The leading athletes of the 2026 European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in Ljubljana-Kamnik in Slovenia were in high spirits and shared high expectations prior to the first races on the Slovenian trails on Friday (5) morning.
Frédéric Tranchand, reigning short trail world champion from Canfranc 2025 last September and the man to beat on the Trail Race at Ljubljana-Kamnik 2026, is looking forward to racing in Slovenia and the possibility of adding to his medal collection when he lines up in the trail race on Saturday.
"We had the chance to check the course two months ago with the French national team. Honestly the course is very beautiful, very varied. It will be a long run and a big fight because there are many strong competitors. On the other hand it will be a fun course and a nice place to be," he said.
Tranchand also appreciates being part of a team. "We have many competitions where we run for ourselves. Here we also run for a good result in the team competition and we represent our countries. That gives a little extra energy," he said.
On the result, Tranchand said: “I can only focus on my own performance. I cannot decide what the others are doing. I can only do my best.
Great Britain’s Naomi Lang, third in the short trail in Canfranc, also gave a positive assessment of the course. "I had a chance to go round it these days. I am expecting a very hard race. The course has a little bit for everyone. No one is going to have everything their own way. The standard in our sport is getting higher and higher."
Italy’s Cesare Maestri is honoured to represent his country as a team captain. "The European Championships are like the World Championships, the most special competition as we run for our team and country. As captain I hope we can deliver good results, both individually and as teams. We have good teams in all the races. I hope to be in first position. Apart from that we hope to enjoy the running spirit.”
Local hero Martina Klančik Potrč is rather used to longer distances than the 52 kilometres she is going to run in the trail race in Ljubljana-Kamnik. "I love long distances. 52 kilometres is a little bit short for me, but I will do my best. I hope to enjoy the race with friends and family cheering for us. We are so happy to finally run in our beautiful country," she said.
