Race Across Switzerland - The routes in more detail!
Ultra-distance alpine running at its most authentic
Race Across Switzerland is a unique event within the Race Across Series. Here, ultra cycling is not just about distance or elevation gain. It's about a direct relationship with the terrain, a keen understanding of the mountains, and the ability to endure in a demanding, sometimes harsh, but always spectacular environment.
The routes have been designed to tell a story. A story of steep-sided valleys, legendary mountain passes, isolated passages, and constant strategic decisions. From the most compact format to the full crossing, Switzerland imposes its logic: no kilometer is free.
A word from Nathalie – Race Coordinator
Nathalie Monnier and her husband Fabien
Race coordinator for RACE ACROSS SWITZERLAND and GRAAALPS - cyclist, accomplished ultra cyclist
"Race Across Switzerland was born out of a simple desire: to offer authentic, challenging routes that respect the mountains and those who traverse them. Switzerland is a magnificent terrain, but it doesn't give anything away for free. And that's precisely what makes the adventure so powerful."
Here is my hardware recommendation:
Tire section: minimum 30–32 mm, for all distances
→ comfort, performance on alpine roads, and peace of mind on compacted gravel sections.
Gear ratio suitable for high mountains
→ numerous long mountain passes, often after several hundred kilometers.
→ a gear ratio of 1 is ideal for preserving your legs over long distances.
The DNA of Race Across Switzerland 2026
Alpine trails
A central role for effort management
Minority gravel, but accepted and useful
A trip to Italy for the 500 km and 300 km races,
the ascent of the legendary Stelvio Pass
A total immersion in the Swiss Alps and their borders
A demanding vision of ultra-distance endurance
RACH 200 km by night - A direct immersion into the alpine world
Identity card – 200 km
Distance: ~150 km
Elevation gain: ~3,500 m
Surface: 95% road / 5% compacted gravel
Gravel type: rolling alpine trail
Recommended tire section: 30 mm minimum
Format: 1 loop
Departure/Arrival: Klosters
Illustration of the RACH 200KM By night route
Highlights
Prättigau (Klosters Valley) · Taminatal · Lenzerheide · Davos
Spirit of the course
This 200 km by night is a compact but decidedly alpine loop. From the very first kilometers, the route plunges into the Prättigau mountains before heading into the wilder and more isolated Taminatal valley. At night, the experience becomes introspective. The climbs follow one after another, the valleys close in, and your gaze focuses on the essentials: your rhythm, your breathing, managing your effort. Lenzerheide and then Davos conclude this direct immersion in the alpine spirit of the Race Across Switzerland.
A short format, but never easy. Ideal for discovering ultra-distance running in the mountains, without any pretense.
The 200km night ride is a great introduction to ultra-cycling. If you had to choose one event, the Race Across Switzerland is the perfect test!
Race Across Switzerland – 300 km
Identity card – 300 km
Distance: ~186 miles
Elevation gain: ~7,700 m
Surface: 95% road / 5% compacted gravel
Type of gravel: fast alpine trail
Recommended tire section: 30–32 mm minimum
Format: 1 loop
Departure/Arrival: Klosters
Illustration of the 300km Race Across Switzerland
Highlights
Albula Pass · Scuol · Reschen Pass · Stelvio Pass · Umbrail Pass · Val Müstair · Ofen Pass · Flüela Pass
Total Alpine immersion
The 300 km race marks a real milestone in commitment. Right from the start, the Albula Pass sets the scene: long, steady, demanding. After Scuol, the route opens up towards Italy via the Reschen Pass and its iconic bell tower, before tackling one of the monuments of world cycling.
The 42 hairpin bends of the Stelvio Pass are not just part of the scenery: they are the heart of the route, requiring patience and skill to negotiate. The return via the Umbrail Pass, Switzerland's highest point at 2,503 m, prolongs the high-mountain experience before plunging into the wild and unspoiled Val Müstair.
A journey that commands respect
⚠️ Please note:
The first 4 kilometers are on a gravel track, with an average gradient of 10% and a few steeper sections.
This route avoids the traffic on the main road to Davos, but requires:
minimum 30–32 mm tires
suitable gear ratios
very careful management of effort from the very first kilometers
Spirit of the course
This 300 km route is for cyclists who want to experience a true ultra-distance alpine adventure, with an exceptional Italian section.
A demanding, spectacular, and deeply coherent route—where every pass has meaning.
Race Across Switzerland – 500 km
When ultra meets alpine legend
Identity card – 500 km
Distance: ~310 miles
Elevation gain: > 9,000 m
Surface: ~95% road / 5% gravel
Gravel type: rolling alpine trail
Recommended tire section: 30–32 mm minimum
Format: 2 loops
Loop 1: 186 miles
Loop 2: 124 miles
Departure / Basecamp Arrival: Klosters
Illustration of the 500km of the RACH
A smart—and formidable—construction
The 500 km Race Across Switzerland is not just an intermediate distance: it is a true alpine journey, designed to gradually increase in intensity.
