Trail Race Kopaonik opens a three-day mountain programme

Trail runners move together across a Kopaonik mountain path.

Trail Race Kopaonik opens its three-day programme on 24 July. Training access and participant registration begin before Saturday's races.

The event offers three adult distances and a children's race. All routes use terrain inside the Kopaonik mountain area.

Friday begins with training and registration

The marked training route opens on Friday morning. Runners can inspect part of the terrain before race day.

Participant registration continues through Friday evening inside Hotel Grand's Pančić hall. No adult race winner is decided during Friday's programme. The competitive starts take place on Saturday morning.

An evening concert completes the first public day. It remains separate from the timed sporting programme. The event weekend continues until Sunday. Mountain biking and an outdoor fair follow the trail races.

Friday gives runners time to register, inspect the route and prepare their equipment.

Three adult routes start together

The adult race starts at 10:00 on Saturday from Dolina sportova. The programme includes short, middle and long routes.

The shortest route measures about seven kilometres. It passes through the Crvene Bare forest and near Markov Kamen.

The middle route extends beyond sixteen kilometres in the detailed schedule. It crosses several higher mountain locations.

The longest route measures roughly twenty-four kilometres. Its total climbing approaches nine hundred metres.

Each distance uses electronic timing through the participant chip. Marked routes guide runners between the start and finish.

Separate time limits apply to all three distances. Final classifications depend on verified chip times.

The routes demand different levels of experience

The seven-kilometre route provides the most accessible adult option. Its climbing total is around two hundred fifty-five metres.

A runner climbs a marked trail on Kopaonik.

The middle distance reaches Gobelja and Meko Presedlo. Runners also pass Likina Česma during the route.

The longest event gives experienced participants the greatest distance and climbing. Its time limit reaches six hours.

Refreshment zones stand along the routes and at the finish. Medical staff support the event around the competitive area.

Mountain rescue personnel also cover the course. Their presence provides help across terrain away from normal roads.

Weather and trail conditions remain important on Kopaonik. Organisers publish any necessary route change through event channels.

Saturday afternoon includes the awards

Runners return at different times because the three routes have different lengths.

The awards ceremony follows the verified results for every listed category. A children's race begins later in Dolina sportova on a shorter course.

The outdoor fair also operates during Saturday. Visitors can attend without appearing in the race classification.

Music and family activities continue after the competitive starts. These events do not change recorded running times.

Saturday supplies the main trail results of the weekend. Sunday then moves attention toward mountain biking.

The weekend closes with a mountain bike race

The Tri strane Kopaonika mountain bike race runs on Sunday. Its programme lasts from morning into the afternoon.

The outdoor fair remains open during the cycling event. The wider weekend therefore combines two separate sports.

Saturday's trail races and Sunday's cycling event have separate result lists. The Sunday afternoon programme completes the three-day event schedule.

Trail Race Kopaonik reaches its eleventh edition in 2026. The mountain setting remains central to every route.

Several runners cross open mountain terrain on Kopaonik.

Saturday's electronic timing produces the classifications for all three running distances.

Course markings connect the mountain sections

Organisers mark turns and crossings before the runners enter the course. The short route stays closer to the main event area and nearby forest.

The middle race reaches higher points and includes longer exposed sections. The long course combines the greatest distance with the largest climbing total.

Electronic chips record when each runner crosses the start and finish lines. Intermediate controls also help confirm that competitors followed the marked route.

Refreshment stations provide water and basic supplies at planned course points. Medical and rescue teams cover areas that normal road vehicles cannot reach quickly.

The children's race uses a shorter setting near Dolina sportova. Sunday's cycling event then closes the wider Kopaonik sports weekend.

Different distances share one event base

All adult runners begin from the Dolina sportova event area. The routes separate as each distance moves toward its own mountain sections.

Short-course runners return earlier, while long-course competitors continue climbing. All three adult races start together before their routes separate.

Timing chips keep those classifications separate after the finish. Age and category awards use the verified result lists from each route.

The afternoon children's race then uses another course near the event base. This schedule keeps the main trail programme inside one Saturday.

Rescue teams work along the mountain routes

Mountain rescue teams work along the remote sections of each route. Medical teams also remain near the course and finish area. Their positions support runners across forest tracks and exposed mountain sections.