SLOVÉNIE · Primorska (Baška grapa/Tolmin)
GM4O 40.6km: Slovenia’s Most D+-Dense Mountain Marathon, WMRA World Championship Heritage, and 25 Editions in Baška Grapa
Distance
41 km
Date
Droit d’inscription
65 EUR
€ / km
€1.60
Nouvelle date en attente
Cette course a déjà eu lieu. La date de la prochaine édition est en attente.
Slovenian mountain tradition: tough climbs, village energy, and a classic festival weekend in Podbrdo.
The GM4O (Gorski Maraton Štirih Občin — Mountain Marathon of Four Municipalities) is the original distance at Podbrdo Trail Running Festival: 40.6km and 3,100m D+ traversing the municipalities of Bohinj, Cerkno, Tolmin, and Železniki from the valley floor at Podbrdo (521m). The D+ density sits in the top 4% of the DiscoverTrailRaces database at 76.35 m/km — only 14 courses in ~390 have more climbing per kilometer. Average uphill gradient ranks in the top 7% globally; average downhill gradient ranks among the 3% most demanding in the catalogue. Only 3.5% of the course is flat. The GM4O has run since at least 2002 and reaches its 25th anniversary in 2026. It hosted the WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in 2016 — among the highest certifications a mountain course can receive. The race starts in Baška grapa, identified as the location of the first mountain run in Slovenia (1970). Eighteen refreshment stations mark the route. Entry from 65 EUR. Ljubljana Airport is 68 minutes. Not sold out.
Élévation et Terrain
Mètres totaux
3,100m
D+/KM
76.4m/km
Pour référence, le Tor des Géants 330 km a 73 D+/km.
Pente montante moyenne
16.9%
Pente descendante moyenne
-18.9%
Distribution du gradient de montée
| 2–5% | 3.2 km | |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10% | 3.3 km | |
| 10–15% | 3.2 km | |
| 15–20% | 2.5 km | |
| 20%+ | 5.9 km |
Profil de parcours
AnalysedDétail du terrain
| 46.7% | Montée |
|---|---|
| 11.6% | Plat |
| 41.6% | Descente |
Terrain
Ascensions
Principales montées
| 1 | 6.3 km · 1174 m gain starts km 25 · avg 18.7% · max 64.6% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 8.1 km · 781 m gain starts km 0 · avg 9.6% · max 47.2% |
| 3 | 2 km · 408 m gain starts km 11 · avg 20.9% · max 63% |
Principales descentes
| 1 | 6.4 km · 1151 m drop starts km 13 · avg -17.9% · max -70.7% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 7 km · 1050 m drop starts km 32 · avg -15% · max -49.2% |
| 3 | 3.8 km · 356 m drop starts km 22 · avg -9% · max -51.9% |
GM4O 40.6km: Slovenia’s Most D+-Dense Mountain Marathon, WMRA World Championship Heritage, and 25 Editions in Baška Grapa
How Hard Is the GM4O 40.6km — 76.35 m/km D+ Density, 3.5% Flat Terrain, and What 3,100m of Climbing in 40.6km Actually Demands?▼
Q: How hard is the GM4O 40.6km compared to other 40km mountain races? A: The GM4O is one of the most gradient-intense 40km courses in the DiscoverTrailRaces catalogue. At 76.35 m/km D+ (3,100m across 40.6km), it ranks in the top 4% of ~390 courses by climbing density — only 14 courses have more D+ per kilometer. The average uphill gradient ranks in the top 7% globally (27 of ~390). The average downhill gradient ranks among the top 3% most demanding (378 of ~390 on a gentleness-ranked scale where rank 1 = gentlest). Only 3.52% of the course is flat. This is a course that demands extreme technical mountain movement — both up and down severe gradients — across 40km with almost no gradient recovery terrain between features.
What Makes GM4O So Technically Demanding — Top 4% D+ Density, Near-Steepest Average Descent in the DTR Database, and the Key Gradient Statistics?▼
Q: Who won the GM4O 40.6km at Podbrdo Trail Running Festival 2025? A: In 2025, Tine Žimond (KGT Papež) won the men’s race in 4:13:11. Barbara Jolić (Šmarnogorska naveza) won the women’s race in 5:09:58. The 2025 race served as the Slovenian National Short Trail Championship, adding a championship layer to the event. Complete finisher count for 2025 is not confirmed in our records — full timing results are available at the Timing Ljubljana website.
What Is the History of the GM4O — 25 Editions, WMRA World Championships in 2011 and 2016, and Baška Grapa as the Birthplace of Slovenian Mountain Running?▼
Q: What does WMRA World Championship host status mean for the GM4O course? A: The GM4O hosted the 13th WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in 2016, and the 8th WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in 2011. WMRA world championships are held on courses that meet strict international technical standards for mountain running terrain — sustained natural climbing and descending on mountain trails at high gradient. Hosting twice places this specific course in a very small global cohort of elite mountain running venues. For runners using the DTR database to find world-class mountain terrain, this is the clearest external validation the GM4O course can receive.
Who Organizes Podbrdo Trail Running Festival and What Does the Race Culture Look Like?▼
Q: What is the history of the GM4O and how long has it been running? A: The Gorski Maraton Štirih Občin (Mountain Marathon of Four Municipalities) has results on record from at least 2002 and celebrates its 25th anniversary in the 2026 edition — making it one of the oldest mountain running events in Slovenia. The race is organised by Turistično društvo Podbrdo, the local Tourism Society of Podbrdo, a volunteer community organisation that has shaped the event across its full history. The Baška grapa valley is identified by race organisers as the site of the first mountain run in Slovenia, held in 1970. The Podbrdo Trail Running Festival has since grown to three distances (40.6km, 70.1km, 103.8km) but the GM4O is the founding event.
Fichiers de course
Logistique
Aéroport le plus proche
Ljubljana (LJU) / Trieste (TRS) / Venice (VCE)
Notes
Start: ~1.25–2.75 hrs to Podbrdo (Baška grapa) / Public transport: trains/buses possible to Most na Soči then local/taxi; car easiest / Accommodation: limited in Podbrdo; better base in Tolmin or Bohinj; book early (June)
