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Photo: radioresita.ro
Autumn on the wild ridges of the Cerna Mountains.
10 October 2026 · Valea Cernei ( Motel Dumbrava), lângă Băile Herculane, Caras_Severin
One of Romania's first mountain marathons climbs out of the Roman spa town of Băile Herculane and into the foliage-burning heights above the Cerna valley — a single thread of trail stitching 39 remote hamlets to a +2,300 m ridge. ITRA-rated, eligible for the national trail league.
Edition XV · 2026
Choose your distance
From a +2,300 m marathon across the high ridges to a 400 m run for the youngest. Every distance starts in the Cerna valley below Vânturătoarea.
45,1 km
Maratonul montan prin Munții Mehedinți, cu start și finish la Valea Cernei (Motel Dumbrava), lângă Băile Herculane. Traseu GPX disponibil pe site.
21,4 km
Semimaraton montan, 21,4 km cu +1100 m diferență de nivel.
4 km
Cros de 4 km, accesibil începătorilor.
cursa copiilor
Cursa dedicată copiilor.
The setting
Băile Herculane is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe — its thermal springs steamed for Roman legionaries nearly two thousand years ago.
The race begins where that history is still in the stone: faded belle-époque baths, the Cerna river running cold beside the warm springs, the statue of Hercules in the square. Then the trail leaves the town behind and climbs. The route stitches together 39 remote hamlets — clearings, shepherds' paths and forgotten lanes — before it reaches the open ridge. You finish back in the valley, legs spent, and the thermal pools are right there. Few marathons send you from a Roman spa to a 2,300-metre crest and back in a single morning.
Why run it
Marked course, aid stations on the climbs, mountain rescue on call. You bring the legs — the Cerna brings the rest.
The marathon and semimarathon are ITRA-rated, so your finish counts toward your international trail performance index.
An eligible round of the Romanian trail-running league — race here and your result travels into the standings.
Mid-October on the Cerna ridges: beech forest turning bronze and copper, crisp air, long light. The reason runners come back.
Finish in the valley and the thermal baths of Băile Herculane are a short walk away — the oldest recovery protocol in Europe.
The route
Start and finish sit in the Cerna valley below Vânturătoarea bridge. Scout the terrain on the map below; the marathon climbs to the high ridges before returning to the river.
Race day
Indicative race-morning timing — confirm the final programme in the technical guide on hercules-maraton.ro before you travel.
Start Maraton
Start Semimaraton
Start Cros 4 km
FAQ
Registration is online via racetime.ro (the event's registration partner). It opens on 15 July and closes on 23 September — there is a participant cap of around 800, so popular distances can fill before the deadline. Use the Register button on this page.
Fees are tiered and rise as race day nears (all in RON). Early-bird in July: 100 lei for the 4 km Cross, 180 lei for the semimarathon/marathon. August: 120 / 200 lei. September: 140 / 230 lei. The Kids Race is 50 lei.
Four: Marathon (43 km, +2,300 m, start 08:30), Semimarathon (21 km, +1,100 m, start 09:00), Cross (4 km, +180 m, start 09:15) and a Kids Race (0.4 km). The marathon and semimarathon are ITRA-rated.
Yes. The marathon and semimarathon carry an ITRA rating, and the event is eligible for the Romanian national trail-running league, so your result counts toward both your ITRA index and the league standings.
The start and finish are in the Cerna valley near Băile Herculane in Caraș-Severin county — at Motel Dumbrava, below the Vânturătoarea bridge. Drive up the Cerna valley road from Băile Herculane; parking is in the start area. Allow extra time on a busy autumn weekend.
Yes — the Kids Race is a 400 m loop in the start arena, with a medal at the finish. The 4 km Cross is the gentlest of the timed distances and suits older children and newcomers running with an adult.
Autumn in the Cerna Mountains: crisp mornings, cool ridges and the chance of rain or mist up high. Pack mandatory mountain kit for the marathon and semimarathon — a jacket, and gear that can handle a cold, wet ridge. Conditions can change fast above the valley.
Registration opens 15 July and closes 23 September, capped at around 800 runners. Pick your distance, then let the autumn ridges do the rest.