Tirolean double victory and German heroine at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon
Last updated on 31.08.2025
The 44th edition of the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon (ÖRM) brought sporty highlights and emotional stories: Daniel Federspiel fulfilled a lifelong dream at the age of 38, celebrating his first victory in this historic race while Germany’s Janine Meyer once again beat her own course record of the previous year. Local hero Jonas Holzknecht, just 20 years old, impressed with a fierce performance and secured a podium finish as the youngest second-place finisher in ÖRM history. These great sporting successes were made possible thanks to the tireless commitment of the ÖRM Dream Team with over 1,300 volunteers who ensure the smooth organization of the event every year. Additionally, 80-year old Martin Strobl provided a very special moment as he took on the challenge for the 35th time.
44th victory thriller at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon
The unrivaled 44th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon, covering 227 kilometers and 5,500 altitude meters, once again offered cycling at the highest level in glorious weather. Local hero Jonas Holzknecht caused quite a sensation early on when he left the others behind together with Belgium’s Sieben Devalckeneer and dominated the race for long stretches. While the favorites started to take it really serious for the first time at Jaufen Pass, Daniel Federspiel took the initiative at Timmelsjoch: the MTB Eliminator World Champion attacked decisively, overtook Jack Burke and reached the first position with impressive strength. In a truly thrilling finale, the 38-year-old left nothing to chance, continuously extending his lead and celebrating his long-awaited first victory after 6:48:55 hours in Sölden. Burke had to admit defeat while young star Holzknecht fulfilled his dream.
With an overall time of 6:48:55.8 hours, Federspiel missed Mathias Nothegger’s course record of 6:47:02.3 hours by just under two minutes, but the joy prevailed: “This victory has been my big goal for so long. That it has now become a reality is hard to believe. The emotions when I reached Sölden with cramps were indescribable. At Jaufen Pass, I cycled at my own pace. That was perhaps a good decision, because at Timmelsjoch I was able to really push hard. When I saw Jack, I got some extra watts.”
Holzknecht takes sensational second place – youngest runner-up in history
On the descent towards Sölden, Jonas Holzknecht, Matthias Reutimann and German Andreas Isele overtook Stefano Cecchini, who had previously been in second place. A few hundred meters before the finish, Holzknecht started a sprint and achieved second place: “Indescribable, I can’t put this second place into words. The podium was my biggest dream this year. I had a great day, so I went for it right from the start.” Third place went to Swiss Matthias Reutimann. Hans-Jörg Leopold, the third-best Austrian, finished sixth while Alban Lakata, who had a rather bad day, took eighth place. Last year’s winner Jack Burke also had a less than perfect day: “The attack on Jaufen Pass was a mistake. I pretty much struggled on Timmelsjoch. Things are just not going well this year.”
Women’s power at the ÖRM
Janine Meyer once again delivered an outstanding performance this year, crossing the starting line alongside 391 other women. Given the demanding marathon course, it is particularly remarkable that more and more women are taking on this ultimate challenge. The percentage of women has increased by 50% over the past 10 years and will reach a new record number of female participants in 2025. “We are really delighted to welcome all female participants as the performance of the women at the Ötztaler is particularly impressive,” states Heike Klotz, head of OC.
Janine Meyer achieves the triple
Last year, German Janine Meyer put on a fantastic show, setting a new course record. This year, she achieved what was essentially a start-to-finish victory. From Kühtai onward, she was untouchable and gradually pulled away from her competitors. Her official passage times show the strength of her performance today: she crossed Brenner Pass just a few minutes behind all the top male favorites! She took the lead over Jaufen Pass and Timmelsjoch, setting another new course record with her third victory. The 47-year-old from Cologne finished in 7:22:32.4 hours, four minutes faster than in 2024: “It’s unbelievable, I was on my own for so long. The first victory at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon was definitely the best, because my parents were there too. But I wouldn’t trade any of my three victories for anything else.” Meyer won 17:14 minutes ahead of her compatriot Eva Schien. Local hero Belinda Holzer came in third with a time of 7:51:37.8 and she was really overjoyed. The strong performances of the top three female athletes clearly demonstrated the power of women at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon.
Countless celebrities back at the start
The Ötztaler Cycle Marathon makes fierce dreams come true. Not just for thousands of amateur athletes from 40 nations. Also many celebrities were at the start again, enjoying a fantastic day of cycling in Ötztal. Ski Mountaineering Vice World Champion Sarah Dreier celebrated her debut with a time of 9:11 hours: “Ski mountaineers are getting fit in the summer while training a lot on the bike. But I never cycled such long distances as today. The Ötztaler Cycle Marathon was simply amazing, I had this huge smile on my face all day long. Reaching the finish line was something truly special. It is incredible what the organizers have achieved here in Ötztal.” Winter stars Benjamin Karl, Werner Heel and Manfred Mölgg were also part of the starter field – just as “old hands” like UEFA CEO Martin Kallen, former professional cyclists Thomas Rohregger and Jörg Ludewig or famous wine taster Aldo Sohm from New York. As in the previous year, the best of the celebrities was Manfred Mölgg. In 2025, he finished in 7:46 hours while today he was ten minutes faster! “It was such a fantastic setting with incredible spectators. Cycling together with so many colleagues and friends was a dream again. It was really tough at Timmelsjoch where I got cramps. But my overall time is really great!” Benjamin Karl also delivered a strong performance, achieving his target time of under eight hours in 7:57:38, despite weighing 88 kilograms. Sarah Dreier also made a great ÖRM debut in 9:11 hours!
Sustainability, thanks & preview
The 44th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon thrilled the crowd also with a 15-hour live broadcast on ÖRM TV with over 10,200 viewers watching simultaneously. As a partner of Green Events Austria, the organization is committed to consistent sustainability – from avoiding waste and recycling to e-mobility and travel by public transport. OC members Heike Klotz and Dominic Kuen: “Heartfelt thanks to our dream team of over 1,300 dedicated helpers and volunteers, loyal sponsors and partners, supportive authorities and the understanding local community along the marathon route. They all contribute to keep the myth of the Ötztaler alive in a sustainable way year after year: once again at the 2026 ÖRM taking place on 30 August 2026.”
More details: https://www.soelden.com/en/events-leisure-tips/events/oetztaler-cycle-marathon
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