Velika staza

Race strategy

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

• Big early climb with 1020m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Start easy and control your HR up to Leskovik.
• Hold your race pace up to the aid station at 32.8km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 34.6km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–14.5km · Climb of 1017m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 14.5km–32.9km · 6.8km of runnable trail, high point 1173m. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 32.9km–34.6km · 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 34.6km–35.8km · Descent of 178m averaging 15%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1835m+. With 51m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 48% downhill and 8% flat. The longest climb runs 14.5km at an average 7.0% grade (1017m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.6km at an average 8.0% grade (924m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 33.5% over 0.2km. Surface: 49% trail, 35% smooth, 7% technical, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 49.7 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Leskovik (1174m), 14.5km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Ostra cuka (1072m). The course also passes close to Siljegeriste (1155m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 22 of 100), with 20% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 34.6km.
• 21.3–32.9 km · 924 m D−, -8.0% · 2.9 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 25°C, with around 17°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 75%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 54% of days around this date.

Results

96 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Андрија Станић (Serbia) in 3:48:43. Women's winner: Викторија Келер (Serbia) in 4:53:02.