A weekend of great personal victories: what is 50 kilometres for some is already 500 metres for people with deafblindness
The I feel Slovenia Soča Outdoor Festival, which took place in Tolmin last weekend, once again offered everything outdoor sports enthusiasts could wish for: from fast runs around the confluence of two rivers and the stunning Tolmin Gorges to the long climbs and mountain pastures, followed by a refreshing wade across the Tolminka River at the finish line. Among the 3,400 participants, women outnumbered men for the first time in the festival’s history. But the festival is not only growing in numbers. It is also growing in the way it listens, includes, and welcomes everyone to the start line.
From Friday to Sunday, Tolmin hosted the I feel Slovenia Soča Outdoor Festival, which has been taking place at the popular festival venue at the confluence of the Soča and Tolminka rivers since 2013. It attracted 3,400 professional and recreational runners from 51 countries, as well as many companions and outdoor sports enthusiasts who may not yet run themselves, or may not be able to run. For the past five years, the event has also included the Parafestival, which brings the experience of outdoor sport closer to people with physical disabilities.
A 500-metre run for people with deafblindness
This year’s special highlight was the inclusion of people with deafblindness – those who are both deaf and blind – in the programme. With the support of their companions, they took on a 500-metre distance and received the same attention as all other runners.
“They received T-shirts, medals, and race bibs. It was wonderful to receive their impressions first-hand and to hear from their companions how much an event like this means to them. The organisation did require quite a bit of planning and resourcefulness: how to present the space, nature and atmosphere to them, and how to adapt the award ceremony. But with the help of their companions, who were of course essential in this process, I think we did well for the first time,” said festival director Sara Mavrič.
“This is only the second sports event we have taken part in. Before, we simply didn’t attend them because there weren’t any, or we didn’t know about them. But since we found out they exist, we decided to be part of them, also here in Tolmin. It looks like this area will continue to develop. For our members, it is really important to be included in events like this, to experience the sporting atmosphere as well. They have a goal, they prepare for it, warm up before the race, take part in the race itself, and then experience that feeling of satisfaction at the end. Here, the result is not what matters. What matters is that you decided to do something and then did it. That is priceless,” says Maja Rožac Mihovec, Head of Deafblind Association of Slovenia DLAN.
The festival thus sent a clear message: outdoor sport also belongs to those who experience it differently – through touch, movement, and the support of someone they trust.
More women than men
For many years, the I feel Slovenia Soča Outdoor Festival has stood out for having an almost equal number of male and female participants. This year, however, for the first time, there were more female runners than male runners, with a ratio of 51 to 49 percent. Among them, the oldest participant of this year’s festival was also a woman: 90-year-old Ivana Tomulić from Croatia, who took on the 5-kilometre course and finished it in 1:20:01. After the event, she said: “I was turning ninety, and my children wanted us to celebrate my birthday here together with our family and grandchildren. I also do Nordic walking, and last year I was registered for that discipline here. I do both because I love nature. Maybe I’ll come again next year, but you never know. I’m well today, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.”
For several years, the organisers have been working to ensure equal representation of women. Ahead of this year’s season, the festival also received additional guidance from the Slovenian community of female runners, who sent organisers of similar races a set of proposals divided into five areas: from comfort and safety, equal competitive conditions and the race experience itself to fair regulations and long-term development.
The Slovenian trail and ultra-running women’s community stated: “We are pleased to see the development of the trail community in Slovenia, but we also observe that women’s representation at races remains low, which is why we believe there is room for improvement. We would like to emphasise that our intention is not to criticise, but to make a sincere contribution with proposals that can help events in Slovenia offer female runners a better experience, make them feel welcome and safe, encourage them to return and inspire them to bring others along.”
The appeal further highlighted the importance of the measures that the trail running festival in the Soča Valley has been introducing in recent years. Menstrual products are available at aid stations, and the race regulations treat pregnancy as a life situation in which a female runner may transfer her entry fee to the following year. The organisers are also placing greater emphasis on ensuring that female runners are represented as equally as possible alongside male runners in the event’s communication, presentations and competitive programme.
