Sinaia Mountain Run by Constantina Diță

Stop everything 🛑. A trail in the land of Dracula 🧛, you into it? 👢

Before talking about the race, let’s talk about the boss 👑 : Constantina Diță. This athlete grabbed the Olympic gold 🥇 at the Beijing Marathon in 2008 at 38 years 🤯. To put it in perspective, at an age when some start to throw their backs out of bed, she blasted through 42 km at full speed 🚀. Now, she invites you at the end of June into her secret garden 🤫, in Sinaia, Romania 🇷🇴. We’re in the heart ❤️ of Prahova county, where the mountains don’t joke ⛰️. With 3 events on the program on a single day, the event turns this chic resort ⛷️ into a TRAIL HQ.

The playing field is what you’d call a demanding course 🛤️. We don’t do smooth pavement here; we play on forest trails 🌳, steep paths and climbs on ski slopes. Yes, the things people slide down in winter 🥶, you’ll climb in shorts 🩳. It’s the intense moment of the race where your calves will wonder what you’re doing there 🦵. But don’t panic, the legendary pass in front of the Peleș Castle, the former royal residence 🏰, will give you a royal boost before tackling the mountain 💣. The queen distance? A 21 km that will unveil the Carpathians like never before 🙌. If that sounds like a lot for you, you can always opt for the 10 km. Between us, it’s not exactly a walk in the park, a pretty steep incline tugs at your soul tjoli dénivelé awaits with open arms 🤗. You’ll even have the chance to bring the little wolves in your tribe 🐺, since free kids races of 400 m, 800 m and 1000 m depending on age will take place at the same time 🥳. Future champions deserve their moment of glory too 👶.

For local experiences, Sinaia is a gem 🔍. If your legs aren’t totally mushy, go visit the castle of Pelésor, the little sister Art Nouveau of the Peleș 😍. For families, the Bucegi Natural Park is perfect for a relaxed stroll 🌲 as well as your Instagram feed. You can also visit the historic casino 🎰 (it's not in service anymore, no worries for bankers 😉) or simply wander the dreamy streets of town to snag the best restaurant in the world of "papanași" (local doughnuts, absolutely divine) 🍩. In short, it’s the perfect weekend to blend sport and culture without a headache 🙃.

On the other hand, what you should bring is Romanian lessons, your trail shoe pair, AND ABOVE ALL your bib 😉.