Koasalauf History

A Tradition is Starting

The first Int’l Tiroler Koasalauf race was held on February 11, 1973. Set against the scenic backdrop of the Wilder Kaiser, or “Koasa” as the locals call it, the event attracted over 1000 intrepid racers who braved the heavy snowfall and strong winds on this day. The race offered two distances: 38K from Kitzbühel to St. Johann and 72K from Kitzbühel to Kössen. Winner of the 72K race was local hero Heinrich Wallner with a time of five hours, 34 minutes and 16 seconds.

The popular citizens race was dreamed up by the head of the St. Johann in Tirol Tourist Board and by Kneissl, a ski manufacturer from Kufstein. A closer look at the Kneissl logo and the Koasalauf logo reveals the similarities in the design and fonts used. Over the years the course of the race had to be changed many times due to road and/or residential construction, and before long the event was moved to St. Johann in Tirol for good. Since 2010 the Koasalauf has been held exclusively in this region of the Kitzbüheler Alpen, allowing for constant improvements to be made to the course and the overall quality of the event. Franz Puckl sen., Werner Patz, Franz Steinkogler and Hans Richter have witnessed the Koasalauf’s development first-hand: these four remarkable athletes have competed in the Koasalauf every single year since its first ever running in 1973!