Training plan · Östergötland, Sweden
Vätternrundan training plan 2027
Friday 18 to Saturday 19 June 2027, Motala. 315 km with 1,362 m of climbing.
In short
Give yourself 16 to 20 weeks for the Vätternrundan on 18 and 19 June 2027, which means starting between February and early March. It is 315 km clockwise around Lake Vättern from Motala, rolling rather than hilly at 1,362 m of climbing, and most riders start in waves through the night: from 19:30 on Friday until about 06:30 on Saturday, with the finish closing at midnight on Saturday. Entries are open: choose your start-time intervals by 23 November 2026, and on 25 November you get a start time and pay. Build long steady rides towards seven or eight hours, practise eating every hour, and fit lights if you start before 03:00. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 11 h 04 min.
The Vätternrundan at a glance
| Date | Friday 18 to Saturday 19 June 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Motalasource |
| Distance (315 km) | 315 km (195.7 miles), 1,362 m of climbingsource |
| Start times | The main field leaves Motala in waves from 19:30 on Friday 18 June until about 06:30 on Saturday 19 June 2027. Riders aiming for under nine hours start on Saturday between 11:30 and about 12:30.source |
| Time limit | The finish in Motala closes at midnight on Saturday. The Jönköping depot closes at 11:30 on Saturday and Hjo at 16:00, and riders must reach each one at least 20 minutes before it closes.source |
| Entries for 2027 | Step 1, choosing your start-time intervals, runs to 23 November 2026. Step 2 opens on 25 November 2026 at 19:00 CET: you get a start time and pay within five days.source |
| Entry fee | SEK 2,100 from 25 November 2026 to 13 January 2027, then SEK 2,200 to 17 March and SEK 2,300 to 16 June, or SEK 2,400 on the day in Motala.source |
| Lights | Working front and rear lights and reflectors are compulsory for a start between 19:30 and 03:00, and again on Saturday evening.source |
| Roads | Open to traffic. In 2026 the county's permit put lower speed limits for motor traffic on 57 stretches of the course.source |
| Riding in groups | Riding in a bunch is allowed, but not drafting behind vehicles. The organiser recommends riding no more than two abreast.source |
| Depots (2026) | Ödeshög 47 km, Ölmstad 83, Jönköping 104, Fagerhult 133, Rödån 143 (water only), Hjo 171, Karlsborg 204, Boviken 225, Askersund 256 and Godegård 284.source |
| Food (2026) | Every depot had water, sports drink, blueberry soup, coffee, gherkins and buns. Jönköping added meatballs and mashed potato, and Hjo lasagne.source |
| Field (2026) | 17,192 riders started and 16,236 finished.source |
| Minimum age | 15 in the year you ride. Riders aged 15 to 17 are advised to ride with a parent or another adult.source |
| Format | A timed challenge, not a race: there are no result lists. It is part of En Svensk Klassiker.source |
| Bikes | No triathlon bars and no disc wheels, rims at most 65 mm deep at the front and 80 mm at the back, and no e-bikes on the 315 km.source |
| After the finish | Riders must rest for at least six hours after finishing before driving. In 2026 police checked drivers leaving Motala.source |
| Bike Week | Shorter rides of 100 km and 150 km and the women's Tjejvättern are on Saturday 12 June 2027, the week before.source |
| Route file | The course on this page follows the organiser's route file from its race map. It carries no year; its depots match 2026, and the course has been the same since 2021.source |
The course
Profile from the organiser's route file and its own heights (314.9 km), split into climbs, flats and descents by WattPlan. The organiser's figures are in the table above, and their route is the one that counts on the day.
Your power and time on the course
Enter your FTP and weight and WattPlan's route model rides the course for you the way a long day is best ridden: harder on the climbs, where a watt buys the most speed, and easier on the flat, at an effort you can hold to the finish. The figures below are for 230 W and 75 kg until you do.
| Checkpoint | km | Cut-off | Your riding time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jönköpingsourcekm 104, the depot closes at 11:30, and riders must be there 20 minutes before | 104 | 11:10 Sat | 3 h 40 min |
| Hjosourcekm 171, the depot closes at 16:00, and riders must be there 20 minutes before | 171 | 15:40 Sat | 6 h 01 min |
| Finishsourcethe finish, km 315, cut-off 24:00 Sat | 315 | 24:00 Sat | 11 h 04 min |
Your riding time from the start, without stops and at an even effort all day: add your start time and your stops to see where you would stand.
| Climb | Summit (km) | Length | Average | Steepest | Your power | Your time |
|---|
Eat at about km 22, 43, 65, 85, 107, 127, 148, 170, 192, 214, 234, 256, 276, 298. Riding something else? The free pacing calculator does this for any route from its GPX. In the app, Route analysis adds your own fade over a long day, the wind on the day and a pacing file for your bike computer.
