Gray Course

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.4km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 558m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 904m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• 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 46.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 75.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 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–13.1km · Climb of 1348m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 13.1km–40.3km · Climb of 452m, high point 1583m, descent of 558m averaging 6%. 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 · 40.3km–75.0km · Descent of 517m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 75.0km–81.8km · Descent of 904m averaging 13%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 4100m+ and descends 4100m−. With 49m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 42% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 13.1km at an average 10.3% grade (1348m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.2km at an average 6.1% grade (558m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 19.5% over 0.8km. The steepest descent drops at 21.5% over 1.4km. Surface: 73% trail, 15% road, and 10% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 115.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Kom (1154m), 34.9km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Vranovo Brdo (743m). The course also passes close to Visoka Glava (1129m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 16.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 43 of 100), with 34% 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 46.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 75.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 23.3–32.5 km · 558 m D−, -6.1% · 49.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 40.3–46.7 km · 517 m D−, -8.0% · 35.1 km ahead → control
• 75.0–81.8 km · 904 m D−, -13.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 16°C, with around 4°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 35%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 9% of days around this date.

Results

21 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Guntis Smaukstelis (Latvia) in 11:01:05. Women's winner: Ivana Cenerić (Serbia) in 13:43:12.