The relentless traveling circus that is the 2026 Hero UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup is about to hit its penultimate stop. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, the historical off-road capital of Kirchzarten will play host to the second-to-last round of the series: the infamous Black Forest Ultra Bike Marathon.
If anyone tells you marathon mountain biking is just a soft alternative to cross-country Olympic racing, show them this profile. The main course packs a vicious 118 kilometers and 3,550 meters of vertical climbing into a route that loops entirely around Mount Feldberg. At an altitude of 1,492 meters, Feldberg is the highest point of Germany’s mid-altitude mountain range, offering a stern, rhythm-breaking backdrop where team strategy completely disintegrates in the face of brutal grades and technical singletrack. Around 3,000 riders are descending on the Upper Dreisam Valley, and the overall World Cup standings are on an absolute knife-edge.
Valero Serrano Faces an Unforgiving Chase
In the men’s field, Spain’s David Valero Serrano rolls into Germany wearing the red leader’s jersey, but his cushion at the top is anything but comfortable. Valero Serrano is currently being hunted by a fierce elite chase pack that refuses to give him breathing room.
Sitting just 125 points back in second place is Wout Alleman, whose current form makes him a massive threat on a selective track like Kirchzarten. Ominously lurking in third is marathon veteran Leonardo Paez, sitting 194 points adrift and hunting for revenge after a late-stage mechanical ruined his shot at the Dolomites podium. With 3,550 vertical meters to sort out the pretenders, Valero Serrano will have to rev the engine early if he wants to carry his series lead into the final round.
Weinbeer Looks to Defend Against a Surging Peretti
The women’s series is turning into a direct clash of tactical philosophies. Switzerland’s Anna Weinbeer currently commands the overall ranking with 900 points, relying on a season of clinical consistency to keep her rivals at bay.
However, her lead is under serious duress. Natalia Fischer sits within striking distance at 695 points, but the real momentum belongs to Italian Marathon Champion Claudia Peretti. Peretti is fresh off an absolute wire-to-wire clinic in the Dolomites where she obliterated the field on the very first climb. She now sits 280 points behind Weinbeer and has made it clear she isn’t traveling to Germany to collect a consolation medal.
Weekend Schedule and Early Morning Invasions
The organizers are filling the weekend with a packed program designed to maximize the premium industry buzz. For fans and tech-nerds on the ground, the official expo area at the Sport Stadium Kirchzarten opens Friday afternoon, showcasing the latest off-road gear before Saturday’s public HERO Race Talk at 16:00.
Sunday is where the actual suffering happens. The Elite Men take the start at a crisp 7:30 AM, with the Elite Women, Master, and amateur fields launching exactly ten minutes later into the forest paths. The fastest finishers are expected to blast back into the stadium around noon, concluding an uninterrupted succession of valleys, forests, and high-altitude scenery that will leave the 2026 World Cup hierarchy thoroughly redefined.