CRNA STAZA

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 855m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 76.9km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–23.3km · Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 23.3km–51.5km · Descent of 311m averaging 14%, descent of 855m averaging 16%, climb of 895m. Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 51.5km–85.7km · Descent of 598m averaging 7%, climb of 829m, high point 1912m, descent of 902m averaging 19%. Plus 1 more climb. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 85.7km–102km · 16.6km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 5800m+. With 55m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 6.0km at an average 13.7% grade (829m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.4km at an average 7.1% grade (598m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.9% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 42.6% over 0.2km. Surface: 71% trail, 21% smooth, and 5% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 172.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Vito (1960m), 70.9km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Delelaš (1907m). The course also passes close to Parič (1941m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 16.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 55 of 100), with 46% of the load in the first half: 4 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 76.9km, then run your race pace.
• #2 · 23.3–25.5 km · 311 m D−, -14.1% · 76.8 km ahead → control
• #1 · 30.6–36.1 km · 855 m D−, -15.6% · 66.2 km ahead → control
• #4 · 51.5–59.9 km · 598 m D−, -7.1% · 42.4 km ahead → control
• #3 · 72.2–76.9 km · 902 m D−, -19.4% · 25.5 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 21°C, with around 7°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 42%.

Results

38 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Aldin Rizvic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 14:09:22. Women's winner: Darija Bostjančić (Croatia) in 19:11:07.