ŠMARNA GORA 2026 – TWO DAYS OF MOUNTAIN RUNNING, OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES AND PERSONAL BESTS
Another exceptional weekend of mountain running on Šmarna Gora is behind us. On Saturday, September 26, we held the milestone 30th Šmarna Gora Record race, followed by the 47th Šmarna Gora Race on Sunday, September 27.
The Saturday and Sunday races are two completely different challenges. In the Šmarna Gora Record race, practically every second counts, with runners pushing themselves to their limits from start to finish, whether running or power hiking. Sunday's 10-kilometre course, on the other hand, requires much more tactical planning – combining uphill running with technically demanding descents, proper pacing, and enough energy for the final climb to the finish line.
Once again this year, two days of mountain running attracted outstanding Slovenian and international athletes to Šmarna Gora, delivering numerous exciting battles and exceptional performances.
This year’s conditions could hardly have been better. At the start of Sunday’s race, Tacen was still shrouded in morning fog, while just a few hundred metres higher, warm autumn sunshine awaited the runners. Moments like these make the Šmarna Gora Race so special. The challenging course, steep climbs, fast descent, and breathtaking views from Šmarna Gora's summit create a unique combination that keeps runners coming back year after year.
30TH ANNIVERSARY ŠMARNA GORA RECORD RACE
The finish line is ready to welcome the runners
Even mountain running has its warm-up acts
We kicked off our mountain running weekend on Saturday with the 30th edition of the Šmarna Gora Record race. The short but extremely demanding climb from Tacen to the summit of Šmarna Gora once again attracted some outstanding runners.
The women were the first to tackle the 1.6 km course, featuring approximately 360 metres of elevation gain. The women's race delivered a particularly impressive performance. Klara Velepec crossed the finish line in 13:36, improving her personal best on the course by approximately one minute. Her outstanding Saturday performance was already a sign that we would be hearing her name again before the weekend was over.
Half an hour later, the men took to the course, with Tiziano Moia from Italy setting the fastest time, completing the climb in just 11 minutes and 7 seconds. Only 13 seconds behind him, the fastest Slovenian runner, Klemen Španring (11:20), crossed the finish line in second place, while Rok Bratina (11:30) secured third.
The remarkable quality of last year's course record, set by Kenyan runner Richard Omaya Atuya, is highlighted by the fact that even this year's winner finished 34 seconds slower. Atuya's time of 10:33 therefore remains the benchmark for future years and generations of runners taking on Šmarna Gora.
Klara Velepec on the final steep section, heading towards victory
Her closest challenger, Arianna Del Pino
Kitti Posztos finished third
With an outstanding performance, Klara claimed victory and set a new personal best (13:36)
Nobody said it would be easy…
Even the older female runners weren't intimidated by the climb – hats off to them!
A crowded start, where every second counts
Despite the struggle on the final steep section, Tiziano Moia had a comfortable lead
With just over a minute to go, the battle for second place was still wide open
The Šmarna Gora Record race pushes every runner to their absolute limit
Like Klara, Tiziano Moia claimed victory with a personal best (11:07)
Klemen Španring won the three-way battle for second place (11:20)
Rok Bratina also secured a place on the podium (11:30)
The other runners gave it everything they had, too
Great atmosphere, with food and drinks for all participants
Nothing beats the famous Šmarna Gora tea from Gostilna Ledinek
A full set of medals for the fastest runners
Boštjan Novak – the founder and main organiser of the Šmarna Gora Record race
The top 10 men
The top 5 women
THE 47TH CONSECUTIVE ŠMARNA GORA RACE
Klara Velepec Claims Another Victory on Sunday
Sunday saw the traditional 47th Šmarna Gora Race take place. The 10-kilometre course from Tacen first takes runners over Grmada, then descends towards Spodnja Kuhinja, before finishing with a demanding final climb to the summit of Šmarna Gora.
Klara Velepec picked up right where she had left off the previous day. By the time she reached Grmada, she had already built a lead of approximately one minute over her closest rivals, and she never looked back. She crossed the finish line at the summit of Šmarna Gora in 52:08, completing the mountain running weekend in the best possible way – with two victories and a new personal best on Saturday's climb.
Second place went to Italy's Arianna Del Pino (53:46), while Hungary's Kitti Posztos (55:05) finished third.
Klara Velepec heading towards another victory
Arianna Del Pino had to settle for the silver medal once again
Kitti Posztos completed an identical podium to Saturday's Record race
Klara celebrates another victory
Italian One-Two Finish in the Men's Race
Sunday's men's race was also dominated by a strong Italian contingent.
Lorenzo Cagnati claimed victory, completing the 10-kilometre course in 42:56. Saturday's winner, Tiziano Moia, finished just behind him in 43:06, having relentlessly chased the leader on the final climb but ultimately falling just short. Klemen Španring (43:36) secured an excellent third place.
