14. Schneeberg Trail - 29. Raiffeisen Schneeberglauf - Kids Challenge

The Schneeberglauf with Schneeberg Trail is a late-September mountain running event in Puchberg am Schneeberg, Lower Austria. It centers on a unique race between runners and a steam train on the Schneeberg Railway. The main Schneeberglauf begins in Puchberg at 585 meters, ascending 10 kilometers with approximately 1,200 meters of elevation gain to Hochschneeberg station at 1,800 meters. This race is also known as the Leo Arnoldi Memorial Run, honoring the cog railway's builder. Younger participants compete in the Schneeberg-Kids races, covering distances from 425 to 2,050 meters. The train departs only after the first runners pass the tracks, then ascends to the same finish line in about 55 to 60 minutes, with a stop at Baumgartner station. The running course has an average gradient of 12 percent, reaching 20 percent in sections, making the challenge of beating the locomotive a genuine test of climbing ability. While runners have historically outperformed the train more often, the races are typically competitive. The weekend also features Schneeberg Trail runs of 20 to 32 kilometers. The longer trail route gains around 2,400 meters, crossing singletrack through forests, alpine pastures, and technical terrain near Schneeberg.