Believe the hype. This is the best event I have ever done – if you like a challenging course, stunning scenery, impeccable organisation, value for money and a finishers t-shirt to be proud of, then put this one on your list.

The 26.2 mile course runs from Interlaken (566m), flat for the first 10k, then gently uphill to halfway in the imposing waterfall lined sides of the Lauterbrunnen valley (810m). The course then turns nasty, heading sharply up to the ski resort town of Wengen (1284m), and keeps going up.

The waterfalls are replaced by glaciers tumbling from the peaks of the Jungfrau and Monch, and the final sting in the tail is a steep, single track mountain path up to a ridge where a lone bagpiper salutes your arrival at the highest part of the course (2205m). A short downhill stretch takes you to the finish at Kleine Scheidegg (2100m) in the shadow of the north face of the Eiger.

In a day of so many highlights a few stand out:

• the booming chorus of alpenhorns at the start
• the deafening sounds of cowbells from the fantastic crowd support lining the route
• people yelling support from the rack railway cars slowly climbing the same hill
• dancing to “Is this the way to Amarillo” all the way through Wengen, thanks to the towns in-built stereo system (gotta love the swiss)
• hot showers at the top – I kid you not
• distance markers every 250m and feed stations every 2k with everything you could want – even tea and soup
• AND... crossing the line of my first marathon!

This year all applicants got a place (just), but with only 4000 places up for grabs and growing popularity, entries will only get harder to come by.

To enter the ballot, visit the Jungfrau Marathon website .