Traunsee Half Marathon 2023 in Gmunden - Salzkammergut - Running into the sunset

Absolutely stunning scenery paired with a touch of effort to beat your personal best time at the Traunsee half marathon. Running into the sunset and achieving your goals - what more could you want? 🤩

Today I would like to take you on an extraordinary running adventure that not only offers a sporting challenge, but is also characterised by breathtaking scenery. The Traunsee half marathon, which runs along the picturesque Traunsee lake, promises not only an unforgettable running route, but also a view of the fascinating mountain landscape that rises majestically in the background. 🏞️

Imagine running alongside the gentle waves of Lake Traunsee while the evening sun slowly sinks behind the peaks and casts its warm rays onto the glistening lake. The scenery becomes a true work of art of colours and contrasts that captivates your senses and motivates you to perform at your best. The scent of fresh mountain air surrounds you and the gentle sound of the water accompanies you every step of the way.

Disclaimer:

We have been provided with our starting places for this blog post. Any costs incurred were covered by the organiser. This in no way affects our honest and authentic reporting. ✌️

Preparation and training for the Traunsee Half Marathon 2023

I'll be honest - since my corona infection 🤧 a few months ago and the injuries resulting from overexertion, I've been looking for my Wings for Life 2023 I decided to train more intuitively and without a training plan again. In the meantime, I've also worked out the beat the city series 2023 successfully completed - I have already reported on the Linzathlon. I have also continued my standard training programme, which consists of lots of slow endurance runs and occasional running sessions. On average, I run around 10 kilometres 3-4 times a week. 

However, as I already have the next run in autumn in mind, I will now get to work on the Strava training plans and test them out. 💪

Key facts about the Traunsee Half Marathon:

• ✅ Participation in 3 competitions possible 
  • Hervis Half Marathon 21.0975 km
  • Bridgestone pleasure run 11.5 km
  • Omni-Biotic Sun-Run | OÖN Junior-Run 4 km
• ✅ Over 2000 registrations - a new record
• ✅ Running along Lake Traunsee with the beautiful mountain landscape of the Salzkammergut
• ✅ Sunset pacemaker with 2 hours (whoever makes it to the finish line within 2 hours will run into the sunset to the minute)
• ✅ Start number distribution at Hervis in Gmunden (well organised)
• ✅ Road between Ebensee (starting point) and Gmunden is completely closed 
• ✅ Free parking at the SEP site
• ✅ Free train from Gmunden to Ebensee - additional extra journeys organised by OÖVV
• ✅ Free luggage shuttle - transported from the start to the finish
• ✅ Start bag and finisher bag with goodies
• ✅ Registration for 2024 already possible

My personal highlight: a small, beautifully designed magazine with all the important information in the starter bag

Starting signal - let's go! Running into the sunset

Martin (my work colleague) and I took the plunge and started the race together. Knowing full well that he is - to use my words - a „beast“, I tried to follow him as a pacemaker for the first few kilometres. After an agonising 2 kilometres and a pace of around 04:10, including increasing nausea, I had to shift down a gear to make it to the finish line alive. 🤣

We were accompanied by top photographer Michael 📸 and his sweet Emma 🐶 - they followed us on their bikes and snapped some great moments. Thanks for the great photos - we had our own personal photographer with us, so to speak 🤩

Once we arrived at the start, the behaviour was absolutely civilised - I've never experienced a start like this without crowds or scrambles. It was definitely different here - everyone lined up in the starting blocks according to their own speed and the start was super relaxed and fantastic. There was also entertainment and moderation before the race at the starting point.

There were plenty (!) of refreshment stations along the route - you often had the opportunity to refuel and drink water. The friendly locals were also always close to the course and cheered the runners on diligently.

The route ran from Ebensee with a small loop towards Bad Ischl before turning back and running via Traunkirchen to Gmunden. The weather and the time were perfect - many sections were in the shade.

At the finish I was relieved: the sun was still shining, which meant I was faster than 2 hours. 😍 The finish was fantastic - a great atmosphere and a fantastic view from the town hall square in Gmunden.

Martin achieved an incredible 20th place (time: approx. 1 hour 26 minutes) - amazing!

I finished with a time of 01:37:07 in 122nd place and I am absolutely proud of my performance. Both Martin and I achieved our personal best times.

Click here for the list of results.

Summary of the Traunsee Half Marathon 2023

It was just mega!!! Everything worked out perfectly and the organisation was really great.

From parking at the SEP site to the train journey to Ebensee, the uncomplicated baggage check-in and the stress-free start. Then the fantastic route from Ebensee along Lake Traunsee via Traunkirchen, Altmünster to Gmunden and then the personal best time at the end.

I can only recommend the run to you and I look forward to seeing you at the start next year! You are welcome to register for the Team muatsdrawig.at run, if you like - simply enter your details when you register and be part of our community. ❤️💪

So lace up your running shoes, feel the energy of nature and let yourself be inspired by the impressive backdrop of Lake Traunsee as you strive towards the sunset with every step. The Traunsee Half Marathon promises to be a running adventure that will touch your senses and reward you with an unforgettable experience. Let's be there together again next year when the time comes: Traunsee Half Marathon 2024!

Further recommendation:

If you liked the report, then you might also like my contribution about the Linzathlon 2022.