Linz Danube Trail

1300 athletes defied snow, rain and cold

Even the starters' shoes were covered in mud after the Danube Trail final.

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

The weather could have been a little better for the participants of the Linz Danube Trail, which led the starters up to 100 kilometers along the river through Upper Austria. But more than 1300 participants were not deterred by the rain, snow and cold!

There were six different distances to choose from - from 12 to 100 kilometers - and for the longest two routes, the starters had already set off on Saturday night. They set off at 10 p.m. to hike the 100 or 50 kilometers, the runners also had a short night and set off at 4 a.m. on Saturday.

The last starters who wanted to complete twelve or 22 kilometers set off at 10 a.m. and the Linzerie was packed at the main start.

Donation and tree planting
One euro per participant was donated to the Upper Austrian Mountain Rescue Service, and one tree per starter was planted along the route. That makes more than 1300 trees that will soon be rooted here.

Awards for the slowest
And it wasn't about competition or speed - the focus was on taking part and achieving one's own goals. But there were awards for those who took the longest, because they were the "real biters".