8 hours St. Ane is an event organized for the second year in a row by the ŠD Club of Proud Individuals, perhaps better known as the organizer of the traditional Ribn´ca trail.
The ascent takes place from Kozolček in Dolenje Lazi along the hiking trail to the church at St. Ana, a popular excursion spot for the Ribničans.
The route is additionally marked with flags and is also the only officially permitted route for event participants.
The instructions of the organizer are very clear and precise. Shortenings or deviations from the marked route are not allowed. In this case, the result is not recognized. All ascents to the top, which are recorded at the checkpoint near the church, are counted.
There are additional control points at Kozolček – the lower control point and the intermediate control point at Seljan.
The start is at 8 a.m., the last ascent must be completed by 4 p.m. at the latest
This year’s event was on the second Saturday in March. The choice of date is not random, as there are no other matches at that time.
After the winter break, runners like to test their strength and assess their readiness before the upcoming running season.
Therefore, there was no shortage of famous names among the registered competitors:
- Nataša Robnik (3rd place at Spartathlon in Greece 2019, national champion in 12 and 24 hours)
- Luka Videtić (national champion in 12-hour and 24-hour running and organizer of the 24-
hour run in Koper SLO24 RUN) - Mirko Miklič (many participant of Spartathlon in Greece and this year’s participant of Bad Water 135 – Death Valley USA)
- Sobočan Anže (one of the best Slovenian trail runners, among others the winner of the Ultra trail Vipavska dolina 2022 (170 km)
- Klemen Boštar and Maja Rigač (Slovenian ultramarathoners and organizers of the 12-
hour run in Kranj SLO12 RUN) - Peter Macuh, veteran and legend of Slovenian running, one of five who ran all Ljubljana marathons
And of course our local ultra runner Boštjan Schönlieb
The organizer also set a limit on the number of competitors. 70 places were quickly filled. There were many more people interested, especially among the local population,
who waited until the end with their applications. Unfortunately, they could not take part in the run, as the starting places were 100% occupied shortly after the registrations opened.
The match was very interesting, a new record was also achieved. Anže SOBOČAN, completed 11 ascents in 8 hours, only missing 10 minutes for the 12th. He also has the victory for the fastest descent.
Uroš Avgustinčič, a regular participant of the Ribn´ca trail, who also holds the record for the fastest climb on Ruk´n Ana within the trail, can boast of the fastest ascent.
An active day spent in the nature of the Ribniška valley, satisfied faces of competitors, friendly volunteers are what counts in the end. Photo snapshots say more than words.
A.K