100 Miles of Istria

Numerous sports and active holiday lovers will find enough reasons to come to Istria even in the winter months, but the first days of spring bring a bounty of activities providing everyone with a reason to visit Istria - both recreational and extreme sports enthusiasts. And this will be confirmed once again in April when Istria is hosting a ultra trail event 100 Miles of Istria.

We are delighted to invite you to the eighth edition of the ultra trail race "100 miles of Istria". We are particularly proud to point out that as many as 1760 competitors from 54 countries participated in the seventh edition of the race! It is the qualification race for the unofficial world trail championship Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. All the finishers receive ITRA and UTMB qualification points.

The 100 miles course is the hardest and the most beautiful course that we offer. It stretches from the eastern part of Istria, over its highest mountain down to the mainland, and ends on the western part of the peninsula in the city of Umag. Along the route, you will experience every possible aspect of trail running – really technical terrain, a little bit of coasteering, old medieval towns, deep forests, city centers, old train route, muddy valleys, all spiced up with breathtaking panoramas. The course starts in the 3000 years old town Labin, climbs the Učka mountain and descends in Buzet where your drop bag will wait for you. After the well-deserved rest, the trail leads you to the medieval pearl Motovun and back to the finish in Umag. 168 km with 6.390 m doesn’t seem so hard but trust us, this course is very demanding and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The second-largest course offers you “the climb”, right in the beginning, from the sea level directly to the top of the Učka mountain at 1400 m above sea level, all that in just 8 km. Reaching the foot of the mountain peak, the 128 km trail merges with the 100 miles and follows it till the end in Umag. As for the terrain, the part that leads to Buzet is very rocky and demanding, but it gets easier towards the finish in Umag. While 128 km with +4.940 m probably doesn’t sound very demanding, it is nevertheless very challenging, especially if you bear in mind that you will have to cross the mountain during the night.

The third course, 67 kilometers long trail with the climb of +2.150 m is an excellent start for participants who would like to try the 128 km or 100 miles trail next year.

The fourth course starts at the bottom of the town of Motovun, climbs up the town and merges with the 100 miles trail. With the elevation difference of 1.100 m and a time limit of 10 hours, this trail is not very challenging, but nevertheless has all the elements of a real trail race: it leads you through steep climbs and slopes, wide paths, intact single tracks and charming hill towns – a real treat!

The shortest course is quite a novelty and is dedicated to the absolute trail running beginners. It starts from the town of Grožnjan and ends in Umag. Very easy, mostly downhill.