Ultrarunner's notes

 Finally, a Proper Hot Summer Run It’s been two years since the late-summer gem Hriňovská 100 shrank down to just under 80 kilometers and flipped the route in the opposite direction—but none of that took away from its magic. It still managed to lure me in 😅 The course winds through places with names that sound like they were pulled straight out of Tolkien’s Eriador: Bratkovica, Málinec, Ďubákovo (more on THAT climb from Málinec to Ďubákovo later), Slopovo, Utekáč, Táňovo, and so on. In short: pure Tolkien. Photo: Monika Dratwa The start and finish are in Kokava nad Rimavicou, a quirky little town nestled among the green hills of the Vepor Mountains. They’ve got the best pizza—if not in all Slovakia, then definitely in Kokava nad Rimavicou. On Friday evening, hobbits, elves, and dwarves start gathering in the town square by the fountain, where check-in and bib collection takes place at the cultural center. Adding to the whole picture are the local Nazgûls lurking about in the gl...