Kokava Trail 2025 (78km / 3180m+), Kokava nad Rimavicou 6.9.2025
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.
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| 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 glow of the streetlamps.
The place is lively until late at night, while the church bell rings faithfully every fifteen minutes, right into my window. Oh joy… what a morning that will be. And indeed it is: half-asleep, I down a coffee and then a Speedano. Within minutes I’m buzzing like a caffeinated squirrel—ready to roll. By 7 a.m. the square is packed. Instead of Vangelis, they treat us to a fujara flute tune and a folksong about sheep or something. Goosebumps. At the strike of seven, we set off on today’s adventure.
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| From Kokava Trail Web |
The warm-up is a short but sweaty 500-meter climb up Slopovo, first through forest, then across meadows. All hyped up, I fly up without noticing how. At the lookout tower, hobbits and dwarves are snapping photos (me too), while elves are surely already past Pasiečky and sprinting toward CP1 Utekáč (8 km). The sun is shining hard, and I love it—it’s finally lizard-basking weather. Many runners, though, are sweating buckets like they just stepped out of the shower. Not everyone ordered their preffered conditions, but hey, I did. Two weeks notice, arrived just in time.
From Utekáč we pass Farkaška to CP2 Kokava-Línia (16.5 km), then straight up to Drahová—the highest point of the course. I team up with Magda and Agnieszka, bardzo ładne i szybkie Polskie kobiety, and together we chew up the long 17 km to the next checkpoint with ease. The scenery is stunning: forests, meadows, dry grass, blue skies, sun, cca thousand photographers for a square kilometer, cows, harmless clouds, mushrooms everywhere—literally millions of parasol mushrooms right on the trails. A forager’s paradise. Thankfully, that passion skipped me, or I’d still be there picking mushrooms. At Čierťaž, we take a zillion photos at the swing and the heart decorations, then dash off to CP3 Bratkovica (33 km).
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| Photo: Radka Raniaková |
At Bratkovica, something doesn’t sit well (or maybe someone hexed me), and I slow down with frequent “forest visits.” I shout to the Polish girls not to wait. Luckily, it doesn’t last long. At CP4 Táňovo (44 km), I use the bathroom at the coziest little mountain hut ever—it must be inhabited by hobbits. The place is buzzing with friends, familiar faces, and great vibes. Sweet Janka checks mandatory gear with Gandalf-level authority. If something’s missing, down comes her imaginary staff: “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” Luckily, I’ve got my mandatory gear intact, so no DSQ for me (unlike 13 other runners, including the leading Czech elf). Seems the organizers are now dead serious about rules.
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| Photo: Lenka Boborová |
Past Táňovo, my spirits rise— hey, I’m more than halfway 😊. But from now on it’s just gels, watermelon, cookies, and salty crackers. I ditch the isotonic drink and mix Fluidex instead—much better.
Through forest and a Šutova jama we roll into Málinec. Flashbacks of Hriňovská 100 from three years ago hit hard. At CP5 Málinec (56 km), I politely decline soup and pasta and stick to my gel-and-cookie strategy. I rest a bit before the infamous climb to Ďubákovo—the same one we once bombed down in the opposite direction. I vaguely remember the pain.
The start is steep, which suits me. I dig in with poles, carving away both distance and altitude. Soon we’re out on open meadows, the incline softens but stretches into endless little climbs and fake descends—adds up to one uncomfortably flat climb from hell. At least the views are glorious. The sun begins sinking toward the horizon but still blasts us with kilowatts. The baked meadows radiate heat, and it’s disgustingly hot—ugh. Then I remind myself that I like the heat, so I start enjoying it. The heat, not the climb—I still hate that until the final meadow above Ďubákovo, where the path mercifully bends downhill.
At CP6 Ďubákovo (68.5 km), they offer me a cold shower, which I graciously refuse—I worked hard for this warmth, I am keeping it! 😂. No lingering for too long, I just want to finish. In the last climb of the day, the church bells of Ďubákovo ring me up the trail. Dusk paints the sky pink, fiery clouds build on the horizon, and I’m determined to reach the finish without switching on my headlamp. Finally, I crest Diel, and my watch confirms: no more climbs ahead, just downhill. Just to be sure, I check the course profile card—can’t trust th these “just downhills” blindly after past experiences. But yes, it looks legit. I let it rip as much as my battered legs and the rocky terrain allow.
I cross the finish line after 78 kilometers, 12 hours and 13 minutes. No headlamp, just twilight and Rado’s finishing playlist. Done and dusted. A beautiful day in the books, and I’m happy. Time for some post-race socializing with beer and vegan goulash, my fresh diploma shining nearby, while stories, legends, and myths echo through the night—weaving themselves into the Kokava Trail 2025 chronicles.
Congrats to the winners and every single runner. Huge thanks to Kokava Trail and Slovak Ultra Trail for organizing another top-notch race, and to all the volunteers for your amazing care and support—you were all awesome everywhere 😊.
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