We are opening the 9th season at the Olympic tracks on March 11, 2023!

You all know how looks the new skyrunning format. Last year was the first Skyrunning championship in Spain. Also the Jahorina race, the only one in that format in this part of Europe.

Our association made this format of races on Kopaonik in 2016 and 2017 - it turned out that we were ahead of time. Even then, this type of running on beaten ski slopes showed potential, taking into account excellent response and results. Not to mention the attractiveness and specificity of the SkySnow discipline itself.

Same as in n 2022 the host and the main sponsor will be OC Jahorina with support of the Rajska dolina hotel where will be the base of the race and the finish line. After the great cooperation we continue further. This time the race is also a qualifying race in the SKY format for the European Championship on Prokletije mountains. More about everything on https://www.skyrunning-serbia.com/rezultati/ !

According to difficulty level, conditions and time limit it is much closer to SKY format than to VK. Just to be clear why exactly that format.

Before embarking on this adventure, you must know that the right choice of equipment is crucial for this race. Mini crampons or sneakers with "spikes" can help A LOT and facilitate movement on the surface of this kind. The same stands for poles, we warmly recommend them.

Here are a few links that you might find useful:

Running on beaten ski slopes is a special experience, ask your colleagues who last year participated in the race to share their experience and impressions. Okay, you don’t need, there was a snowstorm  and we hope that it will not be twice.

A total of 15 km awaits you with 1,150 m of ascent and descent. The start is planned for March 11 (Saturday) 2023 from Poljice at 5:15 in the morning. The path takes you on the left ski slope to the top of the cable car and the Olympic Bar. The descent goes to Ogorelica 1 only to climb to Ogorelica 2, but not to the very top but traverses to trail 3b to the restaurant "Koliba Mladost" (6,5 km from the start) where the first refreshment and checking of mandatory equipment is located.

From there, the descent goes to Skočine (Prača) to the bottom, and uphill on the black trail to the famous women's Olympic descent.

There is a substantial vertical there waiting for you and this is the only part of the trail that we will tread, where the snowmachine cannot pass.

After leaving Prača, you join the "winter hiking" trail that goes around the ridge towards the Olympic Bar (12.5 km of trail, second refreshment). After that comes the descent along another path that goes parallel to your first ascent (1a / red path), you come to the same valley from where you started, and the finish awaits you in front of the hotel Rajska dolina. So, you only end up repeating some 300m of the trail. You have to reach the finish line by 9 o'clock when the ski resort starts working.

There will be several controls on the track, we will send this information in the final email and some will not be announced to make sure no one shortens the track.

The tracks will be marked with blue or red spray (arrows on the snow) plus flags.

The snowmachine will be located at the Olympic Bar (12.5 km) in case of cancellation or breach of the limit. The team with snowmobiles will also follow the course of the race, as well as the local GSS.

Time limits:

  • Olimpijski bar (12,5 km) 8:40
  • Finish – Hotel Rajska dolina 09:00 (3 hrs and 45 mins from the start)

Refreshment points (the list of itmes that will be available at these two points will be provided in the final e-mail):

  • Koliba Mladost 6,5km
  • Olimpijski bar 12,5km

GPX record of the race can be downloaded here - Jahorina Skysnow.gpx

As you can see, the limits are okay. Make sure you bring enough water and food with you. You have to be autonomous always.

Required equipment: Survival blanket, (wind) jacket, mobile phone, headlamp, gloves, ski hat, cup and whistle. There are no penalties – if any of the required items is missing, automatic disqualification will follow. We recommend that you have poles with plastic stoppers, but bear in mind that you cannot leave them at the checkpoints. We strongly recommend that you have GPS with the route of the race recorded! We all know what weather conditions were on in February 2022.

All additional information will be presented through the final e-mail. The technical meeting will be held at the Hotel Rajska dolina on Friday, March 11 at 9 PM.

You can get your starting package at the race office at the restaurant of the Hotel Rajska dolina on Friday, March 10 from 6 PM until 10 PM. The packages must be picked up in person since each participant is to sign a statement of responsibility – no medical certificate is necessary. The application will be open until Monday, February 13, 2023 at 4 PM (meaning that the payments have to be regulated by this time). Within the participant’s package each participant will get a unique finishers medal and a cotton T-shirt
The registration fee is 2,400 RSD (20 EUR) and from December 1, 2022 it is 3,000 RSD (25 EUR).

Applications can be submitted through trka.rs portal, as usual. There will be not organized participants’ minibus from Belgrade.

Each participant must wear their starting number in visible place, on the chest or on the belt, frontally. It can be worn on the jacket but take care that it is not covered! Loss of the starting number means automatic disqualification. Should you have any complaints, you can contact us at skyrunning.serbia@gmail.com within 48 hours after the race. After this time, no complaints will be taken into consideration.

The organizer has the discretion to postpone the race for Sunday in case of bad weather forecast, to change the route and revert to "track B" or to stop the race if it is estimated that the conditions are dangerous for the participants.

If you need a recommendation for accommodation, contact us at the above e-mail. Whether it is for the ski center or Pale, we are at your disposal.

Same as last year the Pale municipality will organize free accommodation in the Red Cross building (with heating, sheets and toilets). Number of beds is limited, of course, plan it in advance.

Award ceremony: In front of the hotel Rajska dolina at the finish gate at 9:15, immediately after the race. In case of bad weather, inside the hotel. The first three places in men’s and women’s categories will receive the awards.

The race will be scored within the Skyrunning League of Serbia and Montenegro for 2023 and for the EC on Prokletije mountains. We believe that most of you will enjoy skiing after the race, as we surely will 😊.

See you at Jahorina!