COURSE DESCRIPTION  (translated by Rich Limacher and Ruediger Binsch, totally new edited in 2004 by Patricia Carroll) 

1. Abbreviations

L = left,  R = right, S = straight, U = uphill,  D = downhill,  KH = Kragenhof,  LWH  = Landwehrhagen.

2. Beginnings of loops 1-5:

For loop 1,2,3: Start in front of the house (garage) LWH and go L 180 degrees down the street to Spiekershausen .
First Loop: On the paved road turn first L (no signs).
Second and Third Loop:  On the paved road turn second L (signs).
For loop 4 and 5: Start in front of the house (garage) LWH and go L 90 degrees onto the small paved road (not allowed for regular car traffic).

OUT and BACKS of  Second and Third Loop:
The course from LWH  to KH aid (5,3 km) station and back from KH aid station to LWH is the same for loop two and three.  Please keep this in mind because many of you will be coming back on the second loop in the dark.
In the second and third loop, you must do the short (1.9 km) out and back from KH aidstation to turnaround Kragenhof (which we call "stone table") twice: once after you come down from LWH and again before you go back to LWH (you MUST read the details below!).

In Other Words:
Second Loop:  LWH to KH aid station. From KH aidstation to "stone table" and back to KH aid station. From KH aid station to Hann Münden (please keep this in mind because you have to return the same way). From turnaround in Hann. Münden (kiss the Weserrock, not Susi!) the same way back to KH aid station. From here again go to the "stone table" and come back to KH aid station. Then return from KH aidstation to LWH the same way as you came down (about 100 feet after the bridge look for the marks 2-3 and go to the right).

Third Loop: Run down from LWH to KH aid station. Go from KH aid station to "stone table" and back to KH aid station as in loop two. Then continue from KH aid station do the circle along the Fulda River until you reach KH aid station again. Do the "stone table" out-and-back for the last time to KH aid station. Finish this loop to LWH again the same way you went out (about 100 feet after the bridge look for the marks 2-3 and go to the right).

3. More Details and Markings

More details on the First Loop:
Street to Spiekershausen - L at first jeep road - straight across the paved road. Follow the white dots and arrows for 11 km, which is 1 km after the 10 km aid station at Heiligenrode. From here (at about km 11 in race) until Postweg aid station (km 41) follow the white X´s. This is at the beginning X7 = Herkulesweg and later X4 = Frau Holle Pfad (the change from X7 to X4 at about km 28 is perfectly marked with white dots and arrows). In addition to the X's you will find for sure white dots and arrows at all intersections. At the Postweg aid station (km 41) leave X4 (well marked with dots and arrows) and follow only the white dots and arrows to LWH (km 50). Total distance of first loop is 50 km.

More details on the Second Loop:
From LWH (km 50) follow only the white dots until km 64 (about 2 km after the Speele aid station). Sometimes you will also find the white X marks. About less than 1 km after passing through the railway tunnel at about km 64, follow the white X´s until you enter the pedestrian tunnel in Hann. Münden at km 73 (in addition at all intersections you will find white dots and arrows) . From here follow the white dots only and use for the pedestrian "downtown" area the village detail map. The turnaround point is Weserstein. Return exactly the same way back.Total distance of second loop is 50 km (25 km plus 25 km).

More details on the Third Loop:
The start (km 100) of loop three is exactly the same as loop two (LWH - KH - stone stable - KH). Follow the white dots. From KH aid station (km 107,3) go uphill over paved road for the railroad bridge. Find the Yield sign which is on the righthand side at the end of the bridge. Look for the painted "3" on the pavement and follow the white dots and arrows (for approx. 3 km you will also be following the white X13 marks – after 3 km you will then only follow the white dots and arrows). When you reach the dam (locks) at about km 130, cross it, turn left down to the river and make soon a sharp R uphill to KH aid station (if you don´t turn R and run the small trail straight you will be going to Hann Münden as you did in loop two already). Go for the last time to "stone table" and back to KH aid station. From here keep going back to LWH the same way as loop 2. Total distance of loop three is 38 km.

More details on the Fourth Loop:
From the garage at LWH (km 138) go left onto the small paved road and follow the white dots and arrows all the way to KH aid station, which is the turnaround point. Do not go to "stone table". Return over the the railroad bridge the same way back as you came in this loop (after crossing the paved railroad bridge keep left on the road and go L into the woods where you see the white 4 on the pavement and on the tree). Follow the same way back to LWH. Total distance of fourth loop is 22,2 km (11,1 km plus 11,1 km).

More details on the Fifth (final) Loop:
From the garage at LWH go left onto the small paved road and follow the white dots and arrows only for 415 meters to the turn and crawl back to the finish.

You are finished! CONGRATULATIONS!

PLEASE:
No big noise during the night!
Absolutely NO LITTERING!

Last update: 23.03.2009
Syntax and spelling was corrected by Kelly Eppelman (2002) and Patricia Carroll (2004).