site.btaUPDATED Cherni Vrah Speed Climb Marks Tourism Movement Anniversary

Militsa Mircheva and Kristian Ivanov are the winners of the annual Cherni Vrah speed climb, held on Sunday. The race was one of a series of events marking the 130th anniversary of organized tourism in Bulgaria. Several group hikes to the peak were held in the meantime, one of which was joined by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.

The women’s competition in the speed climb was particularly intense, with Mircheva ending the five-year winning streak of Maria Nikolova, the record-holder for most victories. Mircheva increased her pace halfway through the 18-kilometre course from Sofia’s National Palace of Culture (NDK, approximately 550 metres above sea level) to Mt Vitosha’s highest peak, Cherni Vrah (2,290 metres) and was already leading by 2 minutes and 30 seconds at the Goli Vrah checkpoint.

Nikolova, who had won five consecutive editions, launched a strong push at the base of the summit, managing to cut the lead by a minute, but it wasn’t enough—she had to settle for silver. Third place went to Vladimira Suvandzhieva with a time of 2:17:16 hrs. Mircheva finished in 2:03:15 hrs, nearly 9 minutes behind the record set by Sunday’s fifth-place finisher Milka Mihaylova, who ran the course in 1:54:30 hrs back in 2011.

This was Mircheva’s debut in the Cherni Vrah speed climb (officially called Vitosha Run) and her first win. She is Bulgaria’s national record holder in the classic road marathon with a time of 2:29:23 hrs, achieved in Copenhagen in 2022. She recently became the sports director of the Sofia Marathon, in which she was runner-up three years ago.

In the men’s event, Kristian Ivanov was first to reach the summit. He passed the Goli Vrah checkpoint with a 90-second lead, which he extended to over two minutes by the finish. His time of 1:46:41 hrs is 10 minutes behind the course record of 1:36:45 hrs set by Shaban Mustafa in 2011. Ivaylo Atanasov finished second with 1:48:44 hrs, and Nikolay Kondarev claimed the bronze in 1:48:56 hrs, beating last year’s champion Nikolay Nikolov by nearly five minutes. Only seven runners managed to summit in under two hours, including veteran and seven-time Sofia Marathon winner Petko Stefanov.

Also completing the course for a 19th consecutive time was veteran Boyko Zlatanov, winner of the first Vitosha Run in 2007 and champion again in 2012.

The 19th edition of the mountain race began in front of the NDK, launched by Dimitar Shalafov, Chair of the “Sofia – European Capital of Sport” Foundation, in the presence of board member Hristo Koparanov and organizational secretary Anatoli Iliev. “It’s a joy to see so many athletes at the start of this challenge to the peak of our beloved mountain,” said Shalafov, who also chairs Sofia City Council’s Commission for Children, Youth and Sports.

At 9:00 AM, 318 athletes set off from the area near the Lovers’ Bridge, heading toward the summit. Over 60 registered participants did not show up, likely due to the early morning downpour. Still, this year’s turnout marked a record number of participants, surpassing the previous high of 300.

Several landmark events brought many mountain lovers to the Vitosha summit on Sunday. The “Marathon” Association, together with Sofia Municipality through the “Sofia – European Capital of Sport” Foundation, organized the 19th consecutive edition of Bulgaria’s largest mountain running race from the Five Mountains series. The 18-kilometre route from NDK to the summit features a total elevation gain of 1,734 metres.

This popular race from downtown Sofia to the top of Vitosha was once again part of a major sports celebration, organized by Sofia Municipality through the “Sofia – European Capital of Sport” Foundation, the Bulgarian Tourist Union, Vitosha Nature Park, and the “Marathon” Association.

At the same time, several group hikes to the peak took place in the morning: one from Zlatnite Mostove and one from Aleko Chalet, joined by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. A third group started from the village of Zheleznitsa, the same route Aleko Konstantinov and Dr. Tantilev used for their first ascent of Cherni Vrah Peak in 1895.

The culmination took place at the summit, where the National Tourist Gathering marked the 130th anniversary of the Bulgarian tourism movement. The festivities included members of tourist clubs, representatives of the Bulgarian Tourist Union (BTU), and government officials prioritizing the development of tourism. A floral tribute was laid at the plaque of Aleko Konstantinov near the mountain hut, commemorating his historic 1895 climb with 300 people from the National Theatre to Cherni Vrah.

At the peak, President Rumen Radev, BTU Chair Ventsislav Venev, municipal councillor Hristo Koparanov, and other officials congratulated the crowd and awarded the top finishers in the speed climb.

In a speech, President Radev said, quoted by his press secretariat: “Today, Aleko Konstantinov’s followers, driven by the urge of patriotism, the aspiration to get to know and protect the natural wealth of Bulgaria and to develop our society, keeping it united around human values, teach our young people to lead a healthy life in harmony with nature.”

Radev awarded the BTU with the Honorary Badge of the President in connection with the tourism movement anniversary and in recognition of the organization’s contribution to the development of hiking in Bulgaria. Addressing those who climbed the summit on Sunday despite the inauspicious weather, he said: “You have shown that the spirit of [Aleko Konstantinov] and his ideals for an enlightened and beautiful Bulgaria are still alive and will stay that way.”

On behalf of the BTU, its Chair Ventsislav Venev presented Radev with an icon of St George the Victorious.

During the gathering, renowned folk singer and international award laureate Alexander Alexandrov – Alex performed, alongside choirs and ensembles from across the country, presenting both mountain-themed and traditional Bulgarian music and dances.

For the seventh year running, the fastest athletes were tracked via a GPS system, accessible online at https://marathon.bg/vitosha-run-2025, where all race results from today’s Cherni Vrah climb are also published.

Each participant received a BGN 25 voucher for Lefterov’s House in the Rhodopes, with the option to combine a stay with mountain running or cycling. One finisher won a professional sports watch through a prize draw. In addition, each finisher was awarded a beautifully crafted commemorative medal. The event concluded with a strong message urging all participants to protect the mountain and leave no litter behind.