Koliba Łomnicka

Koliba Łomnicka is a 15 km winter mountain race held on a Saturday in late January or early February in Łomnica, a village in the Głuszyca municipality of Lower Silesia, Poland. It is organised by the Walim na Żądanie association, based in Głuszyca, which runs several sporting events in the Central Sudetes. Start and finish are outside the Łomnicka Chata restaurant on Sudecka street, which also hosts race HQ and serves runners a recovery meal after the finish.

There is a single format: 15 km with about 650 m of climbing, starting at 10:00 with a four-hour limit. The course rises from the valley floor at roughly 530 m through the Góry Suche, the "Dry Mountains", a small range straddling the Polish-Czech border between Łomnica and Głuszyca. It peaks at just over 860 m on the slopes of Turzyna and Gomólnik, runs close to the line of border stones and then drops back to the village. A single aid station is set up at around km 8, near the Łomnica waterworks.

The distance is modest, but the season changes everything: in midwinter the forest trails can be snowy, icy or muddy, and the race goes ahead whatever the weather. The climbs are steady and the descents call for care on uneven ground. The event suits runners already at home on trails who want a short, lively mountain outing in the heart of winter, as well as experienced trail runners looking for a hard tempo effort. Poles are allowed, to be used with care. Entry is restricted to adults.

The Góry Suche are a range of conical, wooded summits shaped from ancient volcanic rock and cut by narrow valleys. The race mostly follows forest trails, with occasional views over the neighbouring hills on both the Polish and Czech sides. The organisers emphasise promoting Głuszyca and this little-known range, along with respect for the mountains: any runner who drops litter on the course is removed from the results.

On the practical side, race HQ opens on race morning from 7:00 to 9:30, and every participant must check in in person with photo ID. Compulsory kit includes half a litre of water, a survival blanket, a charged phone with the organisers' and mountain rescue (GOPR) numbers, and a personal cup, required for environmental reasons. A bag drop is open during the race, fixed and mobile checkpoints are spread along the course, and every finisher receives a medal. The field is capped at 500 runners.