The last race of the season returns caravan to Serbia, to its south-east part. Babušnica municipality.

The SkyRace which should not be underestimated, by no means! Who ran last year, knows what we are talking about. Limestone, talus slopes, a real trail. The lowest point of the race is 490 m.a.s.l. (the start, Babušnica) and the highest 1.238 m.a.s.l. (Golemi Stol peak). Considering the date of the race we expect nice colours and pleasant weather like last year.

The start of the race is at 8 AM, October 7 (Saturday) 2023 from the center of Babušnica. The trail leads you towards Kaluđerovo and Korbes above village Vava along the ridge of Stol mountain – along old caravan roads and abandoned pastures where will be the first aid station and control point around 9th km – CP1 Balvan river.

Then you continue towards Mali Stol (you don’t climb the peak itself) from where you go towards the foot of the Golemi Stol and enter into the first mountain groove where are talus slope and ropes. This is serious section and you will need maximal attention. Before entering the trail towards the groove there is a short asphalt section. That’s new, about 500 m of asphalt.

After an extremely steep and difficult part you will reach the peak of Golemi Stol at 15th km (CP-2). There is just a control point, nothing more. The next is downhill along the east side where you approach from back to one of the most beautiful villages of Lužnica – Kijevac. There is CP-3 (18 km) including the aid station.

After CP-3 you will have a good ridge climb on rocky ground, again towards Golemi Stol. You will not reach the peak itself, but couloir before the peak itself from where you go down through the second mountain groove in this race. Again there is the part where you need maximal caution and use of the ropes.

Then you will reach the road Kijevac – Stol at CP-4 Sipar (20 km). From there you will go along forest paths (read: short-cuts) over Oljinci directly into the center of Stol village where the finish will be. So, you will not go along standard macadam road (which should be asphalted by that time), but along old roads which are far more colourful and beautiful.

The trail will be marked with striped flagging tape plus with little flags. We will have sweepers, the people who will follow the last racer and clean up all markers. And you will be more safe – someone is always behind you. A special team will wait for you in the mountain grooves.

Very diverse terrain – mud, wide macadam, grass, brutal talus slopes. Limestone also. Required equipment could vary, from recommended to mandatory. Everything will depend on weather conditions.

Time limits::

  • CP-1 river Balvan (9 km) 10:00 AM
  • CP-2 Golemi Stol (15 km) – 11:30 AM
  • CP-3 Kijevac (18 km) – 12:30 PM
  • CP-4 Sipar (20 km) 1:30 PM
  • Finish – village Stol 2:30 PM (6,5h from the start)

GPX record of the race can be downloaded here - Luznica final GPX track 2022.gpx

Be sure to carry enough water and food with you. You must always be autonomous.

Mandatory equipment: Survival blanket, rain/wind jacket, mobile phone, cup (or bidon/flask), and a whistle. Penalties of 30 mins will be applied if any of these is missing. If two or more items are missing, the disqualification will follow. We do not recommend that you have poles, unless you have a good option to fix them to your backpack. In both mountain grooves you will need to use your hands. The poles will just work against you. We strongly recommend that you have GPS with the route of the race recorded!

Note: Along one couloir you climb and along the second one you go down. These are perhaps the most dangerous sections on our trails since the beginning of our league. This talus slope is very difficult, even bigger rocks move. We will clean everything, but please be careful to a maximum degree.

 

 

All additional information will be presented through the final e-mail and the technical meeting in the swimming complex in Babušnica on October 6 (Friday) at 9.00 PM.

You can get your starting package in the TO Babušnica within the swimming complex on October 6 (Friday) from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The packages must be picked up in person in order to sign a statement of taking responsibility for running the race. Medical certificate is obligatory, no older than a year. Applications are open until September 11, 2023, 4 PM (meaning that the payments have to be regulated by this time). Within the participant’s package the runners will get a unique finishers medal and a cotton T-shirt.

The registration fee is 2,400 RSD (EUR 20) until February 5, 2023 and after that date it is 3,200 RSD (EUR 27). Applications can be submitted through trka.rs portal, as usual. Participants’ bus is not organized for this race.

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 race organizer has freedom of decision to postpone the race to Sunday in case of bad weather or to stop the race if estimate that conditions are dangerous for participants.

If you need recommendation for accommodation, write to the local TO – tobabusnica@gmail.com . The conditions are much improved and now there is enough accommodation capacities. You can also use a hall for sleeping for free, of course, like last year. In that case you need to contact us via e-mail.

There will be organized a welcoming lunch for all participants at the finish in village Stol.

The award ceremony: near the finish line in village Stol at 3.00 PM, right after the finish of the race. The top three places in men’s and women’s category will receive the awards.

The race will carry points in the Skyrunning League of Serbia and Montenegro for 2023. This is the last chance to get more points if you want better placing.

The Lužnica SkyRace sponsors: TO Babušnica and municipality of Babušnica.

Not to conquer, but to be conquered!