The 14th edition of the prestigious competition in the heart of the Apuseni Mountains, the msg Apuseni Marathon, organised by the Romanian Alpine Club Cluj Branch together with msg Romania – title partner, La Sportiva – technical partner and ProNutrition – nutrition partner, marked a milestone for Romanian trail running through technical innovation, openness to people with disabilities and record participation! For the first time, the competition opened the route to people with motor disabilities, with the exceptional participation of Alex Tache on a bike specially adapted to this type of terrain! Also for the first time, over 4,300 participants, supporters and volunteers were present at the start, along the race routes and at related activities organised for the public! And also for the first time, each competitor’s position could be tracked in real time on the digital map of the competition!
A first in Apuseni Mountains: a person with disabilities takes part in a trail running race!
For the first time in the decades-long history of the .msg Apuseni Marathon, a person with motor disabilities was at the starting line. With the help of a special terrain bike purchased by .msg Romania, Alex Tache joined the 10 km race.
Alex Tache completed the 10 km race. This is all the more important given that, until now, trail-running races have been inaccessible to competitors with disabilities due to the special conditions involved. The bike will be donated to Caiac Smile to be included in the association’s programmes that support the development of sport among people with special needs. “The joy of the mountains, of a trip through the forest, reconnecting with nature and the heights are experiences that we should all be able to enjoy. Participating in the marathon is just the beginning of a long series of happy experiences that we can offer to those who, until now, did not have access to areas without facilities,” says Horea Rațiu, Managing Director of .msg Romania.
Congratulations to the community of runners who welcomed him with great enthusiasm at the start, and we hope that other similar teams will join the competition in the next edition!
msg Apuseni Marathon 2025: record numbers!
In 2025, 2,457 people from 14 countries registered for the four competitive events – the ultramarathon, the .msg marathon, the Banca Transilvania half marathon, the Garmin cross-country race – and the non-competitive Family Gerovital event!
This year’s participation marks a new milestone, but also a healthy comeback for trail running in the region and in Romania!
The number of adult runners reached an all-time high, proving that trail running is becoming increasingly popular among outdoor sports enthusiasts!
- 45% opted for the Banca Transilvania half marathon (~23.7 km, D+ 1190m) – 1 ITRA point, UTMB 20K Qualifier
- 32% chose the Garmin cross-country race (~10 km, D+ 500 m)
- 17% opted for the established .msg marathon (~44.8 km, D+ 2531m) – 2 ITRA points, UTMB 50K Qualifier
- 6% opted for the ultramarathon (~66.1 km, D+ 3120 m) – 3 ITRA points, UTMB 50K Qualifier
The distribution of runners by gender – male and female – indicates a slight increase in the number of female runners in each event. However, the percentage remains around one third of the total, with 32% female participation versus 68% male participation.
The 10 km cross-country race is the most popular among women (48%), followed by the 23 km half marathon (28%).
The longer and more technical races remain by far the most popular among men: marathon (82%) and ultramarathon (91%).
The evolution of the non-competitive event for family teams is also remarkable, with a 12% increase from one year to the next.
Performance of the edition
The 2025 Apuseni Marathon proved once again to be the ideal setting for achieving new performances, especially given the high temperatures.
The big winners of this edition are, of course, the longest distance runners – ultramarathon:
- Cosmin Pașca, 1st place, Open men’s ultramarathon with 7h 30min 15sec
- Ploșniță Adriana and Azimi Anariki Ioana, both 1st place, Open women’s ultramarathon with 8h 43min 42sec
The marathon runners covered the distance of 44.8 km and were the first to cross the finish line:
- Paul Hârșan, first place, Open Men’s Marathon, with a time of 4h 48min 01sec
- Amariei Mădălina, first place, Open Women’s Marathon, with a time of 4h 58min 25sec
We would like to mention that the marathon is also part of the Carpathian Circuit, so the winners of this race also earned important points for the circuit!
The Banca Transilvania Half Marathon took place at a fast pace and was won by:
- Mitrică Leonard, 1st place, Open Men’s Half Marathon, with a time of 1h 51min 20 sec
- Ingrid Mutter, 1st place, Open women’s half marathon, with a time of 2h 24min 09sec
The Garmin Cross Country Race was an explosion of energy, and the winners are:
- Ibănescu Bogdan, 1st place, Open men’s cross country, with a time of 47min 18sec
- Kerekes Emma, 1st place, Open women’s cross country, with a time of 58min, 10 sec
An award ceremony was also held to award the titles of Queen and King of the Mountain, a challenge run on a predefined section and calculated for each event separately!
New real-time timing and runner tracking system
Also a first for the msg Apuseni Marathon, the timing system developed by Race Hub made it possible to track runners on a digital map of the race routes as they passed the checkpoints.
Because we love technology and believe that we should make the most of innovation and progress in the field, we would like to thank the timing team for implementing this option.
Sustainability and environmental protection
In 2025, one of the organising team’s commitments was to minimise pollution and protect the environment.
To this end, msg Maraton Apuseni is already in its seventh edition, in which:
- no disposable cups are used on the route; runners bring their own containers for hydration!
- runners are constantly asked not to throw litter on the route. The marshals and volunteers on the route check after the last runners have passed.
- Avoidance of traffic congestion has been promoted through efficient grouping of cars.
In addition to these concrete actions during the race, the msg Maraton Apuseni team organised educational workshops on reforestation and environmental protection.
Promoting running among the younger generation
The most extensive educational action is the organisation of the Family Gerovital event, a race for teams consisting of a child and a parent. The aim is to instil a love of outdoor exercise in the mountains in both children and adults.
Since last autumn, the race has gained momentum with outdoor training sessions organised by Mister Nicu. This year, the bar has been raised even higher, with a super prize up for grabs – a holiday for the whole family in Lapland, offered by Christian Tour. The draw will take place in October, at the end of the training programme.
Partners and Friends
The 14th edition of msg Maraton Apuseni was possible thanks to our partners and friends:
- msg systems Romania – title partner
- La Sportiva – technical partner
- Pro Nutrition – nutrition partner
- Banca Transilvania – half marathon race partner
- Garmin Romania X Garmin Cluj – cross race partner
- Farmec – Gerovital – Family race partner
- SUBARU CLUJ , via Twin Motors – official car partner
- Christian Tour – tourism partner
- ITRA – International Trail Running Association – trail running index partner
- Circuitul Carpatilor – specialized partner
- World Class Romania – fitness partner
- Buscat Ski&Summer Resort & Muntele Basmelor – venues
- Izvorul Minunilor, Urusus Cooler, Torockoi – De Colțești, Paste Szatmari, Adrenalin Park, Mountex, Nootka, Maramont, ZuMont, Alpin Expe Mountain Shop, and many more
- Primăria Băișoara, Serviciul Salvamont Salvaspeo Cluj, Consiliul Județean Cluj,– institutional partners
- RockFM, KISS FM, Cluj.com – Ghid Local, Radio Cluj, Transylvania Mountain Festival, MTB Odyssey – media partners
Ready, set go #InAMountainBeat and get ready for a new edition in 2026!
