LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz

In its third year, the LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz attracted maximum interest right from the start of regis­tration. After just two days, both the Ultratrail (66 kilo­meters) and the Speedtrail (33 kilo­meters) were fully booked. “The fact that all starting places were taken shortly after regis­tration opened shows that our trail running event has estab­lished itself as a national season-opening race far beyond the borders of Franconian Switzerland, ” says UTFS race director Johannes Hendel. The LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz, which will also host the Bavarian Trail Cham­pi­onships for the first time in 2024, is listed as an official race in the Inter­na­tional Trail­running Asso­ciation (ITRA) and the stat­istics of the Deutsche Ultramarathon-Vereinigung e. V.. LOWA CEO Alexander Nicolai is also confident about the success of the trail running event:

“There are many brands entering the market whose products are of high quality, but for which all corporate respons­ibility and morals are thrown overboard in order to be successful as quickly as possible, ” criticizes Hendel and sees LOWA as a suitable main sponsor: “It was very important for us to find an inter­na­tionally signi­ficant and estab­lished sponsor without ignoring our own under­standing of values.”With its 100 years of experience, LOWA has the ideal know-how at company and product level to impress with the highest quality, fit and comfort in the trail running sector. Accordingly, the collab­oration is based on a long-term basis.With a three-year contract, LOWA confirms its long-term ambition in the trail segment and will play a signi­ficant role in the continued positive devel­opment of the UTFS, increase its popularity and accompany the UTFS on its way to becoming a top destination in Franconian Switzerland. “Our vision needs strong and consistent partners. We are very happy to be able to work with the LOWA team in the coming years, ” says Hendel.

On 20 April 2024, the Ultratrail and Speedtrail will offer 66 kilo­meters of trail fun with an elevation gain of around 2,700 meters and 33 kilo­meters with an elevation gain of almost 1,400 meters respectively. In addition to the main races, parti­cipants can look forward to a varied supporting program, including exciting panel discussions with athletes and experts from the scene as well as a pasta party, an extensive expo area at the Eber­mannstadt market square, kids’ races and much more. In the run-up to the main event, there will also be four UTFS Community Runs in Bavaria, where parti­cipants can explore the up- and downhills of Franconian Switzerland over different distances and test the models from the new trail running collection.

Johannes Ostfalk is also looking forward to the UTFS with great anti­cipation. The ambitious trail runner is part of the UTFS organizing committee and has been an ATR by LOWA athlete since 2023. He knows about the importance of high-quality trail running shoes and is therefore a big fan of the ATR trail running collection: “Espe­cially in Franconian Switzerland, a shoe that masters the change from different surfaces with confidence and still offers enough comfort and dynamics for the fast and easy-running passages is recom­mended, ” explains Ostfalk. Ostfalk sees the ATR by LOWA models as the beginning of a permanent fixture in trail running. More details on routes, community runs and the side program can be found at: ultratrail-fraen­kische-schweiz.de/en