The European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships is a biennial event that was first held in El Paso, La Palma, Spain, in 2022.
Its predecessor was the European Mountain Running Trophy, which was held annually from 1994 to 2019. The new incarnation adds trail running to the existing mountain running disciplines to create a three-day championship of off-road racing.
Ljublana 2026 will be the third edition following on from El Paso 2022 and Annecy 2024.
All ten races from Ljubljana-Kamnik will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube channel on 5-7 June, with the trail races taking place on Saturday (6) with English commentary.
Format
There are ten races, comprising senior and U20 competitions in both men's and women's categories. The trail races are contested over 52km and are open only to senior athletes.
Day 1 (Friday, 5 June) comprises the Uphill races for U20 and senior athletes, with separate start times for men and women. Each course is set in the stunning Kamnik–Savinja Alps.
The U20 women start at 10:00 and the U20 men at 10:30. They will race over a 3.8km course featuring 425m of ascent and just 20m of descent, starting in Kisovec and finishing at Gradišče.
The senior men begin at 10:30 and the senior women at 11:00, covering 8.9km with 1,280m of ascent and 80m of descent, starting in Stahovica and finishing at Gradišče.
Day 2 (Saturday, 6 June) features the trail races on a circular route through the Kamnik–Savinja Alps. Starting and finishing in Kamnik, the course covers 52km with 2,450m of ascent and descent.
The championships conclude on Day 3 (Sunday, 7 June) with the Up and Down races. The U20 races cover a 5.7km route starting and finishing in Kamnik, with 325m of ascent and descent. The men start at 09:00 and the women at 09:45.
The senior races also start and finish in Kamnik. The men begin at 10:30 and the women at 12:15. They cover a distance of 13.1km with 825m of ascent and descent.
Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three individuals in each discipline. There is also a team competition, with medals awarded to the top three nations in each discipline. Team standings are determined by the aggregate finishing times of each nation's three best-placed athletes.
Equipment and technique
Mountain and trail runners use very different footwear from that used on the track or road. To navigate varied terrain and maintain grip on steep ascents, their shoes feature deep rubber tread patterns.
For the trail discipline, runners typically carry lightweight, foldable poles and a hydration pack to help them cover highly demanding routes that can require between five and seven hours of running.
When tackling steep inclines, runners often employ a power-hiking technique, using their arms and hands on their knees and thighs to help drive themselves uphill. They also run with a high cadence and short steps rather than long, energy-sapping strides.
When running downhill, athletes again avoid overstriding, which forces them to brake. Instead, they take quick, light steps and flow down the slopes while avoiding rocks and other hazards. They also stretch out their arms to aid balance.
Big entry and big names
Ljubljana–Kamnik will be the biggest edition yet of the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships, with a record 593 entries from a record 33 nations. As well as deep fields in every discipline, some of the sport's biggest names will be competing.
Among them is Sweden's multi-talented Tove Alexandersson. Winner of an incredible 98 international medals across orienteering, ski-orienteering, ski mountaineering, skyrunning and trail running, she is also the reigning world champion in short trail running.
This will be her first European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships, and she is entered in both the trail race and the Up and Down race.
In the uphill mountain race, the big Dutch hope is Nienke Brinkman, a former national record holder in the marathon who won bronze in the classic distance at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships.
In the men’s mountain running races, the experienced Cesare Maestri of Italy and Roberto Delorenzi of Switzerland are sure to be in the mix. Delorenzi is the defending Up and Down champion and Maestri won the Uphill race four years ago in El Paso and added silver in the Up and Down race.
In the U20 races, Germany’s Julia Ehrle is a name to watch. She is the reigning women’s U20 Uphill champion and last year added world U20 gold in the Up and Down discipline. She is also a talented runner on the track too, winning European U20 bronze over 5000m and European U18 silver over 3000m.
A chance for the masses
As with the European Running Championships which launched in Brussel-Leuven last year and will take place in Belgrade next year, the European Athletics Off-Road Championships provides a chance for recreational runners to take on the same courses as the elite and be part of an official championship.
There are open races on Friday (5) in the Uphill discipline and on Saturday (6), there are open races for two trail distances; the full championships 52km and a shorter 25km run.
The venue
The Kamnik–Savinja Alps are one of Slovenia's three main Alpine ranges, alongside the Julian Alps and the Karawanks. They stretch across northern Slovenia and briefly into southern Austria, offering dramatic limestone peaks, alpine meadows, glacial valleys, and some of the country's finest hiking.
The range contains about 28–30 peaks over 2km. Its highest mountain is Grintovec at 2,558m. Around three-quarters of the area is forested, while the higher elevations are rugged limestone terrain.