The two-loop format (300 km then 200 km) allows for detailed strategic management:
a long, majestic first loop, where you learn to respect the terrain,
then a second loop that is more compact but still demanding, where fatigue requires lucidity and humility.
It all begins and ends in Klosters, a veritable base camp in the heart of Graubünden, with a Basecamp that structures the effort... without ever simplifying it.
The Stelvio: the beating heart of the route
It's difficult to talk about this 500 km route without mentioning its highlight: the passage into Italy via the Stelvio Pass.
After leaving eastern Switzerland and passing through Scuol, the route opens up towards the Reschen Pass, with its bell tower submerged in the lake, before tackling one of the most legendary passes in world cycling. The 42 hairpin bends of the Stelvio Pass are not just a backdrop: they are a test of patience, pace, and mental strength.
At an altitude of over 2,700 meters, time seems to stand still. The high mountains reveal themselves in all their glory—raw, majestic, uncompromising.
The return via the peaks
The Stelvio Pass ends at the Umbrail Pass, Switzerland's highest point at 2,503 m, before descending into the splendid Val Müstair.
Next comes the Ofen Pass, followed by the gradual return to the heart of Graubünden, with the Flüela–Albula–Lenzerheide route, an alpine finale where the elevation gain is a constant reminder to legs that are already feeling the strain.
A journey that leaves nothing to chance
⚠️ Please note from the outset:
the first 4 kilometers are on a gravel track, with an average gradient of 10% and a few steeper sections.
This was a conscious choice to avoid road traffic, but it does mean that:
30–32 mm tires strongly recommended
suitable gear ratios
careful management of effort from the very first meters
The spirit of the 500 km
This 500 km route is for cyclists who want to experience the mountains, not just cross them.
A route for those seeking raw beauty, legend, and the rare feeling of having truly earned every kilometer.
Race Across Switzerland – 1,000 km
The complete crossing, legendary version
Identity card – 1,000 km
Distance: ~1,000 km
Elevation gain: 17,000 to 18,500 m D+
Surface: 95% road / 5% compacted gravel
Type of gravel: occasional, non-technical
Recommended tire section: 30 mm
Format: roaming A → B (1 track)
Departure: Champagne – La Fabrique
Basecamp : Crans-Montana (TBC)
Arrival: Klosters
Illustration of the RACH 1000KM
A constructed crossing, not an accumulation
The 1,000 km Race Across Switzerland is not just a series of mountain passes. It is a logical and gradual crossing of Switzerland, designed to take participants up into the high mountains as the kilometers pass, without ever rushing things.
The first few kilometers, starting from Champagne-La Fabrique, cross the Jura Mountains and then the Swiss Plateau. The terrain remains gentle, the roads are smooth and almost reassuring. This first section allows you to set your pace, manage your sleep, and find your rhythm. But this relative ease is deceptive: it mainly prepares your body and mind for what is to come.
When Switzerland really begins
The race gradually shifts into another dimension with the arrival of the first Alpine passes: Jaun, Mittelberg, Mosses. These are not yet the giants, but they mark a clear change. The elevation gain becomes more constant, the descents more technical, and the management of effort more precise. Ultra cycling begins to play out over time here.
Then come the pillars of the route: the Furka Pass and the Oberalp Pass.
High altitude, sometimes unpredictable weather, long, steady climbs: these passes command total respect. They are not conquered by force, but with method, patience, and clear-headedness.
Crossing the Upper Rhine Valley provides a relative respite. The terrain becomes easier to navigate, but fatigue has already set in. This is often where the race stabilizes: everyone finds their rhythm, accepts their limits, and adjusts their goals. But the race isn't over yet. It's just getting tougher.
The last third of the 1,000 km race brings together everything that Switzerland has to offer in terms of challenging terrain. The Lenzerheide–Julier–Albula–Davos section is a grueling finale, where the elevation gain takes its toll on legs that are already heavily fatigued.
The Albula Pass, in particular, acts as a judge of peace. Long, steady, and relentless, it leaves no room for improvisation. The passage to Davos, then the final descent to Klosters, is often experienced as a relief... but never as a formality.
The spirit of the 1000 km
This 1,000 km race is for those seeking ultra-distance in its most original form. No gimmicks, no unnecessary detours, no free kilometers. Just a country crossed from end to end, powered by leg strength and willpower.
Finishing the Race Across Switzerland 1000 km isn't just about ticking off a distance. It's about accepting slowness, weariness, sometimes loneliness—and the raw beauty of the mountains.
A crossing that leaves a lasting impression.
Conclusion – Switzerland must be earned
Race Across Switzerland is anultra-distance race for those seeking meaning, consistency, and commitment. Here, every mountain pass tells a story.
And every finish line tastes like a real victory.
