52km

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 694m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 40% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 47.2km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–14.3km · Descent of 694m averaging 18%, climb of 673m. 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 14.3km–27.1km · Descent of 716m averaging 8%, climb of 579m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 27.1km–47.2km · Climb of 311m, high point 1046m. Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 47.2km–50.6km · Descent of 379m averaging 11%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 3014m+. With 58m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 48% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 7% flat. The longest climb runs 6.2km at an average 6.8% grade (423m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.8km at an average 8.1% grade (716m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 55.3% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 31.9% over 0.4km. Surface: 73% trail and 18% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 76.4 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 5.9km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 51% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 47.2km.
• #1 · 6.2–10.0 km · 694 m D−, -18.3% · 40.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 14.3–23.1 km · 716 m D−, -8.2% · 27.6 km ahead → control
• 39.4–43.5 km · 498 m D−, -12.1% · 7.1 km ahead → your pace
• 47.2–50.6 km · 379 m D−, -11.2% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 4°C to 14°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 36%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 3% of days around this date.

Results

77 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Erzen ZYBERAJ (Kosovo) in 6:10:57. Women's winner: Ivana CENERIC (Serbia) in 7:11:29.