In Switzerland, athletes and spectators alike can enjoy participating in or watching various disciplines all year round.
Early September sees the start of one of the world's finest marathons inInterlaken : the Jungfrau Marathon, a grueling 49 km mountain race at an altitude of 1,839 meters, set against a spectacular backdrop at the foot of three magnificent peaks: the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau.
Also in September, the European Masters golf tournament in Crans Montana, a Valais tourist destination, is one of the best-endowed European Tour events. An 18-hole course at an altitude of 1,500 m on the Haut Plateau of Crans-sur-Sierre, together with sublime scenery, give this sporting competition a unique mountain atmosphere.
When it comes to skiing, Switzerland naturally plays a major role in the Alpine Skiing World Cup calendar. January is traditionally racing month. Every year, giant slalom and slalom specialists look forward to the races in Adelboden and the steep slope of the "Chuenisbärgli", one of the world's most challenging giant slalom courses. The Lauberhorn descents, which have been held in mid-January at Wengen in the Bernese Oberland since 1930, are the highlight of the men's World Cup season. The 4,455-meter-long Lauberhorn is not only the longest downhill run in the world, but also the fastest, with racers clocking an estimated 160 km/hour, or around 2 minutes and 30 seconds to reach the bottom of one of the world's most technical slopes. Finally, let's not forget the classic stops on the women's calendar, with competitions in Saint-Moritz in December and Crans-Montana in February.