Grimm Extreme Triathlon (Grimm Xtri)
Edersee (Waldeck) to Brocken, Germany · June · Independent
Latest edition: UNVERIFIED. Announced for 19 June 2021 after 2020 test race; one source says restart delayed to 2022. Not listed on globalextremetriathlon.com active-races page (Oct 2026); no results, news or 2022+ reports found; grimmxtri.com domain does not resolve. Treat as possibly dormant; verify before publishing.
Why people love it
- Edersee castle swim to a Brocken summit finish at 1,141 m (3,743 ft), described as Germany's only extreme full-distance concept
- About 4,000 m (13,100 ft) of ascent, crossing the former inner-German border
- Solo or team entries
Watch out for
- Unclear whether it still runs; no reports from 2022 on
- No independent race reports found
- Swim distance, cut-offs and fees unpublished
- Mountain cut-off diverts slower athletes to a shorter finish at Torfhaus
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.
- Racer satisfactionLiked3.4
No participant reviews found. The Edersee-to-Brocken concept is distinctive, but we could not confirm the event still runs; no reports from 2022 on. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.0
No data. A niche event with unconfirmed status, and the grimmxtri.com website no longer loads. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyExperts only1.1
An extreme format: a night swim, a 200 km (124 mi) hilly bike and a mountain run with a cut-off and a support crew. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialVery slow1.1
Over 2,000 m (6,600 ft) of bike climbing, a 14% grade out of T1 and a mostly off-road run. Personal bests are not meaningful. · Medium confidence
- Course easeExtreme1.3
About 4,000 m (13,100 ft) of ascent over a roughly 200 km (124 mi) bike and an off-road run. A mountain cut-off diverts slower athletes. · Medium confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalAlmost always4.6
Edersee in mid-June is typically 16-20 °C (61-68 °F), so a wetsuit is very likely. No confirmed rule. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.6
Mid-June reservoir water is about 16-20 °C (61-68 °F), on the cool side. A night start will feel colder. Unmeasured. · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm4.2
A large sheltered reservoir in a valley, though the open Edersee can chop in wind. No race reports. · Low confidence
- Swim easeModerate3.3
A midsummer start in darkness makes sighting harder. The distance is unconfirmed, but a full-distance claim implies 3.8 km (2.4 mi). · Low confidence
- Swim experienceGreat3.9
A night swim toward a floodlit Schloss Waldeck, described attractively. Mass start. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceGood3.6
German rural roads are usually decent. No race-specific data. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly open2.0
Probably open roads for a small field. Unverified. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.3
The organiser promises fairy-tale castles along Hesse and Harz countryside. · Low confidence
- WindSome wind3.3
Hills and forest give shelter, but exposed ridges are unknown. No wind data. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedSlow2.0
About 200 km (124 mi) with 2,000 m (6,600 ft) or more of climbing and a 14% climb right after T1. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessHilly2.1
A preview says well over 2,000 m (6,600 ft) over about 200 km (124 mi), so hilly to mountainous. · Medium confidence
- Bike simplicityTechnical2.3
Many short steep climbs imply steep descents. No further data. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportSparse1.5
A remote forest and mountain run with a small field, so expect few spectators. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard2.5
Support-crew style racing. No further aid data. · Low confidence
- Run scenerySpectacular4.6
Sösetalsperre dam, forest, the former inner-German border and the Brocken summit. · Medium confidence
- Run conditionsBrutal1.4
Off-road and steep, above the treeline on the Brocken, after 200 km (124 mi) on the bike. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessBig climbs1.4
A mostly off-road run just over a marathon. With about 4,000 m (13,100 ft) total ascent, the run likely climbs 1,500-2,000 m (4,900-6,600 ft). · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.4
June in the Harz is about 10-20 °C (50-68 °F) in the valleys, and colder, windier and wetter on the 1,141 m (3,743 ft) Brocken. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityUnsettled2.0
The Brocken is known for fog and storms, and the race finishes on the summit. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.2
Castles, a large lake and Harz National Park. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyTricky1.5
A point-to-point race across three states, so spectators have a hard time following. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeModerate3.3
Edersee sits at about 245 m (800 ft), but the finish and much of the run climb toward the Brocken at 1,141 m (3,743 ft). · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.5
Edersee and the Harz are tourist regions with ample lodging, but start and finish are over 200 km (124 mi) apart. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
German rural pricing. No race-specific data. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityMostly driving1.5
Point-to-point from Edersee to the Brocken, so nothing is within walking distance. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.0
Central Germany. Kassel-Calden is a small airport, and Hannover or Frankfurt are about 190 km (118 mi) away. · Low confidence
- LogisticsFiddly1.5
Point-to-point with a support crew and transfers. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine3.0
No data. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Edersee (Waldeck) to Brocken, Hesse / Lower Saxony / Saxony-Anhalt (Harz), Germany
- Typical month
- June
- Organiser
- Independent
- First held
- 2021
- Distances
- 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 180 km (112 mi) bike, 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Edersee near dam, swim north toward Schloss Waldeck (reservoir)
- Swim start
- mass
- Bike climbing
- 2,000 m (6,560 ft)
- Altitude
- 1,141 m (3,740 ft)
What racers and reviewers say
- TRI247article · Positive
Preview of the first full edition (19 June 2021) after a 2020 test race with athletes from five countries. Describes night swim at Edersee dam toward Schloss Waldeck, about 200 km (124 mi) bike with 14% climb out of T1 and 2,000+ m (6,600+ ft) gain, then a mostly off-road run with about 4,000 m (13,100 ft) total ascent crossing the former border and passing above the Brocken tree line. A mountain cutoff diverts slower athletes to a shorter finish at Torfhaus.
- Grimm Xtri official blogblog · Positive
Organiser blog frames the race as a literary and historical journey from Edersee to a mountain-top finish on the Brocken with about 4,000 m (13,100 ft) of ascent, past castles and across the old iron curtain. No race reports or dates on cached page; sign-up links to an external UK entries site.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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