Prokletije Skyrunning

Prokletije Skyrunning is the hardest skyrunning event in the region, raced out of Gusinje into the Accursed Mountains each late July. The 2025 edition — the eighth — ran from 25 to 27 July, cementing the event's reputation as the Balkans' ultimate test of mountain running.

The weekend offers three tiers of suffering. The Hajla Sky Race covers 32 kilometres with 1,700 metres of climbing; the Gusinje Sky Ultra stretches to 53 kilometres and 3,200 metres of ascent. Towering over both is the "100 milja Prokletija" — 100 Miles of Prokletije — a 177-kilometre monster with 11,000 metres of climbing and a 48-hour time limit, threading the range's most savage terrain. Organizers are aiming to establish it as a Western States qualifier, which would put Gusinje on the world ultrarunning map.

For competitors, the draw is terrain that out-wilds anything else in the region; for spectators, the little town beneath the peaks becomes a three-day hub of headlamps, checkpoints and finish-line drama, with runners returning from the mountains at all hours.

The event runs over a late-July weekend from Gusinje, with entry fees per race. Details and registration are at prokletijeskyrunning.com.