Sardon Run

Sardon Run, a trail running competition held in August on the Trieste coast, offers a unique experience. The Karst plunges into the Adriatic, and the border with Slovenia lies between the trenches of the Great War. The course takes runners through sheer cliffs, bilingual villages, pine forests filled with the scent of resin, and a subsoil that holds Roman temples and fossilised dinosaurs. The finish line is the sea, with runners arriving at the Isola del Villaggio del Pescatore. The race follows the Rilke Path, a route suspended between sky and water where the poet composed the Duine Elegies. Participants cross the trenches of Mount Ermada, a natural fortress that the Italian army never conquered. The course also touches the border along the CAI path 79, where allied patrols walked on a double stone curb to avoid entering Yugoslavia. Finally, runners pass by the Mouths of the Timavo River, the underground river described by Virgil in the Aeneid. The journey involves forty kilometres in the dark before emerging into the light of the Gulf of Trieste-Trst. The Trieste Karst in August presents a distinct character. Wild sage thrives, the Bora breeze cools the ridges, and the single-track path winds through white limestone. Descents into the holm oak forest create a heat-trapping canopy. This area offers a glimpse into three thousand years of history within a few kilometres, catering to runners of all levels, from beginners to ultra-distance enthusiasts. At the Sardon Run between Trieste and Slovenia, participants reach the sea and immerse themselves in its refreshing embrace.