THE HISTORY OF ŠMARNA GORA RACE
It all started in 1979….
In 1979, mass sports and recreational events began to emerge in Slovenia. The trails of Šmarna Gora served as a training playground for us to build up our fitness. As the rumors of how fast some runners came to the top, it was time to test them out.
Under such circumstances, the idea of the race on Šmarna gora was not far away. The idea was realized in the autumn of 1979. We chose the way around Šmarna gora as it was not crowded.
We didn't complicate too much about the organization - there was just warm tea at the top, a souvenir for everyone, and medals for the fastest. For the first dozen years, the Race was a pleasant local event.
Just before Slovenian independence in 1991, the first Šmarna Gora Record was organized with a more extensive organizational scheme. The excellent organization led to the national mountain running championship in 1992. The course was extended to 9 kilometers with a loop over Grmada.
The race was followed by events that led to a change in the leadership of the Mountain Running Association at the National Athletics Association of Slovenia in the fall of 1992. The new leadership prepared an organizational scheme for the development of mountain running in Slovenia, in which the Šmarna Gora Run had an important role.
Annual inclusion of the Šmarna Gora Race in the Slovenian Cup positions it a special position among domestic events. It is also confirmed by the strong international participation, which has been stronger from year to year.
By being included in the calendar of the World Mountain Running Association in the late 1990s, the Šmarna Gora Race gained a solid foothold for international recognition, which reached its first peak on the quarter-centennial anniversary in 2004 with the WMRA Grand Prix final and the awarding of the prestigious “WA permit” status. In all subsequent years, the Šmarna Gora Race has remained part of the set of races that are included in the race calendar.
In 2010, due to erosion from rainwater along the Šmarna Gora trails and consequently for the safety of participants, the route was partially changed and extended from 9 to 10 km.
In 2012, the Grand Prix final should have been held in Bursa (TUR) which had previously hosted the European and World Championships but was canceled shortly before the event. Šmarna Gora Race saved the reputation of the Grand Prix by accepting the organization just before the event. In 2013, the organizers faced the personal hardship of one of the best runners of the recent period, the Eritrean Azeira Teklay. They helped him save his family with a charity campaign during the days of the event.
In 2014, the WMRA changed the name of "Grand Prix" to the “Mountain Running World Cup”.
In 2020 and 2021, which were marked by Covid, the Šmarna Gora Race was one of the few domestic sports and recreational events and the only World Cup race that was in an adapted format successfully carried out to the general satisfaction of the participants.
From autumn 2022 onwards, we put the arch which is regularly placed on the finish line of the Šmarna Gora Race at a glance to daily visitors, and we have enriched it with a rich overview of the courses and results from both events.
In recent years, we have continued the tradition of the Šmarna Gora Race social engagement and strong international competition. Every year, the race is one of the ones in the international calendar. At the same time, we try to remain friendly to domestic recreational runners with a minimal entry fee and to attract children with legendary “king-size” chocolates of “Gorenjka” origin as prizes. Nevertheless, the Šmarna Gora Race is primarily intended for Slovenian mountain runners!
“WA PERMIT”
The World Athletics (WA, formerly IAAF - International Amateur Athletic Federation) grants certain athletic events or organizers the status of “WA Permit”. The certificate is valid for a one-time event, and can only be received by established athletic events with a long tradition and appropriate organization and participation of top athletes. The Šmarna Gora Race was the first athletic event in Slovenia to obtain this prestigious certificate in 2004 - the Race has had the status of “WA Permit” for all subsequent years and is regularly included in the World Cup. The WMRA officially allows the use of its logo and ensures the appropriate level of the event, thereby showing great confidence in the organizer. The Šmarna Gora Race is also the only event in Slovenia about which World Athletics publishes an extensive announcement and report on its website every year.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “THE RACE” AND “THE RECORD”?
The Šmarna Gora Record takes place on the same terrain as the Šmarna Gora Race, but it has completely different roots: On the 1st of February 1995, one of the members of the local running club, had a fatal accident in the mountains. Therefore the Šmarna Gora Record is dedicated to Tom, who trained a lot on the slopes of Šmarna gora, just behind his home.
HISTORY OF ŠMARNA GORA RACE
You can see the exhibition live in the gallery (within the walls) on Šmarna gora.
The first edition of Šmarna Gora Race (November 18th, 1979) – team of organizers.
Tomo Šarf, initiator and organizer of the Šmarna Gora Race and long-time leader of Slovenian mountain running association (photo from the first edition).
Terezija and Blaž GEČ participated in the first 19 runs. Until 1990, the Race was a purely local event. In 1992 it hosted the national championship.
The first edition of Šmarna Gora Record (June 2, 1991). For a whole decade the idea behind was simmering - how fast can one get to Šmarna Gora? Roman Hojak won.
After 1991, 4 years passed for Record to transform into its current form.
The leader among organizers of the Šmarna Gora Rekord - Boštjan Novak – photographed with Nuša from Šmarna Gora.
Between 2011 and 2015, the ReCord was a race with an individual start - like time trial.
The traditional date for the Record was the first Saturday in February. Weather conditions at this time vary from year to year.
Mainly because of this unpredictability, we changed the date to June in 2016.
The start of the Record is at the foot and the beginning of the most visited path to Šmarna gora.
