Route recognition: 42K of running, mud and fun on the trails of Maratonul Olteniei

There’s just one month left until Maratonul Olteniei, a sports event that gathers trail runners and mountain cyclists in Ramnicu Valcea, to enjoy the hills and views of Southern Romania. I was lucky enough to join the organizers from CEZ team, the company that created this sports challenge, for a route recognition.

We had a day of running in the rain, and some of us also went cycling. The actress Diana Dumitrescu was there to do the route recognition for the mountain bike competitions, together with Martin Zmelik, CEZ Country Manager, while me and other runners from CEZ team got our running shoes dirty 🙂

We also shot the promo video for the event and now that I see it, my adrenaline totally goes up and I feel like racing this very second. I bet you know the feeling.

 

 

So here’s what to expect if you decide to take part in one of the running or cycling competitions.

 

Maratonul Olteniei powered by CEZ will take place on the 25th and 26th of August. The first day of the event is for the mountain bike competition, while the second one is for the trail running races.

This year is the first time that Maratonul Olteniei will have a marathon distance. 

So now there will be a 10,5 km race with 300 m positive elevation, a 21,5 km race with 600 m positive elevation and a 42 km distance with 1300 m D+.

In mountain biking, there are two distances: 33 km with 930 m D+ and 51 km with 1530 m D+.

Running on the trails around Ramnicu Valcea I realized that all the three racing distances are going to be great for fast runners. And I’m sure everyone will have great finishing times, because there’s room for personal bests and maybe even race records.

There’s mostly soft ground, grass, running through forests and green hills – it’s going to be amazing running there. Not underestimating the uphills, of course. The marathon race starts with a pretty vertical climb, and then, at about km 14, there’s another relatively long uphill. That’s when the legs will need something more than motivation to keep pushing, but once you get way up, the views you’ll see will be totally worth it.

Take a look at the fun we had when we went training on the marathon route with a part of CEZ team. If you haven’t run in Oltenia before, you’ll get to see how the paths look, and get a glimpse of the beautiful views.

We had a rainy day, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the trails and the views. It was actually a good reminder of one of the most important lessons the mountains can teach – be prepared for any kind of weather. And don’t let it ruin your fun. I actually love summer rain and I consider it a bonus when it rains during competitions, because it helps me cool off a bit.

 

 

Besides the route itself, by running together with people from Ramnicu Valcea and CEZ team members that actually organize the event, I noticed one other thing. It’s going to be one of those friendly events for passionate people, made by nature and sports lovers for others alike.

So what do you think? Do you have the marathon genes?

Are your trail running shoes or your bike ready for a new adventure? Then sign up for the challenge and you’d better start training. I hope to see you in the start line.

 

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