Malofatranská 100 2025 (107km / 7466m+), Terchová - Fačkov 28.6.2025
A long awaited, well-Deserved Rematch
A year has come and gone since that fateful evening when I was dragging my defeated self through the sun-scorched meadows above Lipovec at 8 PM, swearing I'd never sign up for another race again. And here I am — back at the start line of the Malofatranská 100. For the third time.
MF100 in 2022 was my very first official 100k race. In 2023, the organizers spiced up the course, making runners sweep across every peak of the ridge — even the ones we used to bypass. And of course, I wanted to try this fancy new version too. But last year didn’t go as planned… So here I am again, back for redemption.
I arrived in Terchová as usual on Friday — picked up my bib, did a bit of sightseeing, had some dinner, and stayed the night at Hotel Gavurky. Highly recommend it to all of us spoiled ultrarunners (you know who you are — the ones who just can’t sleep in a sweaty gym with people snoring like dying walruses). The hotel even starts serving breakfast at 4 AM just for us race freaks 💚.
I wake up feeling unrested — not from lack of sleep, but thanks to some very ladylike cramps that woke me at 2 AM. Rude! Who asked for that?! 😡 With a grumble of “Ugh, for f**k’s sake…” I drag myself out of bed, get dressed, grab breakfast, and shuffle to the start.
Determined
Today I’m finishing. No matter what. The plan? Go easy on Sokolie, Baraniarky, Žitné, and Kraviarske, then smash the rest of the course (lol, sure). And well… I did go easy on those early climbs. Then I completely smashed — myself. And the struggle began from kilometer 10 all the way to the finish. My legs left me and didn’t come back until maybe Tuesday 🤷♀️ (actually, I think I lost them somewhere during UTM and never really found them again — I realized this in the saddle behind Kraviarske).
But oh, what a beautiful struggle it was 😍. We had the kind of trail conditions that don’t come around often — maybe once in a decade. After a sweaty, sticky 14 km warm-up, came pure trailporn in the rawest sense.
Sokolie and the so-called “Agriculture ridge” — fifth time here, and I finally recognize the segments. We're climbing Baraniarky when a guy ahead of me asks, “So, are we on Rozsutec yet?” A woman replies, “Not yet.” I really hope he was joking… otherwise, life is about to slap him real hard.
We hit the checkpoint at Stará dolina and wrap up our warm-up (14 km and 1200 m+). Glorious sunny weather, chill summer vibes around Chata na Grúni, Rozsutec looking like a blooming botanical garden. A bit too many tourists for my taste, and a Czech runner group being a tad too loud. Also, my legs are feeling shaky — I’m descending into Medziholie in a 100-year-old-granny style.
There, salvation awaits — Julka, the two Petras, and the rest of the crew. Tea, dumb jokes, a bench to sit on. I’m still legless, but mentally revived to continue on. I’ve always liked Stoh, never bothered me — and today even the descent is dry and pleasant. I’m vibing with Poludňový Grúň, Steny, Hromové, and Chleb too. The views are breathtaking. Last year I started to get cooked somewhere around here — today, it’s all going pretty smoothly, all things considered. I’m drinking, eating, salting… maybe I just feel good because I’m going slow as a turtle 😄.
So, there I am, slowly, but happily crawling through Chata pod Chlebom (had THE nice soup there) 😋, hit VFK, MFK, and keep marveling at how far everything looks. Just a while ago I stood on Veľký Rozsutec, and now it’s so distant it seems unreal. Up next Stratenec, Biele Skaly, and Suchý are rising in the distance ahead of me — and I’m in disbelief that soon I’ll be climbing them. That sense of smallness in the vast, the transience in the eternity, in the middle of endlessness always humbles me. We’re just tiny little worthless ants out here 🐜.
Coming down from Malý Kriváň, I spot the Hošták family’s ilegal refreshment station in the at the Priehyb pass — oh, bless them 😍. My heart and (nonexistent) legs leap with joy — they’ve got Kofola and amazing sponge cake. So grateful they waited for us slowpokes. That sugar hit gets me through the last gnarly part of the first half (“those techy downhills just aren’t my thing…”), and I’m still feeling strong from the waist up. Even the forest stretch from below Suchý to Chata pod Kľačianskou Magurou feels oddly pleasant (waist up, of course).
At the final checkpoint of the first half, I chat with Paulína and then cruise downhill into Lipovec — the halfway point and the finish for the two shorter races. I jog through the meadows like a proper sunset cowboy (or cowgirl?) and remember last year when I was feeling like a cooked and broken mess here 😂. Today’s different. Today I’ll get to Lipovec, eat, change clothes and shoes, restock from my dropbag, charge my watch, and head back out. That’s the plan — and I stick to it, even practice my French with Jérôme (since I totally ignored Duolingo all weekend 🙈).
