Li.t.r. – Lipno.trail.run

Li.t.r. – Lipno.trail.run is a full lap of Lipno, the largest body of water in the Czech Republic, in the heart of South Bohemia and a stone's throw from the Austrian border. The race was created by a group of friends from the region, working together as the company Run Baby Run in České Budějovice, who wanted to combine a sporting challenge with discovering a landscape and its stories. It is held on a Saturday in September, at the centre of a festival weekend that gets going on the Friday in Lipno nad Vltavou.

The loop is about 111 km long with some 2,500 m of climbing, starting and finishing at the amphitheatre next to the Element hotel in Lipno nad Vltavou. It is split into ten sections of 7 to 14 km: Loučovice, Přední Výtoň and Pasečná, then a detour into Upper Austria via Oberhaag and Schöneben, before returning to the Czech side through Nová Pec, Horní Planá, Černá v Pošumaví and Frymburk. Each leg has its own character: technical singletrack right from the start, forest tracks and views on the Austrian side, a long, almost flat paved stretch between Nová Pec and Horní Planá, and a final climb through the woods from Frymburk. The surface alternates between compacted tracks, forest roads and footpaths.

Three categories share the same course. Solo runners set off first, early in the morning, and may use the aid stations; small teams of two or three and large teams of four or five follow and can swap runners freely at the changeover points, each member having to run at least one section. Every team is allowed only one vehicle to follow its runners, out of respect for local roads and residents. The course closes at midnight for everyone. The solo race is aimed at experienced ultra runners, while the relay lets colleagues, friends or families share the adventure and pick the sections that suit them.

Beyond the sport, the route tells the story of the lake and its shores: vanished villages, old factories, canals, ruins and border areas with a turbulent past. The organisers want runners to discover these little-known places, and the changeover points come alive with music and food from local producers, cafés, bakeries and microbreweries. The weekend includes a pasta dinner and talks on Friday, an after-party on Saturday, and on Sunday a yoga session on the Lipno treetop walk and a children's race of about 600 m.

On the practical side, every changeover point doubles as an aid station with at least water, isotonic drink, fruit and cola; there are no plastic cups, so bring a collapsible cup or a flask. Mandatory kit includes ID, a charged phone, a head torch and reflective gear for running before 7 am or after 7 pm, and offline maps of the region, since some areas have poor or no mobile signal. Solo runners also carry a vest or pack, a windproof or waterproof jacket, a first-aid kit, at least one litre of fluid and a power bank; a drop bag lets them change shoes along the way. Entry is open from age 15 with parental consent, and race numbers are collected the day before at the Element hotel.