Climb every mountain

The Zentrum Pfälzerwald Touristik sponsors its second mountain bike marathon in the Pfälzerwald Mountain Bike Park Aug. 17 and 18.

***image1***The event’s start and finish location is the Clausensee camping ground in Waldfischbach-Burgalben.

The route is 90 kilometers long and is divided into three individual rounds:

Round 1 is 45 km long. Round 2 is 25 km, which adds up to 70 km; and round 3 is 20 km, which sums up to 90 km total. The marathon route leads mainly over forest paths through nature park Pfälzerwald. Organizers promise some highlights such as the drive by Gräfenstein Castle near Merzalben, where bicyclists can stop and eat and drink. Each round comes by the camping ground, so bikers can decide if they want to continue or stop. The marathon is not considered as a race.

Starting fee is €25 for registration until Aug. 1 and €30 for registration until Aug. 15. There is no late registration. The total number of participants is limited to 600.

The fee includes a T-shirt, drinking and eating along the route, showers, a supervised bike parking lot and a raffle. A display with bike products and information on biking, outfits and tourism in Pfälzerwald is set up at the event location.

The event starts with a pasta party at 7 p.m. Aug. 17. Starting numbers will be given out 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 17 and 7 to 9 a.m. Aug. 18. The bike marathon starts at 9:30 a.m. and at 10 a.m. for children and beginners. Clausensee lake is south of Waldfischbach-Burgalben. Those who decide to stop after round 1 can relax at the beach and swim in the lake.

For more information, visit www.mountainbikepark-pfaelzerwald.de.

(Courtesy of Zentrum Pfälzerwald Touristik)