Velika staza

Race strategy

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

• 302m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 11.2km.
• Hold your race pace up to 21.4km, but stay in control.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 4.9km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 21.4km.
• 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–11.2km · Descent of 302m averaging 6%, climb of 460m, high point 521m. 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.
• Work · 11.2km–21.4km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 21.4km–23.3km · Descent of 141m averaging 8%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course.

Course

The course climbs 1200m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 6.3km at an average 7.3% grade (460m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.0km at an average 5.1% grade (461m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 22.2% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 23.9% over 0.4km. Surface: 96% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 31.7 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Astal (485m), 9.9km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Astalcici (271m). The course also passes close to Brdo (392m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 16 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 4.9km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 21.4km.
• #1 · 0.0–4.9 km · 302 m D−, -6.2% · 18.4 km ahead → control
• 11.2–20.3 km · 461 m D−, -5.1% · 3.1 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 26°C, with around 22°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 71%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 54% of days around this date.

Results

111 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Aleksandar Vukmirović (Serbia) in 2:09:51. Women's winner: Ekaterina Kuptsova (Serbia) in 2:51:28.