Red Course

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Big early climb with 1.1km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 523m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 910m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 23.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 51.8km 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–17.1km · Climb of 1098m, high point 1107m. 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 · 17.1km–32.5km · Descent of 523m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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 · 32.5km–51.8km · 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. 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 · 51.8km–58.7km · Descent of 910m 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 3000m+ and descends 3000m−. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 46% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 14% flat. The longest climb runs 11.9km at an average 9.2% grade (1098m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.9km at an average 13.3% grade (910m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 20.1% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 21.6% over 1.4km. Surface: 70% trail, 19% road, and 11% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 84.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Kom (1154m), 11.8km 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 8.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 34 of 100), with 28% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves 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 23.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 51.8km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 17.1–23.7 km · 523 m D−, -7.9% · 35.0 km ahead → control
• 30.1–32.5 km · 251 m D−, -10.5% · 26.2 km ahead → your pace
• 51.8–58.7 km · 910 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 9°C to 16°C, with around 7°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

27 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Brano Baltić (Montenegro) in 6:55:32. Women's winner: Yuliya Volkova (Russia) in 7:41:56.