Unsupported ultra-distance loop over the Harz's highest passes
A self-navigated, unsupported ultra-distance loop out of Magdeburg: riders cross the flat Magdeburger Börde to reach the Harz, then zigzag across the range's highest peaks and passes — including the Brocken, the Harz's tallest summit — before returning across the plains. Riders follow a prescribed GPX route solo or in registered pairs, carry live GPS trackers, and get no feed zones, mechanical support, or marshaled traffic control; the clock (48 hours) and the route file are the only structure. The Brocken and a claimed circuit of the ten highest Harz passes, tackled solo or in a pair with zero outside support across one or two overnight stretches.
For the rider with eight weeks and four to six hours a week, this plan uses compact race-specific sessions and a focused longer ride to prepare for 555 unsupported kilometers, 7,300 meters of Harz climbing, and the 48-hour cutoff.
INSIDE THE TIME-CRUNCHED PLAN — 4–6 HR/WK
Includes zone-tailored structured rides for your devices, built-in strength with video walkthroughs, heat protocols for when your race calls for them, peloton skills workouts, and nutrition and hydration guidance.
The Complete Peaks and Plains Guide — the training, the tactics, the gear and race day, explained simply and clearly: what to do, when to do it, and why it works.
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Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party