Time for the Gorce Ultra-Trail
Long, gentle ridges, picturesque shepherd’s clearings, rich culture and a convenient location.
races / discover
The Gorce Ultra-Trail is a unique mountain running festival that combines amateur sport, local culture and traditional music. The courses pass close to high lookout towers and through the breathtaking beauty of the Gorce National Park. Steep climbs and fast descents take runners past forests, mountain streams and flower-filled meadows with views of the majestic Tatra Mountains.
Gorce, a mountain range stretching between Rabka and Krościenko, is extremely interesting but little explored by runners. Long gentle ridges, picturesque shepherd’s clearings, rich culture and a convenient location between Krakow and the Tatra Mountains. Add to this the best preserved remnants of our country’s Wallachian traditions, mysterious stories from the Second World War and an increasingly developed tourist infrastructure (observation tower, network of paths and mountain roads ideal for runners) – and you have the Gorce Mountains.
The Gorce Ultra-Trail is traditionally organised on the first weekend of August. The base of the event is in Ochotnica Dolna, where the race office and the start and finish of all distances are located. Runners can choose from 8 distances ranging from 5 to 163 km. The Gorce Ultra-Trail routes pass through 3 poviats (Nowy Targ, Limanowski and Nowy Sącz), 9 communes (Ochotnica Dolna, Nowy Targ, Mszana Dolna, Dobra, Niedźwiedź, Kamienica, Łącko, Szczawnica), Krościenko nad Dunajcem) and 3 forest districts, and the route The main route GUT 163 runs through the Gorczański National Park and has a limited number of competitors due to the protection of the park’s nature.
The musical setting is characteristic of GUT: the music of the Podhale Highlanders flows from the hearts. Arriving in the Gorce Mountains is also a great opportunity to get to know the taste of local products and taste dishes served by very nice ladies from several Rural Women’s Clubs. According to reports from runners, one of the most attractive elements of the summer Gorce Ultra-Trail routes are mountain streams that cool the legs heated by the effort. Running in the mountains is a unique adventure that gives everyone a chance to face their weaknesses and discover their inner strength!
Courses:
GUT 163 – Distance: 169,5 km Elevation: +/- 7820 m
GUT 102 – Distance: 100,1 km Elevation: +/- 4250 m
GUT 84 – Distance: 84,8 km Elevation: +/- 4030 m
GUT 48 – Distance: 47,3 km Elevation: +/- 2380 m
GUT 33 – Distance: 32,2 km Elevation: +/- 1570 m
GUT 20 – Distance: 19,7 km Elevation: +/- 1020 m
GUT 12 – Distance: 84,8 km Elevation: + 510/-760 m
GUT 5 – Distance: 5,5 km Elevation: +/- 740 m
Event website: gorceultratrail.pl
Photography: Jacek Deneka