Koasalauf

• The first International Tyrolean Koasalauf took place on 11 February 1973.
• More than 1,000 participants entered the inaugural 38- or 72-kilometre races.
• The 72-kilometre route ran from Kitzbühel via Kössen to St. Johann in Tirol.
• Local skier Heinrich Wallner won the long race in 5:34:16.
• No Koasalauf was held in winter 2025/26.

The International Tyrolean Koasalauf began on 11 February 1973. More than 1,000 participants set out on routes of 38 or 72 kilometres. The long course led from Kitzbühel through Kössen to St. Johann in Tirol. Heavy snowfall shaped that first event as competitors made their way through the winter landscape. Local favourite Heinrich Wallner won the 72-kilometre race in five hours, 34 minutes and 16 seconds.

The race grew into one of Austria’s major popular cross-country events. Earlier editions were held in January or February beneath the Wilder Kaiser and attracted participants from more than 20 countries. The Koasalauf also belonged to the Euroloppet series, which links major popular races across Europe. Its routes connected cross-country skiing with St. Johann and neighbouring communities in the Tyrolean lowlands. The event therefore had a regional character as well as an international field.

No Koasalauf took place in winter 2025/26. After several years without an edition, organisers found it difficult to form a new organising committee and recruit enough volunteers. Planning was also complicated by the challenge of finding a suitable trail route with sufficient snow reliability. The region continues to look for a motivated organising team that could make a return possible, but no new date has been set.

This pause distinguishes the Koasalauf from races held on a regular schedule. Past routes and results remain part of its history, not a current event programme. Its long tradition still shapes local winter-sport culture: start and finish locations connected communities in the lowlands, while the Wilder Kaiser provided a distinctive mountain setting.

The Skadi Loppet uses the high-altitude trails at Bretterschachten near Bodenmais. The former Ski-Trail Tannheimer Tal linked Tyrol with the Allgäu, while Ramsau’s Dachsteinlauf continues the Tour de Ramsau under a new name. These examples show how cross-country events become part of regional winter calendars in different ways. Read more about the sport itself in our guide to cross-country skiing.