More than 300 athletes from 12 countries gather on Saturday, at over 2,000 meters altitude in the Fagaras Mountains, at Balea Lake, where a unique competition will take place in Romania, the 2X2 Race – Ultra Sky Marathon, one of the most difficult mountain running competitions in the world, informs a press release sent to AGERPRES.

“2X2 Race is unique in Romania, being the only competition that takes place entirely at over 2,000 meters altitude. The race is particularly technical and certainly one of the most difficult mountain ultramarathons in the world. For the edition with the number 11, over 300 runners from 12 countries: Romania, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Spain, United States of America, Honduras, Moldova, Hungary, Ukraine will gather at Balea Lake. Their diversity promises a spectacular competition and a fierce fight for a place on the podium,” the press release states.

The competition consists of two categories, each of the two being run in a single stage, with intermediate and final time limits: X2 – a spectacular race both in terms of the route covered and the huge difference in level (1900 m D+) relative to the length (18 km). This category crosses some of the most technical routes in the Carpathians, reaching the second highest peak in Romania, Vf. Negoiu (2535 m). Final time: 10 hours; 2X2 – The route has a length of 45 km and a positive difference in level of 4200 m and includes the two highest peaks in Romania, Moldoveanu (2544 m) and Negoiu (2535 m) of the spectacular ridge of Fagaras. Final time 14 hours.

In addition to the new runners, who come to test their limits on the technical trails in the Fagaras Mountains, the finalists of previous years will also participate in the 2X2 Race, among which we mention: Viorel Palici (multiple winner of the 2X2 and X2 categories), Andrei Preda (multiple winner of the 2X2 category and the holder of its time record – 6h 13′), Adriana Plosnita (winner of the first place of the 2X2 category 2019 and multiple places on the podium), Paul Pepene (multiple winner of the first place in the X2 category) and Husariu Ionut Alexandru (winner of the 2nd place of the X2 2022 category).