Grossglockner Ultra-Trail 2025: a third victory in extreme conditions

The hardest race of my career

25 July 2025 will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Grossglockner Ultra-Trail. What was planned as a tenth-anniversary celebration became a battle for survival against the elements. Of 1,500 athletes who started, only eight reached the finish — a sobering figure that captures the severity of the situation.

After 13 hours, 54 minutes and 38 seconds, I crossed the finish line together with Mathias Deutschbauer. It was my third Grossglockner Ultra-Trail victory, following 2016 and 2019, but under conditions unlike anything I had experienced before.

Extreme weather from the start

Rain and cold already made the Friday evening start difficult. What followed exceeded all expectations: storm-force gusts, graupel and freezing temperatures turned the 110-kilometre route through the Hohe Tauern into a hostile environment.

Safety first: the right decision

On Saturday, the race directors made absolutely the right decision to stop the race early. Many athletes had already withdrawn with exhaustion and hypothermia. The 57 km GGT and 84 km OTT races were cancelled without results.

These were perhaps the most difficult conditions I have ever experienced at GGUT. — Florian Grasel

As an experienced ultratrail runner, I know when limits have been reached. Both of us at the front had fallen. Running and finishing together was also a decision made for safety.

Sharing the win with Mathias Deutschbauer

Our decision to cross the line together grew spontaneously out of the situation. After more than 13 hours fighting the elements, seconds no longer mattered. Solidarity and supporting each other did.

For Mathias, it fulfilled a major ambition: “Taking first place here means I have achieved a big goal. Two years ago I was second, and I really wanted to succeed here.”

Leadership under extreme pressure

GGUT 2025 was also a lesson in crisis management. The parallels with business were clear.

Assessing risk and making decisions

• Keep reassessing the situation. Just as the race directors monitored the weather, leaders need to evaluate changing risks.
• Have the courage to make difficult decisions. Stopping the race was unpopular but right.
• Put people before results. Safety takes precedence over profit, in business and in sport.

Staying mentally strong in a crisis

• Focus on what you can do. In extreme conditions, that can mean the very next step.
• Work together. Mathias and I supported each other rather than racing against each other.
• Adapt. Our original race strategy had to be completely reconsidered.

Ten years of the Grossglockner Ultra-Trail

After ten years, founder Hubert Resch is handing the event over. From the eleventh edition in 2026, Zell am See-Kaprun will take responsibility for its organisation. Over the past decade, more than 15,000 runners have been guided safely over these spectacular routes.

Surrounded by 14 glaciers and 300 peaks above 3,000 metres in the Hohe Tauern, the Grossglockner Ultra-Trail has established itself as one of the Alps’ toughest trail races.

With three wins and the nickname “Mr. GGUT”, I am proud to be part of that history. Every victory has been different. But 2025 will stay with me because of the extreme circumstances and the solidarity between people.

Looking ahead to 2026

The next edition takes place from 23 to 26 July 2026, organised by Zell am See-Kaprun and SALTY Trailrunning. I hope for better weather, but 2025 will always remind me that you never know exactly what the mountains have in store.

The biggest lesson: Prepare for everything, and be ready to discard your plans when the situation demands it.

Further reading:

• Media coverage of the GGUT 2025 victory
• My statement on the controversy and crisis communication

Get in touch for talks on mental strength, crisis management and leadership under pressure, based on real ultratrail experiences.