Žabljak was the stage for a real sports drama this weekend. For the third time in a row, the Durmitor Trail Run turned the karst and dizzying gorges of the National Park into a racetrack, and the number of registered participants exceeded all expectations. What happened on the trails around Crno and Zminje Lakes, from tears of joy to complete exhaustion, left even the participants speechless.
A record that no one expected: 1.450 runners from 38 countries
The number of 1.450 competitors from 38 countries around the world broke all records of the third edition. Durmitor Trail Run and confirmed that this race has long since outgrown its local scope. The interest, as the organization says, was so great that they were unable to accept all applications, and they are already announcing that next year up to 2.000 runners could take part.
Due to the enormous interest, this year's edition was organized over two days for the first time, something that has never been recorded in the history of the race.
Nikola Scekic, Vuk Raicevic, Filip Filipovic, Slobodan Botoski, Bojan Smolovic, Filip Roganovic
Two days of madness: From Crno to Zminje Lake
On the first day, more than 600 runners took part in the 5 and 10 kilometer races, and a children's race was also held on the same day for the youngest residents of Žablja and guests. The runners passed along the shore of Crno Jezero, a place that adorns every postcard of Durmitor.
The second day was a real test of endurance. The 65-kilometer runners set off at dawn from Zminicko Lake, and the 42-kilometer runners set off from Riblje Lake: both races joined at Sedlo and Savin Kuk, passed by Zminje Lake and Momčilov Grad, all the way to the common finish at Crno Jezero. The 21-kilometer route closed in a circle around Crno Jezero, and led through Zminje Lake, the village of Bosača and Jablan Bare, to the viewpoint at Ražana glava.
Photo: Nikola Šćekić, Vuk Raičević, Filip Filipović, Filip Roganović, Slobodan Botoski, Bojan Smolović
Runner's impressions: "Durmitor is every trail runner's dream"
Runners from all over the world were unanimous: Durmitor thrilled them. The winner of the 21-kilometer race, Mina Kosanović, said that "Durmitor is the fulfillment of every trail runner's dream," while the winner of the same category, Miloš Rajičević, admitted that the rain didn't bother him either - on the contrary, it kept him cool on the trail.
The winner of the marathon race, Croatian Andrej Vištica, compared the landscapes of Durmitor to the Dolomites, calling it the "Balkan Dolomites", and the winner of the most demanding, 65-kilometer route, Miluša Bošković, said that "all four seasons changed" on the course.
Even foreign guests did not hide their enthusiasm. Suresh Srinivasan, a runner from India who regularly travels to Europe for races, said that the Durmitor Trail Run was one of the best races he had participated in, especially praising the marking of the course and the refreshment stations. Briton Harvey Nash, who won second place in the 21-kilometer race, ran in Montenegro for the first time and admitted that he was most impressed by the view of the lakes along the course.
The winner of the most demanding, 65-kilometer route, Aldin Rizvić, left a special impression. Although he has been coming to run on Durmitor for years, this was his first entry into the competition itself and he won immediately, despite the fact that, as he says, he "accidentally missed the course twice". Durmitor, he admits, was his springboard for long distances, and his next goal is a race in France.
Photo: Nikola Šćekić, Vuk Raičević, Filip Filipović, Slobodan Botoski, Bojan Smolović, Filip Roganović
The winner of the 5-kilometer men's race was Branko Stojanović (Montenegro), while the winner of the women's race was Tatiana Kochneva (Russia). The 10-kilometer men's race was won by Ivan Foksha (Russia), while the fastest woman was Emilija Milanović (Serbia). In the half-marathon, at 21 kilometers, Miloš Rajičević (Serbia) triumphed in the men's race, and Mina Kosanović (Serbia) in the women's race. At 42 kilometers, the men's race was won by Andrej Vištica (Croatia), while Petra Kulić (Croatia) won in the women's race. On the most demanding, 65-kilometer distance, the men were led by Aldin Rizvić (BiH), and the women by Miluša Bošković (Montenegro).
Organizers are already planning an even bigger spectacle
The organization says that Durmitor, with its nature and diversity, wrote the story of this weekend, and that every runner who crossed the finish line can confirm this firsthand. With the support of National parks of Montenegro, Municipality of Žabljak, Sports Center Žabljak, as well as numerous sponsors and partners: Coinis, Flights, Sport Vision, 7Nutrition, Suunto, Mercedes-Benz, Ice, Tears, hotel Golden Pine i Sounds and others, the Durmitor Trail Run has once again confirmed that it is one of the most important trail events in the region. Roćenović said: "Our goal is to bring the whole world to Durmitor and for the Coinis Durmitor Trail to become one of the most important world races."
With the announcement of 2.000 runners for next year, it is clear that the story of the Durmitor Trail Run is just beginning.
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