Janosch Kowalczyk

About

Janosch Kowalczyk is one of Germany's leading ultra-trail runners, and his entry into the sport has become something of a legend: in spring 2012 his bike broke down mid-route during a 60km event, he ran the rest of the way home, and a week later he won the Black Forest Trailrun. A former software engineer from Leonberg near Stuttgart, Kowalczyk turned professional in 2018 and rapidly climbed the UTMB World Series rankings, winning Ultra Trail Cape Town 100K in 2018 and accumulating victories at Mozart 100K by UTMB (2022), Istria 100K (2024), and Swiss Canyon Trail (2025). He competes for the German national team and has placed inside the top ten at the Ultra Trail World Championships, bringing consistent podium-level performance to events across Europe and beyond. With a UTMB Index of 846 and a coaching program — the Trail Gang — that has attracted athletes worldwide, Kowalczyk is among the most influential German voices in mountain running. He is supported by Adidas and COROS.

Notable Wins

• — Ultra Trail Cape Town 100K 2018
• — Mozart 100K by UTMB 2022
• — Istria 100K 2024
• — Swiss Canyon Trail 2025
• — German national team World Championships top-10

Race History