A country where endurance is much more than a sport gets into the endurance sports craze

While endurance and the national pride in “inat” (spite) has been crucial for Serbian history and have saved the nation several times – including during a treacherous trek through Albania in WWI – endurance sports in Serbia have been on the back-burner and the country is more famous for its achievements in tennis, basketball, and water polo thanks to the sports stars like Novak Đoković and Nikola Jokić.

In the past few years, however, the global interest in endurance sports has caught on, with fantastic races showcasing the country’s unique history and culture ahead of the play-themed EXPO 2027, which will take place in Belgrade.

Since last year, the Belgrade Ironman 70.3 has allowed the hardiest endurance sportspeople from around the world to enjoy the Serbian capital’s position at the confluence of two great European rivers and to make their best times in a fast urban race, which takes place in the heart of this dramatic city. Last year, it managed to draw in over a thousand participants from over 60 countries, and Ljudmila Medan, head of coaches for the Serbian triathlon and one of the organizers of Ironman70.3 Belgrade, notes that this competition is a result of decades of efforts of those who kept triathlon afloat in Serbia during the 1990s. In an interview I did with her for my Pokretači podcast, Medan told me how, while the country was under sanctions and suffering hyperinflation, swimming, running, and cycling were the easiest ways of passing time cheaply for young athletes. In her case, the public pool in Pančevo was an escape from harsh reality and an easy way to meet equally sports-minded young athletes who ended up keeping the fire of triathlon alight in the country. 

Endurance in the hard times was also a feature of the Belgrade marathon, which was held even during the Kosovo war and the NATO bombing of Belgrade in 1999. The race traces its roots back to 1910, is the third longest-running in the Balkans (after Athens and Sophia), and started in its current form in 1988. Despite the troubles in the 1990s and even the bombing in 1999, the race was only canceled once – in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the race has grown in size and prestige; it attracted over 13,000 runners from 70 countries last year, and in 2027, the Belgrade Marathon will host the European Championship in the marathon, half-marathon, and 10k race.

OCRs, trails, and cycling

Ironman 70.3 and the Belgrade Marathon are only the most famous of over 50 races in Serbia. These include road races, trail runs, ultramarathons, triathlons, cycling races, and increasingly popular obstacle course races (OCRs) across mountains, plains, and rivers.

OCRs became popular after the pandemic, especially thanks to Tribalion, which kicked off the trend on the picturesque Tara mountain and now takes place in Zlatibor. Various races now feature stunning scenery and themes exploring Serbian history and culture. 

The only one I took part in (and really enjoyed) was “Cerska bitka”, which combines tough obstacles, wonderful scenery of the Cer mountain, and a bit of Serbian history. The race commemorates Serbia’s struggle at the beginning of WWI, and one of the obstacles is a history quiz.

There, however, is now a variety of options: Invictus challenge takes the participants through the majestic Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad, while Wild West OCR takes you to the magical Ovčar-Kablar gorge.

The variety of landscapes in Serbia – the plains and cute towns in the North, rugged mountains in the West, and gentler hills and the Danube Gorge in the East and South – mean that there is a plethora of trail runs of various lengths and configurations. Most of them are listed on Trka.rs and Skyrunning Serbia and Montenegro (they even have a league). 

Cycling is also on the rise. Since 2024, Novi Sad has been hosting a Grand Fondo UCI World Series race (77 and 100km) in June. For MTB enthusiasts, there are Wild Bear MTB race in Mitrovac na Tari in October and Three Sides of Kopaonik in July (which also coincides with a trail race). 

The endurance sports have been massively helped by the influx of enthusiasts from Russia in the past few years, and there is a growing number of cycling, triathlon, and running clubs to join and train with. Even if you are visiting, the diversity of races and venues, excellent organization and hospitality, and affordable prices for European standards make Serbia the perfect place for indulging your endurance sports needs, so do try it.