6th Life on Mars Trail Race gathered as many as 1,300 competitors!

The sixth edition of the Life on Mars Trail race met the expectations of both participants and organizers, the Trekking League and the Novalja Tourist Board. Already in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 25, more than a thousand runners eager to take part in this unique race—known for its landscape resembling that of Mars—arrived in Metajna.

Each of the three categories—Light (7 km), Active (15 km), and Challenger (24 km)—had its own separate start due to the large number of participants, all accompanied by David Bowie’s legendary Life on Mars, a well-known association with this race and its cosmic scenery.

Before the start of the race, the excellent Infinity band warmed up the atmosphere. After Simun Cimerman from the Trekking League—rightfully called the “father” of this trail—welcomed everyone and explained the race rules, Tomislav Družak, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, addressed the participants. A warm welcome was also given by Ivan Đono Dabo, the Mayor of Novalja. Družak emphasized that the Life on Mars Trail is a great example of promoting tourism in Croatia outside the main season, as sports events promote a beautiful, healthy, and safe Croatia as well as a healthy lifestyle.

Sunlit Metajna was flooded with athletes and recreational runners of all generations. In addition to participants who traditionally come from Croatia and Slovenia, this year also saw runners from Romania, Germany, Serbia, Austria, and Italy, along with a large group from China who bravely completed the demanding 15 km Active course.

After all three starts, the first arrivals at the finish line were eagerly awaited. The winners in the three categories were as follows:

• Light – Men: 1st place Jurica Fapali, 2nd place Ivan Vid Glavan, 3rd place Šimun Vugdelija (all from Croatia).
• Light – Women: 1st place Sonja Štucin (Slovenia), 2nd place Tara Baksa (Croatia), 3rd place Marijana Kunc (Slovenia).
• Active – Men: 1st place Goran Modrušan, 2nd place Antonio Erceg, 3rd place Borna Kovačević (all from Croatia).
• Active – Women: 1st place Lucija Kopić, 2nd place Marija Brodar, 3rd place Ivana Hećimović (all from Croatia).
• Challenger – Men (24 km): 1st place Nicolas Gojković (Croatia), 2nd place Uroš Kožar (Slovenia), 3rd place Luka Horvat (Croatia).
• Challenger – Women: 1st place Michelle Hassel (Germany), 2nd place Jerneja Kožar (Slovenia), 3rd place Damjana Žmavc (Slovenia).

To make sure young runners weren’t left out, awards were also given to juniors under 12. In the boys’ Light category: 1st place Milan Mišić, 2nd place Ivan Mišić, 3rd place Karlo Veledar. In the girls’ category: 1st place Tara Baksa, 2nd place Lena Mišić, 3rd place Mila Mišić.

The sixth edition of this extraordinary trail race—set in a landscape stripped bare by the Velebit bora wind and resembling the Moon or Mars, yet dotted with stunning coves and beaches—exceeded all expectations. Šimun Cimerman from the Trekking League expressed great satisfaction with this year’s results.

“It was fantastic. We had a record number of participants, including more international runners—350 foreign registrations from as many as 18 countries. Life on Mars Trail has officially become the largest trail race in Croatia by number of participants, among a total of 190 official trail races. Exceptional cooperation with the Metajna Local Board, the City of Novalja, and the Novalja Tourist Board played a key role,” said Cimerman.

From the very beginning, the strong interest from tourists confirmed that creating this sports event was a hit. Marina Šćiran Rizner, Director of the Novalja Tourist Board and co-organizer of this unique event alongside the Trekking League, also expressed her satisfaction:

“We are extremely pleased with the turnout of participants, who came from all over Croatia and abroad, which makes us very happy. We always emphasize that Life on Mars Trail is an international race designed for all generations and fitness levels. Despite forecasts of bad weather, we were blessed with a beautiful day—but given our optimism, we didn’t expect anything less. The race in Metajna is actually a prelude to the pre-season and the summer tourist season in Novalja and across the island of Pag. Thanks to our outdoor tourism offer, we want to be recognized both domestically and internationally in the pre- and post-season.”

After the race, participants enjoyed a joint lunch, and following the award ceremony with medals presented on stage, the celebration continued with another great performance by the Infinity band, who traditionally provide the soundtrack for the Life on Mars Trail.