Registration opening for UTVV Slovenia 2023
From September 1, 2022, Ultra Trail Vipava Valley opens registrations for the 8th edition of the international running event in Vipava Valley, one of the largest in Slovenia and the wider region. The 8th edition of the Vipava Valley Ultra Trail event will take place 5-7 May 2023.
Ultra Trail Vipava Valley, or UTVV for short, has constantly developed over the 9 years of its operation and strived each year for better performance, and international recognition, and what makes the event unique, it has maintained the distinct involvement of the local environment.
In the first year after COVID-19, the event recorded a high turnout of 1,400 runners from 35 countries.
An increase in participation is expected in the future as well, so the organizing team, in cooperation with the host municipalities, adopted extensive changes that will enable the smooth development of the event, to ensure satisfaction on the part of both participants and local communities.
The key factors that led to changes in the event space are the following:
• better infrastructure for welcoming runners and acceptance of their start packages,
• a covered fairground before and during the competition,
• better sanitary facilities,
• venue protection in case of bad weather,
• greater availability of parking spaces.
In cooperation with the municipalities of Vipava and Ajdovščina, we found a solution in locating the main event in the Municipality of Ajdovščina and its Police Sports Center that offers a solution to the limits mentioned above in Vipava. The route of the UTVV remains largely the same and continues to connect the entire destination of Vipava Valley as a whole, which means that the UTVV continues to run through the territories of 6 municipalities of the Vipava Valley, including the Italian Commune di Gorizia.
The new location of the main event also brings innovations to the track, which otherwise remains mostly the same (170, 100, 60), while the 15 and 30-kilometer routes are completely new.
News on Emperor (170) and Centurion (100)
The routes will be circular from May 2023. The main alternation will be in the changed order of ascents, as the famous climb to Nanos will take place in the first part of the route, and at the end, the route will offer a more calm, romantic terrain of the Vipava wine-growing hills.
News on Gladiator (60)
The start of Gladiator moves from Vipavski Križ to Ajdovščina and joins the existing route at Planina. A climb to the mighty Nanos will still be the Gladiator’s highlight, followed by the descent to Vipava. The last aid station will greet the runners before a little less than 10 km of beautiful running trails along the southern slopes of the Angelska gora plateau to the finish line in Ajdovščina. The Gladiator thus indicates its true, ultra nature and approaches the length of 60 km, but maintains the height difference of 2,400 m.
News on Legionar (30)
In 2023, a completely new 30 km Legionar route is being prepared, which will take place in the Angelska gora area, and will offer runners as many as 16 km of ridge paths, from the Kovk paragliding airfield to Mala Gora in the Čaven range. The ridge, famous as one of the most scenic hiking ridges in Slovenia, will rank Legionar, with an altitude of 1,400 m and a length of 30 km, among the UTVV classics.
News on Asterix (15)
15 km Asterix, the shortest competitive distance of the UTVV, will visit the famous medieval village of Vipavski Križ and reach the Vipava River via the southern wall. With the calm flow of the Vipava, it will join the most extended distances along the beautiful macadam path in the village of Dolenje and finish its journey in Ajdovščina.
