Swiss Alps 100
Swiss Alps 100 160km
Fiesch
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Swiss Alps 100 160km is a genuine mountain hundred-miler in the Valais, starting and finishing in Fiesch at 1067 m. Over 160 km it stacks up 9090 m of positive climb and tops out at 2787 m, which puts it among the steeper races at its distance rather than a runnable trail hundred. The route is a large loop that repeatedly hauls you from valley floor to high alpine terrain and back down again. This is a race defined by relentless vertical and by time on your feet: the course opens Friday morning and the finish line in Fiesch stays open until Sunday at 09:30. Fourteen intermediate checkpoints, almost all of them crew points, break the loop into manageable segments, but the cut-offs are firm and the climbing never really lets up. Expect two nights out for most finishers.
The course: a high alpine loop out of Fiesch
From the start in Fiesch (1067 m) the route climbs almost immediately to Kühboden at 6.9 km and 2205 m, gaining over 1100 m in the opening stretch before you have settled into a rhythm. It then traverses the high shoulders above the Rhône valley through Riederfurka (15.8 km, 2025 m), Blitzingen (29 km, 2459 m), Belalp (30.5 km, 2208 m) and Gletscherstube (47 km, 2469 m), holding well above 2000 m for long periods. The defining feature of the loop is that it never settles into rolling terrain: it works in big blocks of ascent and descent between valley aid stations and high points. After the long descent to Reckingen (75.4 km, 1325 m) and Niederwald (82.6 km, 1235 m), the second half rebuilds altitude again through Chäserstatt, Binn, Breithorn (117.7 km, 2386 m) and Rosswald (132 km, 2427 m) before the closing plunge back toward Fiesch. With 9090 m D+ over 160 km, the average gradient of the climbs is steep enough that fast hiking, not running, will carry most of the vertical.
Where the race is won and lost: the decisive climbs
The first crux is the opening wall to Kühboden: more than 1100 m of climb in the first 6.9 km. Going out too hard here on fresh legs is the classic Swiss Alps 100 mistake, because you still have the bulk of the day's altitude ahead. The stretch of high ground from Blitzingen (2459 m) through Belalp and up to Gletscherstube (2469 m) keeps you working near the course's high point of 2787 m through the afternoon and into the first night. The second half hides the harder blows. After bottoming out around Reckingen and Niederwald near 1235 m, you face the long grind back up to Chäserstatt (88.7 km, 1767 m) and then the sustained rise to Breithorn (117.7 km, 2386 m) and Rosswald (132 km, 2427 m) on tired legs deep into the race. The final sting is the big descent from Rosswald down to Grengiols (145 km, 1158 m), losing over 1200 m late on, which shreds quads before the last short climbs through Mühlebach to the finish. Protecting your descending legs early pays off directly here.
Pacing and fuelling to the cut-offs
The clock structure is unforgiving at the front of the race and more forgiving later. Early gates come fast: Kühboden closes Friday 10:00, Riederfurka 11:45, Blitzingen 14:15 and Gletscherstube 17:30, so you cannot afford to lose big chunks of time on the opening climbs. Later the buffer widens toward the overall finish cut-off of Sunday 09:30, but by then fatigue, not the clock, is the main threat. Almost every checkpoint on the loop is a crew point, so plan resupply and pacing around them. The longest carry to watch is the 28 km leg from Gletscherstube (47 km) down to Reckingen (75.4 km), which crosses the first night and a large descent; leave Gletscherstube with enough food, layers and light for a long solo section. Because the race is largely fast hiking on the up and technical descending on the down, fuel to a steady hourly intake rather than chasing running pace, and use the crew points to reset nutrition, socks and lighting before each major block.
Conditions to expect
This is high Valais terrain with a 2787 m high point and long stretches above 2000 m, so prepare for a wide temperature range within a single loop. Warm, exposed high traverses in the Friday afternoon sun can swing to cold, wind-exposed alpine sections overnight, and altitude amplifies both. Two nights out for most runners means two cold cycles to manage with layers and a reliable headlamp system. With over 9000 m of climb packed into 160 km, footing alternates between steep mountain ascents and long, quad-testing descents down to the valley aid stations at Reckingen, Niederwald and Grengiols. Trekking poles and disciplined descending are worth real time and injury prevention here. Build your kit and expectations around sustained vertical, exposure at altitude, and the reality that the finish line stays open into Sunday morning precisely because this is a slow, demanding mountain course rather than a fast one.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
⚠ Auto-researched from public sources — aid stations and cut-offs may be incomplete. Confirm against the official roadbook before race day.
0 km · 1067 m · —
6.9 km · 2205 m · Fri 10:00
15.8 km · 2025 m · Fri 11:45
29 km · 2459 m · Fri 14:15
30.5 km · 2208 m · Fri 14:30
47 km · 2469 m · Fri 17:30
75.4 km · 1325 m · Sat 02:00
82.6 km · 1235 m · Sat 02:30
88.7 km · 1767 m · Sat 03:45
102.5 km · 1408 m · Sat 05:15
117.7 km · 2386 m · Sat 07:15
132 km · 2427 m · Sat 09:00
145 km · 1158 m · Sat 10:30
152.9 km · 1200 m · Sat 11:30
160 km · 1067 m · Sun 09:30
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Course data researched from public sources — verify against the official roadbook.