On Sunday, 1st June 2025, the centre of Kranj once again hosted the top ultra-running event I FEEL SLOVENIA12RUN, which this year celebrated an important jubilee - 10 years since the first edition of the race, which began in Trboje in 2015. Kranj hosted the event for the sixth time in a row and once again attracted top runners from more than 15 countries and numerous spectators along the track.
The 12-hour run (with IAU Silver Label) was won by Carmen Maria Perez (143,660 km) from Spain and Ivan Penalba Lopez (152,144 km) from Spain. The second was Croatian Zdravko Jadrijev and the third was the Spanish Marc Gispert Giron. Line Caliskaner, a Norwegian woman, set the Norwegian record at 137,758 km, and set the world record in the age group (50 women). The third was Veronika Jurišić. The winners received traditional prizes – the men's cylinder and the Urška lady's hat – as well as rich cash prizes.
Danijel Hajdinjak from the Athletic Club S12R from Kranj (78,190 km) was the most successful in the 6-hour run (IAU Bronze Label), while Katarina Bekavac from Croatia (68,420 km) was the most successful among women. Awards to the best were given by the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Kranj Manja Zorko.
As part of the event, the national championship was held for the fourth time in a 12-hour run, where Aleš Svetina (135,016 km, Šmarnogorska naveza) and Neža Mravlje (117,503 km, AD Kronos) won. The second place among men was taken by Benjamin Žavbi and the third place by Marko Femc (both AK Ultramaraton Slovenia). The vice-championship is Smilja Rosić, and Aleksandra Miklavčič (both AK Ultramaraton Slovenia) took third place.
On Saturday before the competition, the organizers prepared a thematic evening with the previous winners, who revived memories and presented the history of the running event SLO12RUN, which grew from modest beginnings with 33 runners into an internationally recognized event with more than 160 participants.
After the event, the director of the event Klemen Boštar and Maja Rigač emphasized:
“We are very proud that the race was successful despite the heat and a slightly smaller number of runners than in previous years. We are especially pleased that many runners come back every year to praise our organization. Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters who are the heart of this event.”
This year's edition was even more important due to the inclusion in the new international competition concept - IAU Balkan Express Cup (https://balkan-expres.run/), which connects key ultra-runs in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the World Championship (24 hours) in France.
The event was organized by the Athletics Club S12R from Kranj in cooperation with the Institute for Culture and Tourism Kranj, the Municipality of Kranj and the Athletics Association of Slovenia.
More information and results: https://slo12.run
Maja Rigač
IAU Communication Committee