How long to train for the Vätternrundan
Sixteen to twenty weeks of structured training suits most riders, which means starting between February and early March for 18 June. Choose your start-time intervals by 23 November 2026, and on 25 November at 19:00 CET you get a start time and pay.
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to 18 June around the days you can ride, runs the indoor sessions on a smart trainer in the app, and adjusts the plan when a week goes wrong.
A night around the lake
The main field leaves Motala in groups through the night, from 19:30 on Friday until about 06:30 on Saturday. The organiser suggests first-timers take one of the earlier intervals: more time for the lap, quieter roads and depots, and the sunrise over the lake. Lights and reflectors are compulsory for a start between 19:30 and 03:00, and again on Saturday evening.
Ride some of your long training rides into the dark, or start them before dawn, so eating, staying warm and staying alert at night are things you have practised.
Pace, depots and the cut-offs
The finish closes at midnight on Saturday, and the depots close behind the field: Jönköping at 11:30 on Saturday and Hjo at 16:00, which you must reach at least 20 minutes before. A rider who starts at 06:30 has about seventeen and a half hours.
The course is rolling, with no climb gaining much more than 100 m, and the organiser's own ride report calls the stretch from Jönköping to Hjo the toughest. The calculator above rides it for your FTP and weight on your own: in the bunches, which the rules allow, you will be quicker than it says.
Eating on the way
In 2026 there were ten depots, from Ödeshög at 47 km to Godegård at 284 km, each with water, sports drink, blueberry soup and buns, plus meatballs and mashed potato at Jönköping and lasagne at Hjo. Eat every 45 minutes from the start, around 60 grams of carbohydrate an hour, and use the depots to top up rather than to catch up.
Training for 315 km
Build your long ride steadily towards seven or eight hours, with some weekends of two long days back to back, and ride them at the steady effort you can hold all day. Practise riding in a group, two abreast and smoothly, and get your position and saddle right well before June: 315 km finds every ache.
Your plan to 18 June
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Friday 18 June 2027 around the days you can ride, and eases off before the day. Take a rider with 230 W of FTP who rides 3 to 5 hours a week now and has an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and up to 6 hours on Saturdays: a 20-week plan starting Monday 1 February 2027 has 9 weeks of base, 5 of build, 5 of peak and 1 of taper. It opens at 4 hours a week and builds to 11, with a longest ride of 6 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the Vätternrundan is filled in for you. Premium adds the whole plan to race day and adjusts it when you miss a session or ride harder than planned.
Questions riders ask
How long should I train for the Vätternrundan?
Sixteen to twenty weeks suits most riders, so start between February and early March for 18 June 2027.
How hard is the Vätternrundan?
It is 315 km around Lake Vättern with 1,362 m of climbing, rolling rather than hilly. The distance is the challenge: most riders are on the road for between ten and sixteen hours.
How do I enter the Vätternrundan 2027?
Entries are open: choose your preferred start-time intervals by 23 November 2026. On 25 November at 19:00 CET you get a start time and have five days to pay. Entry costs SEK 2,100 until 13 January 2027, then rises.
What time does the Vätternrundan start?
The main field starts in waves from 19:30 on Friday 18 June until about 06:30 on Saturday 19 June 2027. Riders aiming for under nine hours start on Saturday between 11:30 and about 12:30.
What is the time limit on the Vätternrundan?
The finish closes at midnight on Saturday. The Jönköping depot closes at 11:30 on Saturday and Hjo at 16:00, and you must reach each one 20 minutes before it closes.
Do I need lights for the Vätternrundan?
Yes, front and rear lights and reflectors if you start between 19:30 and 03:00, and again on Saturday evening.
More event training plans
Sources
- Vätternrundan, official site
- Vätternrundan rules
- About registration
- Depots (2026)
- Race map
- A ride around the lake, by the organiser
- Start and finish
- Food (2026)
- Field (2026)
- After the finish
- Bike Week
- Route file
WattPlan is not connected with the Vätternrundan or its organiser. We've done our best to make sure everything here is accurate, from the details the organiser had published when we checked on Friday 9 October 2026, and we'll update this page as more details come out. Confirm dates, routes and rules on the official site. Times and power figures come from a physics model and are estimates, not predictions of your result.