The world-class mountain biker Adelheid Morath raves about the Black Forest-ULTRA Bike Marathon in Kirchzarten and, as a nutrition specialist, also has advice for all those who have a few extra pounds on their ribs after the many days of festivities.

For Adelheid Morath, cycling is more than just exercise on two wheels, more than a sporting discipline: for the Black Forest native, who lives in Stegen, it is a way of life. At the age of 39, the two-time mountain bike Olympian is one of the best in the world on the marathon course. Last season, she became European MTB Champion and won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Scotland. In 2022, she won the long distance at the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon.
On that morning of the competition, she got on her mountain bike in Stegen and warmed up a bit on the few kilometers to the starting line in Kirchzarten. Morath is full of praise for the home race in the Dreisamtal: "It's really great how much organisation and effort has gone into the event and that here on our doorstep in the beautiful Black Forest."

Since the beginning of December, it has been possible to register for one of the four tracks at the 24th edition of the classic on 14 July. "More than 500 mountain bikers have already registered, which is okay for January," says ULTRA Bike Race Director Sebastian Eckmann. Four routes have been established and will be available to choose from on 14 July:
ULTRA (118 km/3.509 m), Marathon (81 km/2.250 m), Speed Track (54 km/1.288 m) and Short Track (46 km/ 943 m). The day before, on 13 July, competitions for children and young people will be offered again. "There's something for everyone," says Morath, "the ULTRA Bike is simply a special race at home with lots of fans at the track. The icing on the cake for me was, of course, my victory in 2022."

Together with the HERO Südtirol Dolomites (Italy) on 15 June and the Iron Bike Race in Einsiedeln in Switzerland on 22 September, the ULTRA Bike will form the "HERO Series" for the first time this season. 15,000 euros in prize money underline the importance of the new marathon racing series. In order to be included in the ranking, the long-distance races must be completed at each of the three events.
The men's race covers 287 kilometres and 11,180 metres of elevation gain, while the women's race covers 261 kilometres and 9,880 metres of elevation gain. "The climbs are steeper than steep, which is a really extreme number due to the many meters of altitude." Climbing expert Adelheid Morath knows what she's talking about, because she has always won the HERO Marathon in the Dolomites over 60 kilometers and 3,200 meters of altitude in the women's elite class over the past two years.
The men even have to complete 86 kilometers with 4,500 meters of elevation gain. A legendary challenge, undisputedly one of the toughest MTB marathon routes in the world. The Iron Bike Marathon in Switzerland, the conclusion of the HERO Series, is a bit more moderate with 83 kilometres and 3,130 metres of elevation gain.
In recent years, she has gained the energy for her studies at the competitions, says Morath. She now has a Master of Arts, with a focus on sports nutrition and sports psychology, in her pocket.

And all those who carry around a few extra pounds after the many festive seasons, the nutrition specialist can reassure. "I think it's important to let yourself go to a certain extent on occasions like Christmas," says Morath, "If you then eat a balanced diet again, reduce stimulants such as sweets and cream cakes and get enough exercise again, it will level off again." In order to keep motivation high, it is important to set goals. The Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon is such a worthwhile goal: "The format is just great, it doesn't necessarily have to be the ULTRA," advises Morath.