Long

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• 1142m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 32% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 24.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 30.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.3km–13.1km · Climb of 1256m, high point 1777m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 13.1km–30.7km · Descent of 1142m averaging 10%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 30.7km–39.1km · Descent of 490m averaging 6%. 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 2000m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 45% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 13.1km at an average 9.6% grade (1256m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.4km at an average 10.0% grade (1142m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 40.3% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 34.5% over 0.9km. Surface: 66% trail, 13% road, 11% technical, and 10% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 57.0 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 26 of 100), with 43% 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 mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 24.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 30.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 13.1–24.5 km · 1142 m D−, -10.0% · 14.6 km ahead → control
• 30.7–39.1 km · 490 m D−, -5.8% · 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 19°C, with around 13°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 25%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 4% of days around this date.

Results

121 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Mustafa Shaban (Bulgaria) in 3:37:47. Women's winner: Morska Ganna (Ukraine) in 4:50:04.