Children overcome a nearly 2 km long course with 360 meters of elevation gain at a non-competitive pace.
In 2020, Record was postponed to October due to extraordinary circumstances.
Among Slovenians, the record of the Record was set twice in a row by Timotej Bečan from Medvode(2019 - 11:13; 2020 - 11:12).
For several years, the record was own by Eritrean Peter Mamu.
The absolute fastest time ever is held by Filimon Abrraham who was the first to broke the barrier of 11 minutes in 9th October 2020.
Best results of the Šmarna Gora Record.
Mountain biker or mountain runner - who can reach the top faster? This was a dilemma that brought to the organization of “Šmarna Gora Challenge”.
"Šmarna Gora Challenge" - the first edition was won by the cyclist Jure Golčer, one of the best "climbers" in the world at the time. Together with Boštjan Novak, one of our best mountain runners at the time.
Results of the Šmarna Gora Challenge
Lado Urh won the first edition of the Šmarna Gora Race. In the following years, he participated 12 times.
Lucio Fregona (ITA) spread the name abroad. He won consequently in the years between 1994 and 1997. Between 1994 and 2015, he participated 11 times. In 1995, he was even world champion.
Danny Hughes - co-founder, general secretary, and later president of the WMRA was a regular guest at Šmarna Gora Race.
Danny & Tomo - on the hills surrounding Šmarna gora, they got ideas about the global development of mountain running.
Mountain running is pure joy: Bojan Kožuh
Matic Plaznik on his backyard.
"Push, push, push!" - Tine Habjan
Our mountain (masters) legend Miran Cvet takes every race very serious.
Gašper Bregar – it's difficult, but come on...
In the end, Peter who is smiling in this photo, finished in front off the competitors. Obviously he already knew why he was smiling.
The "audience" silently cheers the runners who come by – Žiga Tršek
When a runner pins his start number on his chest, there is no friendship anymore!
With a smile towards the finish line: Anton Derganc, 11x on Šmarna gora
Alice Gaggi - 8 participations on Šmarna gora. She won in 2013, just a month after becoming a world champion.
Mateja KOSOVELJ – 8 victories in junior races and youth category and 2012 in the senior race. She still holds the Slovenian record for Rekord with a time of 13:18 (2006).
"Where the hell is that damn finish line?" - Isaac Kosgei
Thank God there was no mud on the track...
The start of the junior race
The start of the junior race
A finish like this will stay remembered for the rest of your life: Ana Milovič
Sweet prizes await the best on children's trails.
Masters of downhills running together, but on the finish line - first - Tekle, second Teklay, third Baldaccini.
Masters of downhills - cownhill could be ballet: Marco Leoni
Masters of downhills - Jože Čeh
Masters of downhills - Mitja Kosovelj - some people are born for it.
Masters of downhills - Emanuele Manzi
Masters of downhills - Eris Costa – sometimes strange things happen to you while running.
Masters of downhills - Emma Clayton – one of the best.
Not for every excellent mountain runner is suited for descents: Simon Alič
Finish line – in the end, everyone is happy, the winners: Aleša Lotrič Dolinar and Maja Mali
Finish line – together on the course, together at the finish line: Marija Trontelj and Branko Vrečar
Finish line – it was worth struggling a bit: Tamara Čelesnik
Finish line – in 2000, Emanuele Manzi and Marco de Gasperi had a solo race. At the finish line, they decided to make a friendly move so they crossed the finish line together.
Finish line – Lucija Krkoč – participating 8 times on Šmarna gora, won in 2011.
Finish line – spontaneous joy at victory: Sylvain Cachard
Finish line – joy at the finish line: Timotej Bečan
Finish line – joy at the finish line: Karmen Klančnik
Finish line – Mitja Kosovelj – the winner of the Šmarna Gora Race in all categories, still the record holder for the 2,5 km and 9 km courses among juniors.
Andrea Mayr – undoubtedly the most successful mountain runner of the last era. She has competed in our race 7 times (she won six times, one time she was second).
Lucy Murigi – she won the Race in 2018 and 2019, taking over the primat of Andrea Mayr. 3x participant in the World Championships, second in 2014, and world champion in 2017 and 2018.
Dramatic finish - the race ends at the finish line. In 2012, Azerya Teklay was keeping the pace throughout the whole course, but in the final meters, Alex Baldaccini overtook him.
Johan Bugge (NOR) won the Šmarna Gora Race in 2017 and 2018. He was the European champion in 2015.
Petro Mamu (ERI) – He has won all three of his appearances at the Race (2014, 2016 and 2019). He was also the world champion in 2012.
Fred MUSOBO (UGA) won the Race in 2015. He competed twice at the World Championships and was 1st and 3rd.
The runner who left the biggest mark in the history of mountain running in the world - Jonathan Wyatt with an unattainable time (2 times winner of the Race).
On the finish line, we are all friends again, not oponents (Fujio Miyachi and Simon Strnad)
At the 30th anniversary of the Šmarna Gora Race in the fall of 2009, we invited all the winners to the race.
Among the participants and winners of the race was also cross-country and olympian skier Petra Majdič.
Mountain biker Tanja Žakelj also participated in the Race.
Without the team of Gostilna Ledinek on Šmarna gora, there would be no Race for sure.
Winning combo: Miha & Tomo
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