley into a mecca for trail runners. While all bib numbers for the two main races, the Sunny Mountain Trail and the Skyrace Naturns, are already sold out, registration for the other distances is still possible on-site on race day.

April 07, 2026

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That the two main races would sell out was foreseeable, as only a few starting numbers remained months ago. However, the response to the sixth edition of the 30-kilometer Sunny Mountain Trail with its 2100 meters of elevation gain and the 15-kilometer Skyrace Naturns with its steep 1150 meters of elevation gain has surprised the organizing team and brought them considerable satisfaction. This is all the more true when considering the high-caliber list of participants for both races. Several title contenders will be competing for victory in both distances.

The South Tyrolean team for the Sunny Mountain Trail (starting at 9 a.m.) will be led by Daniel Pattis, Andreas Reiterer, Andreas Innerebner, Tanja Plaikner, Severine Petersen, and Stephanie Langebner, joined by up-and-coming talent Sophie Maschi from near Milan. International stars will also be competing: Anna Plattner and Claudia Losegger are coming from Austria to the Lower Vinschgau Valley, and Daniela Oemus, Sarah Kistner, and Johannes Wingenfeld from Germany.

Numerous participants from near and far are taking part.

And the top participants are also vying for a spot at the Naturns Skyrace (starting at 10 a.m.): Anna Hofer from Rabland, Isabell Speer from Austria, Madlen Kappeler from Germany, Hans-Peter Innerhofer from Austria, and Julius Ott, Jan Peterzelt, David Reichl, and Andreas Schindler from Germany are all athletes to watch. Some of them will also be taking part in the 4,2-kilometer Untersteller Vertical, which features 760 meters of elevation gain and kicks off the trail running event on Thursday, April 9th ​​at 18 p.m. This race runs from the Unterstell cable car valley station to the mountain station.

The Alpenplus Ötzi Trailrun is expected to thrill again this year with perfect weather.

Besides the top stars of the trail running scene, perfect running weather has also been forecast for the sixth Alpenplus Ötzi Trailrun Naturns. Brilliant sunshine and pleasant temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius are predicted: it couldn't be better, as the organizing team knows. "This is obviously very convenient for us. We've practically completed our preparations; only the details are missing. The individual routes are in perfect condition, so nothing stands in our way," say Uli Stampfer, Lea Schweitzer, and Daniel Jung happily.

The organizers would also be delighted if the VIP Apple Kids Run, which starts at 10:10 a.m. on Saturday at the starting zone in Naturns' town hall square, were to sell out completely. "There are still almost 20 places available. We're very pleased with the turnout, but of course, the more young faces we see, the better," explains the organizing team. The same applies to the Speed ​​Trail, which, like the Just for Fun Run, is eight kilometers long with 400 meters of elevation gain and was introduced for young people born between 2008 and 2013. There are still some places available for that race as well.

Furthermore, a supporting program will take place on Friday, between the two competition days. In the morning (starting at 10:30 a.m.), a community run including a short skills training session with Cindy Haase and Daniel Jung will be held. In the evening (starting at 7:00 p.m.), a panel discussion with psychologist Heike Torggler and runners Albert Rungger, Daniel Pattis, Anna Hofer, and Daniel Jung will take place in the Naturns town hall.