This yr’s Transylvania 100 sends runners by way of a few of Romania’s most beautiful and difficult mountain terrain, however this yr’s occasion grew to become a rescue-heavy day within the Bucegi Mountains, with biting winds, icy slopes, poor visibility and a number of chilly, injured runners changing into caught on the course. The three most severe instances concerned individuals who fell right into a ravine–one sustaining a number of accidents, whereas one other was reported to have hypothermia. A 3rd was initially described as acutely aware, however with a pelvic fracture, traumatic mind harm and proper higher limb fracture.
Transylvania 100 attracts massive worldwide fields every year and is called one of many hardest mountain occasions in Japanese Europe. It affords race distances of 30K, 50K, 80K and 100K, with the 100K runners climbing roughly 6,444 metres over the space.
15 incidents heading in the right direction
As reported by Romanian media, the mountain rescue service Salvamont Braşov reported 15 incidents throughout the 100K race. Three of the instances have been described as extra severe, however the entire injured runners have been ultimately stabilized.
An replace shared on Salvamont Romania mentioned eight folks have been recovered from the path, three have been recovered from a ravine with varied accidents and 4 others refused medical analysis and continued the race.
Circumstances on the course have been tough, with persistent snow and terrain that grew to become treacherously slippery. Earlier stories mentioned a rescue helicopter couldn’t help as a result of visibility was so poor, though later updates mentioned one injured one who required helicopter intervention was transported to a close-by metropolis. A bear was noticed on one part of the course, however officers mentioned the animal was pushed away.
Falls close to Țigănești
Salvamont Romania’s VP, Sebastian Marinescu, advised Digi24 TV that incidents had been reported in 13 totally different places. He mentioned 12 of the instances concerned folks slipping on ice and falling tens or a whole bunch of metres.
Marinescu additionally mentioned those that wanted assist have been geared up for mountain working, however not for the circumstances that developed within the discipline. In accordance with the stories, mountain rescuers had advisable suspending the occasion due to the climate, however the race went forward with additional rescue personnel.
Runners increase security issues
Romanian ultrarunner Costel Rotaru, who holds the nationwide 24-hour file, was competing within the race and criticized the way it was dealt with in an Instagram publish.
“Transylvania 100K left a bitter style in my mouth,” Rotaru wrote. He mentioned the longer-distance runners needed to traverse essentially the most uncovered terrain. “In such competitions, the security of the contributors needs to be absolutely the precedence, particularly on the high-risk segments,” he wrote. “Ropes have been wanted within the harmful sections.”
Scandinavian runner Anna Simone additionally posted concerning the race, sharing that she stopped when she reached the third icy part. “It’s simple to attempt to discover somebody accountable, however I believe it’s actually onerous to determine whether or not one thing is simply too harmful or not as a result of the vary of expertise and confidence was so large,” she wrote. “I don’t know who I believe is ‘accountable’ however I certainly took duty for myself, and that’s crucial.”
The race continued regardless of the incidents, in accordance with Romanian stories.
In recent times, some race organizers are exercising extra warning round excessive climate occasions. In 2025, the Minotaur Skyrace, held in Crowsnest Move, Alta., was referred to as off after a particular climate alert was issued. That very same weekend in Palisades Tahoe, Calif., the Damaged Arrow Skyrace 46K was reduce quick, almost seven hours and 163 finishers into the race, attributable to persistent lightning.