Slovenian runners were particularly well represented among the frontrunners this year. Rok Bratina finished 5th, Jaka Bostner 7th, Tadej Serdinšek 8th, Matej Letojne 9th, and Anže Mošnik 10th. With Klemen Španring also on the podium, an impressive six Slovenian runners finished in the top ten.
Lorenzo Cagnati had to work hard to secure his victory in the end
This time, Tiziano Moia found himself in the role of the main challenger
Klemen Španring gave everything he had, earning him third place
Martin Nilsson (SWE) contributed to the strong international field
Rok Bratina finished fifth, significantly improving his personal best
Some runners made it to the summit with a smile
The top 15 men
The top 10 women
Rising Stars of Mountain Running
As every year, we also dedicated plenty of attention to our younger runners. On the 4.8-kilometre course, Žiga Jan Novak and Manca Mlekuž claimed convincing victories in the junior men's and women's categories.
The performances of young runners are an important part of our event. We are delighted that, alongside established names in Slovenian and international mountain running, we get to witness a new generation of athletes competing on Šmarna Gora every year.
Žiga Jan Novak
Manca Mlekuž
The youngest and smallest runners receive the biggest chocolate bars
All that energy will soon be replenished!
WHAT DID THE TOP SLOVENIAN RUNNERS SAY ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCES?
KLEMEN ŠPANRING
Highest-ranked Slovenian runner in both the races
“I am very pleased with my results, even though I was slightly slower than my personal bests on both days. This year, my training has mainly focused on longer races of around 50 kilometres, so I knew I wasn't optimally prepared for such short and intense efforts. After a season in which many things didn't go according to plan, it's great to see that my training is finally coming together and producing results.”
ROK BRATINA
Second-best Slovenian male runner of this year's race weekend
“I am returning from Ljubljana genuinely very satisfied. Two consecutive days of racing brought me third place in the Šmarna Gora Record and fifth place in the Šmarna Gora Race, where I also set a new personal best of 44:53. I am particularly proud of Sunday's performance, as it confirmed that I can also be competitive in the up-and-down discipline. It's easy to fall in love with Šmarna Gora all over again, so I'll be happy to return next year.”
KLARA VELEPEC
Female winner of both races on Šmarna Gora
“I am very happy to have won both races. It exceeded my expectations. As these were the final races of the season, I gave everything I had left in my legs. My form is clearly good, as I improved my personal best by a minute on Saturday (13:36). For Sunday's race, the plan was to run at my own pace and run all the way up the final steep climb. And that's exactly what I did. My main goal will be the World Championships in Azerbaijan. This year, I'm aiming for the U23 title, as I want to repeat last year's success when I won gold in the U20 uphill race. Now I want to take that achievement one step further.”
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WAS PART OF ŠMARNA GORA 2026
With the successful organisation of the 30th Šmarna Gora Record and the 47th Šmarna Gora Race, we have added another chapter to the long tradition of mountain running on Šmarna Gora.
Organising an event like this requires a tremendous amount of work, so we would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped in any way with the preparation and organisation of the event. Thank you to all the volunteers, race officials, rescue teams, partners, sponsors, and everyone else who contributed.
Above all, a big thank you to all the runners who stood on the starting line, and to the spectators who cheered them on along the course and at the finish line.
Congratulations to all participants, and we look forward to seeing you again on Šmarna Gora!
Winners of the combined competition
Another successful edition organised by Tomo Šarf
RACE VIDEOS – LIVE BROADCASTS OF BOTH RACES
ŠMARNA GORA RECORD
ŠMARNA GORA RACE
ŠMARNA GORA RACE
… is one of the oldest sports events in Slovenia, as it was “born” in 1979. Over the past four decades, it has gained a reputation among domestic and foreign mountain running enthusiasts, as it is regularly included in the Mountain Running World Cup.
-
27.9.2026
-
“A”: 0,65 km, +80 m/-3 m
“B”: 2,5 km, +245 m/-30 m
“C”: 5 km, +405 m/-50 m
“D”: 10 km, +705 m/-350
-
START: Saddle (course A - 0,65 km)
8:55 - JUNIORS W/M (U12)
9:00 - JUNIORS W/M (U14)
START: Chapel (course B - 2,5 km)
9:00 - JUNIORS (U16)
START: Rocen (course C - 5 km)
9:00 - YOUTHS (U20)
9:00 - MASTERS W/M 3 (60+)
START: Rocen (course D - 10 km)
9:10 - SENIOR (U40)
9:10 - MASTERS W/M 1 (40-49)
9:10 - MASTERS W/M 2 (50-59)
ŠMARNA GORA RECORD
The start is at the foot of Šmarna gora in Tacen, and the route to the summit takes the shortest route over the saddle and along the road to the finish at the top of Šmarna gora.
-
26.09.2026
-
Length: 1,8 km
Elevation gain: +360 m -
WOMEN (all categories): 10:00
MEN (all categories): 10:20
“WMRA Greatest Race Of All Times.”
