Most of the five 2026 venues are new and are spread across Germany. This is another great opportunity to get a taste of racing, meet like-minded people and get to know your own country at the same time. That's why we're providing a few extra MTB tour tips for each venue to make the journey worthwhile for the whole family.
The 2026 GPS race mode
All age groups, all nationalities, with or without a racing licence, on a running bike or on a racing hardtail can take part. Participation is free for everyone. There are prizes for winning the day and the overall series ranking at the season finale on 26 September.
All information about it: german-pumptrack-series.de
The five GPS stations
At first glance, you might think that the spots in the new German Pumptrack Series are pretty far apart. But if you make a tour out of it and add a few days' holiday, you'll get to know your home country along the way. From Bavaria to Thuringia, via Saarland up to Schleswig-Holstein and finally celebrate the final in the Pott. Make something of it! Here are the spots and dates in detail:
1st stop / 26th April: Saal an der Donau (Bavaria)
With this date, one thing is already clear: it's going to be a real party. The 3,000 square metre pump track was only just built last autumn and will be officially opened on the opening Sunday of the GPS on 26 April. Anyone who has ever been out and about in the Altmühltal / Kelheim area will know that this is home to passionate Bavarian bikers in a party mood and a kilometre-long network of trail tours that has also just been newly signposted. So it might be worth travelling here on Friday for the trails and taking in the pump track race on Sunday as a highlight.
Organiser: RSV Saal
2nd stop / 16 May: Barchfeld-Immelborn (Thuringia)
We admit it: Our trail scouts have not yet travelled to the Thuringian Werrabergland. That's why we don't yet have any special tour tips for the pump track weekend. But that should change soon, as there seems to be a very lively bike scene here, which has been romping around the Immelborn pump track since July 2023. At the same time, an officially authorised trail network is currently being built in the forest. The exact location of these trails has not yet been revealed, but perhaps participants in the German Pumptrack Series will be able to ride parts of them in mid-May. Information on this can be found at trailkombinat.de
Organiser: FSC Immelborn e.V.
3rd station / 11 July: Eppelborn (Saarland)
The very bike-friendly town of Eppelborn is located 30 kilometres north of the state capital Saarbrücken. A large pump track was poured into the greenery on the Hellberg hill here last autumn. A particularly beautiful and green venue for the GPS 2026. Date: Saturday, 11 July 2026
Organiser: RV Schwalbe Eppelborn 1921 e.V.
And here, too, longer journeys and a short road trip are worthwhile, because the Palatinate Forest, which is full of trails, is not far away (Info: mountainbikepark-pfaelzerwald.de) and the Saarland itself is bursting with trail centre-type spots that you should have seen at least once:
4th station / 5th September: Büdelsdorf (Schleswig-Holstein)
Okay, this venue is in the very north of Germany and not really just round the corner for most people. But it is! The town is surrounded by Kiel, Timmendorfer Strand (Baltic Sea) and St. Peter-Ording (North Sea). Even Sylt is only an hour's drive away from here. This pump track race date can therefore be wonderfully combined with an extensive surf and beach holiday. The only important thing is that you are at the start on Saturday 5 September for the GPS event.
Incidentally, there's also plenty to do on a bike in Büdelsdorf, as there's not only a particularly pretty pump track, but also several impressive jumplines.
Organiser: Pumptrack Büdelsdorf
5th station / 26 September 2026: Essen-Steele (North Rhine-Westphalia)
The big closing ceremony will take place in the Pott, on Saturday 26 September in Essen-Steele. This is where the German Pump Track Championships have already been professionally contested.
Organiser: MSV Essen-Steele 2011 e.V.
In addition to the pump track race, there are also the iconic Halde trails to explore. Or the super trails in Iserlohn between Pott and Sauerland. Enduro ace Max Schumann has brought us three of these tours:
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
