Rennsteig relay: X-Runners win with a heated challenge!

Rennsteig relay: X-Runners win with a heated challenge!

Ilm-Kreis, Deutschland - It was a hot day on June 22, 2025 when the participants of the 25th Rennsteig relay open to achieve the coveted trophy in different categories. Despite the scorching sun, the athletes pulled their rounds and thus mastered a tradition that goes back to the 1970s and is now considered one of the most popular landscape runs in Europe. This proves the great encouragement, which could be observed again this year. However, the weather conditions ensured some special features and challenges, such as Insuedthueringen in held his report.

The race for the medals was exciting and full of surprises. The X-Runners team secured victory among men with a purely 10 hours, 47 minutes and 46 seconds. The Mixed category won the Oßwald Ski-Mix team, which achieved a time of 11 hours, 50 minutes and 6 seconds. Not to be forgotten are the Pleßgirls from Breitungen, which were in the women's race with 13 hours, 25 minutes and 46 seconds. The fast mechanics from the Seyfarth dealership landed in the other places, which convinced with a time of 11 hours, 36 minutes and 50 seconds. The season of the Gutsmuths racing runner club came to the finish after 11 hours, 8 minutes and 52 seconds and was also a remarkable performance.

challenges and catering

As beautiful as the day was, the preparations were accompanied by some challenges. A traffic accident led to delays on the route. Therefore, the participants were advised to plan enough time for their arrival and bring enough food to be brought. This was particularly important because there was no meal option on the 8th stage between Neuhaus and Schildwiese. So some personal responsibility was required here!

In addition, the High Sonne Aviction was only accessible from Eisenach, which made it difficult to plan the logistical planning of the participants. It was all the more important to get over Zella-Mehlis or Ohrdruf when traveling to the border eagle interceptor, since a road closure in Oberschönau was possible. The parking lot on the border eagle was also closed, whereupon the runners were asked to use parking areas along Tamacher Strasse. These challenges are of course part of the event and ensure a special atmosphere among the participants.

A look at the story

The racing ride has an impressive story. After the Second World War, the tradition of Rennsteiglauf was revived, and in 1951 the "racing member" was sung for the first time, which underlined the cultural importance of the Rennsteig. The run itself was initially launched as a non-stop event and finally developed into a competition that reflects the attachment of the Thuringian with its nature. Over the years, the number of participants has increased from a few to tens of thousands, which shows the popularity of the event in Germany and even beyond. As a rule, the events attract around 16,000 participants, although this year the spectators and fans rose vigorously to the runners and cheered them on.

With the outlook for the coming year, a new format for the 2026 event has already been discussed. The planners and organizers will certainly do everything possible to continue the tradition and make the event even more pleasant and exciting for the participants. Finally, the Rennsteig is close to the heart.

For all fans and participants, the Rennsteig run remains a fixed term for sporting performance, a colorful community of runners and a deep connection with nature - and that will remain so in the future.