Mud, morning mists and deserted valleys
Lemkowyna Ultra Trail – trail running challenge in the Wild Lands of Lemkos.
races / discover
Every year in October, hundreds of trail runners come to the Low Beskids in Poland to traverse abandoned valleys covered with red and gold beech forests. They choose a 150 km journey along muddy paths crossing the former land of the Lemkos from west to east. A night start and a short day mean that most of the route is covered in the dark, and long foggy mornings further enhance the unique atmosphere of the competition. The route of the run, which leads along the marked trail, is additionally marked with colored reflective sashes to facilitate navigation, especially after dark. So there is no problem with orientation and it is rather difficult to get lost, despite the fact that most runners spend two nights on the route.
Seven refreshment points located along the route allow you to refill your drinks, eat and meet some of the best volunteers serving the runs. Baked potatoes and pumpkin soup served there have already become legendary. The Low Beskids are not the highest mountain range, but less than 6,000 meters of elevation on a 150 km route, often on muddy paths, can take its toll on everyone. Łemkowyna is a linear race, starting in Krynica-Zdrój in the west of the Low Beskids and finishing in the east in Komańcza, on the border with the Bieszczady Mountains. The finish line with the back-up facilities is well-organized, so we can refresh and regenerate on the spot. As is usually the case with this type of race, the finish line is a great place to meet people similar to us and party together, if of course we still have the strength.
Łemkowyna Ultra Trail has been organized in autumn scenery since 2014. Since then, the competition has grown to include further distances, as well as the Winter and Spring editions. In 2018, the Ultra-Trail® World Tour series distinguished the event organized in the former Lemko land with the title of Discovery Race, as one worth visiting.
Event website: ultralemkowyna.pl/en/
Photography: Karolina Krawczyk