König-Ludwig-Lauf, live.

Germany's biggest cross-country ski race, Ettal to Oberammergau

The König-Ludwig-Lauf is a cross-country ski weekend in the Ammergau Alps, with a skating day and a classic day and three distances on each.

The idea was born in an Oberammergau inn in 1967, and the first race was held on 17 March 1968 with 796 skiers on the start line. The race was one of the founding members of the Worldloppet Ski Federation in 1978, and today the organiser calls it Germany's biggest cross-country ski race. The 2027 winter edition runs from 5 to 7 February in the Ammergau Alps nature park.

Saturday 6 February is skating day, with 10 km, 21 km and 42 km. Sunday 7 February is the classic day, with the 42 km starting at 09:00 and the 21 km and 10 km at 11:00. The 42 km classic also hosts the German championship in ski marathon.

The long races start in Ettal, at the turn toward Linderhof Palace, and finish at the Sportzentrum in Oberammergau. The 42 km has 425 m of climbing and passes the feed stations at Dickelschwaig, Rahm and Ettaler Mühle, while the 21 km skating course has 224 m.

On the 42 km the field passes Dickelschwaig at 9 and 32 km and Rahm at 16 and 39 km, so those two feed stations see the long race twice. The organiser's history describes the classic route through the landscape of King Ludwig II, from Ettal into the Graswang valley and past Linderhof, with helpers along the course, spectators, bells and shouts on the way to the finish.

On Livebib you can follow a skier who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the König-Ludwig-Lauf.