Cappadocia on the run

The Champion’s choice, words on Cappadocia Ultra Trail from Gediminas Grinius

New horizons now seen almost limitless for ultra athletes, who not so long ago saw the 42km road marathon distance as the blue ribbon event of long distance running, which in comparison to the 119km Cappadocia event seems like a mere sprint. 

Throw in some 3,730 meters worth of elevation gain along the famously loose surfaced trails of Cappadocia and it makes the challenge all the more incredible, as is the course record time of 10-hours 56-minutes and 7-seconds, which was set in 2017 by Lithuanian Ultra Trail World Tour Champion of 2017 Gediminas Grinius.

Grinius took up ultra running a few years ago to help him manage and recover for PTSD (post traumatic-stress disorder), which he suffered from following time in military combat zones. He soon made his mark on the sport, and is now also a regular visitor to Cappadocia for both the race and also for the trail running workshops he leads, as he tells us; “Cappadocia really is an amazing place to visit and run in. There are not many places around that you can get to run through a UNESCO World Heritage Site.” Although there’s more than just the natural beauty that tugs at his heartstrings; “It’s the people that make it so special for me. The organisation and the local people are so friendly and have done so much for my family that they are also like family now.” 

During his numerous visits here Gediminas has run almost every trail in the area, and many more in the nearby mountain regions surrounding the heart of Cappadocia; “The trails here are very fast, and there are hills but they are not so long. This means that (unlike in many other races) you have to keep running for the whole time (as opposed to long uphill paced walks).”