Running The Glacier 3000 Run

As I spent more time in the mountains, I started craving more adventure on my day outs. Walking wasn't cutting it anymore, so the natural next step? Running. What began as a fun little experiment quickly turned into something I genuinely enjoyed.

I like having goals, they keep me focused and prevent me from slacking off too much. So, as both a commitment and a bit of a challenge, I decided to sign up for a trail race. As a complete newbie, I wanted something that felt just out of reach, but not too crazy. A quick search later, I signed up for the E16 - Pleasure Trail (part of the Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB) in July and the Glacier 3000 Run in August. The E16 would be a warmup — "relaxed" in terms of distance and elevation — while the Glacier 3000 would be the real deal.

The Training and the E16

I'll be honest: I didn't have much of a plan. As a novice, my only real goal was to finish and have fun. Training mostly consisted of easy morning runs whenever I felt like it, and spending weekends in the mountains. That's pretty much it.

In May, I ran a 15km local trail with 700m of elevation to test the waters, which reassured me that the E16 would be easily manageable. Perfect for a fun "starter" race before tackling the challenge that was the Glacier 3000.

The E16 kicks off in Grindelwald, heading toward the Wetterhorn before looping through alternating stretches of forest and meadow, climbing gently to Wittegg (around 1600m), and wrapping up with a few kilometers of downhill. That's 16km total with 950m+ elevation gain (details here). Cutoff time: 4 hours.

Race day was sunny and hot, but I felt great. My plan was humble: take it easy and enjoy the ride — and I did just that. Between chats with fellow runners and the cheerful atmosphere (shoutout to the friendly locals — merci!), it was a pure joy from start to finish. I crossed the line in 2h 19m at a pace of 8:35/km. Not exactly elite speed, but good enough for me and I hit my goal. Key takeaways? My uphill game needs work, like a lot actually, but I crushed the downhill — passing around 30 people like a madman.

The Glacier 3000 Run

This one's a bigger task: 26.2km with +2015m / -115m of elevation (more info here). I had run similar distances before, but never with this much climbing. So yeah, game on.

The race starts in Gstaad (1050m), a fancy resort town in the Bernese Oberland, and ends at Scex Rouge (2950m), a peak in the beautiful Diablerets range. The first 15km winds through gentle hills and forests, part trail, part asphalt, with around 350m elevation until Reusch. Then the real climb begins. The remaining 10km are basically all vertical — trails giving way to rocky terrain, and eventually a small glacier just before the final push to the finish.

I booked a night at Jugendherberge Gstaad Saanenland — the cheapest place I could find (still not exactly cheap). Unsurprisingly, the hostel was full of runners. I didn't sleep well, woke up tired, but I had no time for complaints. I had some bread and Birchermüesli for breakfast, grabbed my things, then made my way to Gstaad for the start. The atmosphere was electric, but I felt noticeably more nervous than I had before the E16.

My plan, once again: take it easy and just finish. Bonus goal? Finish under 4 hours. Ambitious? Yes. Realistic? Eh...

As we left Gstaad and entered the hills, I immediately noticed the heat — 28°C and rising, with no shade in sight. Still, the first 15km went smoothly. I kept a decent pace (around 5:30/km) and felt like I was flying. Then I hit Reusch. And I bonked. Hard. At the time, I had no idea what bonking was — I just knew I suddenly had zero energy. My legs were toast, and even though the trail wasn't that steep or technical yet, I was having a hard time putting one foot in front of the other. I thought about quitting multiple times, every aid station was a tempting opportunity to call it. But I kept pushing, one step at a time, and cursing the event organizers for not allowing poles — I realized during this race how much they help, especially when you struggle. At this point I had realized that the 4-hour dream was dead, but I was still determined to finish. So I trudged on — through slippery sandy rocks that fought me with every step, reaching the alpine terrain, and finally across a slushy glacier softened by the same sun that had been bullying me for the past 4 hours. Each step sank deep into the snow, and then came the final ridge, leading to a staircase (yes, stairs!) right before the finish line. Whose idea was that? But there I was, I'd made it. I was exausted, but nothing a classic plate of Bratwurst and Kartoffelsalat couldn't fix. Final time: 5h 24m. Average pace: 12:22/km. Being part of the last group to finish was definitely not what I was aiming for, but I can't be anything but proud of the way I endured through the struggles.

Later, I found out the winner, Vitaliy Shafar, finished in 2h 23m. I still have no idea how that's humanly possible. Hats off to you, sir. Chapeau!

The end?

All in all, I had a blast and came away satisfied. Both races had great vibes and I learned a lot about trail running, races and my body's limits. I know I can do better, and I will. That said, I'm hitting pause on races for now, no events in the near future. Instead, I want to focus on building a solid endurance base. One slow, steady run at a time.