Just as I’m leaving the aid station, a screaming car pulls up and out jump screaming Ultrabežky Zuzka and Lenka — they’ll be sweeping the second half. We hug, I beg them not to catch and sweep me, and then I’m off on the asphalt into the evening toward Minčol. I get chills — I’m actually doing the night part of the Malofatranská 100 this time🥳.
Into the Night
Above Vrútky, I cross the glowing red evening meadows with two Czech guys discussing Slovakia’s bear situation. I just smile — I'm looking forward to being alone on the ridge. First, though, we team up to grind our way up to Minčol (9 km, 1000 m up), and it gets fully dark. After Minčol, I leave them behind (or maybe they leave me ahead 🫣), meet them once again at Rotunda aid station, and then I pour myself into darkness and silence that I love so much.
Behind Veľká lúka, the ridge turns into a psychiatric ward — dark forest, endless ups and downs, a bit like Súľov ridge but not just as much 😂. Every rustle sounds like something creeping up on me — until I realize I’m scaring myself with my own noises. At one point, I hear hooves behind me — a deer is charging straight at me! With a heart rate of 200, I spin around, ready to face my fate — only to discover that my fate is a loose rock I kicked downhill. Didn’t know pebbles could gallop 😃. I curse it out loud and keep going. Oh, that was so close, however, I survived!
In the distance, there's a thumping disco going on somewhere down below the mountains — everyone’s partying tonight. As I reach Hnilická Kýčera to the beat of the bass, I mentally prepare for the short but horrifying descent. And yes — short, but horrifying it is. Practically vertical with zero trees to grab onto. Thankfully it’s dry this year — I cannot imagine doing this in last year’s mudslide.
In the saddle below Kýčera, another oasis of an aid station saves my soul. From here on out it’s less scary — more meadows, less forest, and generally more downhill than uphill. Dawn’s coming. I feel so sleepy, eyes drooping, muscles turning to jelly, gazing longingly at the soft grass by the trail. I want to nap in that grass so badly 🥱. But I'm afraid I’ll pass out for hours and miss the cutoff, so I push through the brain fog step by step.
Sunrise & Finish
At Skalky, the sky begins to lighten. Three years ago I passed here in pitch black, sensing all the beauty that surely was there. Now it’s all coming alive at pale dawn — a karst meadow ringed with dwarf pines, decorated with junipers and sparkling rocks. The grass ripples in the wind that hasn’t stopped all night. Ahead on the horizon, the majestic Kľak looms. In a few hours, I’ll be standing on it — the final climb of today’s adventure. It’s really happening. I think I’m gonna finish this thing! 😀
Enchanted by the beautiful moments of mesmerizing sunrise over the Lúčanský ridge, I trot down to Vrícko for the final checkpoint. My LM crew is volunteering here and I’ve been looking forward to seeing them so much 💕. They welcome me with coffee and love. I plop into a folding chair and try to figure out what to eat. Nothing from the standard aid fare appeals anymore, so I dig into my vest and pull out two plum-filled croissants — long-pressed in hot and cold. You can prepare it by putting two or three plum-filled croissants into your running vest full of mandatory equipment and then long-press it in hot and cold for 13 to 28 hours (depending on your speed — the slower you are, the more perfectly pressed they become 🤌). Gourmet level in Vrícko 😋.
I don’t stay long — I want to get that Kľak over with. It’s 4.5 km with over 700 meters of climbing — the final wall of Malofatranská 💛. And if you’re cursing it going up, wait till you’re cursing it even more going down to Fačkov (another 7 km 😂). I crawl to the top, enjoy the stunning view for a bit, then swear out loud a lot on the way down (let’s not get into details — those who know, know). With no legs, it's all pretty awkward 😁. Thankfully, the last 2.5 km down the Suchá dolina is a reward — warm sun, a dreamy trail in summer morning.
I catch up to a relaxed group — Stanka, Braňo, and three guys, feeling a little bad passing them so close to the finish, but I explain I really need that hot shower and at the same time can't justify walking such a gorgeous trail. Luckily, they break to a jog too, and we all jog together to the finish. A bit confused and disappointed though - the course on my watch still says 150 meters to go, but hey, whatever, we hit the arch — that’s it. No more steps. Stop the watch, forget the missing meters.
Tinka and the crew put medals around our necks, we get congratulations for finishing and some even for their name day. There’s a moment of euphoria, and then… finally… the shower I’ve been dreaming of since kilometer one (since the first sweat). The water’s cold though and I’m somewhat confused and disappointed. Oh well. Can’t win them all 🤷♀️.
The End of a Chapter
A bit of chatting, food, drinks, chilling under the shelter, waiting for my Vrícko crew, hugs, thank-yous… and just like that, my years-long journey with the Malofatranská 100 comes to a close 💖. It will remain forever in my heart.
Big thanks to Tinka and your whole team of volunteers for making this incredible day and night possible for us runners. And for the weather — special thanks for that 😊
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