Canyon Rhein Hunsrück Bike Marathon

The Canyon Rhein Hunsrück Bike Marathon is one of the most established mountain bike events on the Middle Rhine and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026. Organized by the MTB community Rhens, the marathon has become a firm fixture in the race calendar for German and international amateur and licensed riders since its first edition in 2001.

The venue and start/finish is the historic market and town hall square in Rhens — a medieval royal election town on the left bank of the Rhine, about 10 km south of Koblenz. In the Middle Ages, Rhens was one of the places where German kings were elected; the "Königsstuhl" (King's Seat) above the town is a historical monument where Rudolf von Habsburg was elected king in 1273. The Gothic town hall from the 15th century still characterizes the market square today, forming the backdrop for the marathon.

The sporting format is broad: 8 different routes are available, covering different difficulty profiles and distances. The range extends from short family and beginner tours (25 km) to medium marathon distances (40 to 60 km) and long, demanding routes (80 km) for trained riders. In addition, there are separate classifications for mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and road bikes, so that road cyclists also have their own competition class.

The routes lead through the UNESCO World Heritage site "Upper Middle Rhine Valley" and the eastern heights of the Hunsrück. They pass through very different landscape types: narrow trails through the beech forests on the edge of the Hunsrück, wide forest roads over the ridges, technical single trails on the slopes above the Rhine, scenic high-altitude paths with views of the castles of the Middle Rhine (Marksburg, Stolzenfels, Burg Lahneck) and the Moselle estuary. A highlight of many routes is the spectacular view from the Königsstuhl plateau over the Rhine valley with Koblenz and the Deutsches Eck.

The format typically includes two race days. Saturday is traditionally reserved for the shorter family and beginner routes as well as for gravel and road bike competitions; Sunday is the main race day with the major mountain bike marathons. Refreshment stations along the route, a time-keeping crew with live results, and a festival area on the market square with catering, an industry exhibition, and live music round off the event.