An important part of this story is Sara Mavrič, one of the few women in leadership positions in the trail running scene in Slovenia. As festival director, she and her team show that the future of sporting events is not built only through bigger numbers, but also through more thoughtful planning. This year, they responded to the appeal by asking women at the event what race organisers could do better, confirming that real progress does not begin with big promises, but with listening to those taking part.
Hikers joined for the first time
In 2026, the non-competitive programme also included the two-day adidas Terrex and Intersport hike along the Juliana Trail for the first time. With this, the event extended a hand to those who want to discover the stunning natural surroundings at a slower pace, without timing, while still benefiting from the organiser’s support for a safe and carefree experience.
After a morning bus transfer to Bovec, the hikers made their way past the Boka Waterfall and then continued with the Soča River on their right all the way to Camp Koren in Kobarid, where their backpacks and tents were waiting for them. After an early breakfast at the campsite, the route continued past villages on the quieter side of the valley, with several opportunities to cool off in the Soča River. The finish of the 40-kilometre hike was, just like for the runners, at Sotočje in Tolmin.
Jan Klavora, founder and director of the festival, said: “The hiking programme was not created by chance. Research among participants of our events has shown for several years that there is a strong connection between trail running and hiking, as many runners also explore the destination on foot before or after the race. Many international participants even registered for shorter 10- and 15-kilometre races and simply walked the routes. That is why we first developed one-day hiking programmes, followed by two-day programmes. We introduced them for the first time this year at the Kočevsko Outdoor Festival, where places filled up quickly. In the coming years, we want to upgrade the programmes into multi-day experiences, include even more local content and, from 2027 onwards, connect them into a joint hiking series that we are developing together with our partners.”
Running in nature remains the true heart of the festival
This year, the festival once again brought together runners, supporters, families, volunteers and outdoor enthusiasts, with running challenges remaining at its heart. Competitors of all ages took part, from the youngest participant at 7 years old to the oldest female runner at 90.
The race programme began on Friday with the Triglav Vertical Run, where the fastest runner, Luka Kovačič, needed only 9 minutes and 18 seconds to get to the castle at Kozlov Rob. Saturday was reserved for the longer distances: La Primafit 25 km, Ford 35 km and I feel Slovenia 50 km. However, due to the extreme heat forecast, the organisers decided, in consultation with the mountain rescue service, to cancel the longest distance. Runners registered for the 50 km then joined participants on the 35 km course.
The event concluded on Sunday with shorter, faster races. The adidas Terrex 15 km runners were the first to start at 7:00, heading out early to avoid the strongest heat of the day. The winner reached the finish at 8:11. On the Soča 5 km, only 15 seconds separated the two fastest runners, while the Continental 10 km was won by Danijel Peček in 50:32, followed by female winner Edita Gashi 14 minutes later.
Organisers already have one foot in the next edition
A successfully delivered event, sold-out distances and positive feedback from runners are a welcome boost for the festival. At the end of this year’s edition, event manager Sara Mavrič said: “I’m really happy that, despite the heat, we didn’t have any major medical issues and that everyone reached the finish safely and in good spirits. The volunteers at the aid stations certainly played a big part in that, making sure everyone got what they needed. Compared to last year, we welcomed even more runners this year, not 2,600, but as many as 3,400, which required some logistical adjustments. That is why we arranged additional parking areas and expanded the finish area, so there was enough space, especially on Sunday, for runners to stop, recover and refresh after reaching the finish.”
Peter Dakskobler, one of the festival’s co-founders and race director, is already thinking about the next edition: “As every year, we are already thinking about upgrades for next year, especially for visitors who are coming from an increasingly diverse range of countries. In 2027, we will definitely make use of the Friday public holiday to further enrich the holiday programme.”
And while the organisers are already looking ahead to the next edition, this year’s runners will take home memories of the cool Tolminka River, views of the Soča Valley, and even a proposal by one of the running couples.
