Zoran's first ultra: Istria100 69k in his own words

A note from Alex before we get into it:

Zoran and I have been working together for just over a year. In that time he ran two half marathon PBs, completed his first marathon, and then decided he wanted something bigger. A lot bigger.

The Istria100 69k: 69 kilometres, 2,237 metres of climbing, through the trails and hilltop towns of Istria, Croatia. In the days before the race we went through the course together aid station by aid station, every climb, the sun exposure, pacing, nutrition. Zoran showed up ready. The rest is his to tell.

Race week

Ah, Istria. In numbers: 69 km, 2,237 metres of elevation gain, and 777 competitors on that distance this year.

We arrived in Umag on Friday. You can feel the hype and running energy in the town immediately. The 100-mile race starts at 5 PM, and watching those runners head out sets the tone. We picked up race bibs and kit, settled into the accommodation, and in the afternoon I did a short shakeout with friends about 30 minutes easy, more for the socialising than anything else.

I've never had better preparations and a training block going into a race. I went through every section of the course in detail with Alex and had a clear plan. Mentally I was completely ready I was finishing, the only question was the time.

Travelling with a small child makes everything harder to organise. I went to bed later than planned. Instead of the 8 to 9 hours I wanted, I got 7. It is what it is.

Race morning

Saturday. The race starts at 9 AM in Buzet, perfect weather. We left the accommodation at 7 AM, and in my head this being my first ultra constant questions: did I pack everything, is everything where it should be, will I have enough water, will I manage my nutrition through the race?

The clock hits 09:00. The race starts.

The first sections

The first few kilometres go through Buzet, which isn't particularly interesting, but then you enter forest sections that are more engaging and more demanding. That's where the crowd of runners starts to bunch. Until the first aid station it was constant stop-and-go, a queue of people on narrow forest trails.

I took out my poles early and didn't put them away until the finish. Light, familiar, no bother. Crossing the dam, we reach the first aid station at Butoniga a small stop that served mainly to refill water, take some electrolytes, eat a few chips, and continue.

Looking back now, first ultra and inexperience talking: I should have spent more time at aid stations resting. But I was chasing time, so there it is.

Motovun, Livade, and the heat

Around 25 km I take Paracetamol as planned just in case. Another at around 45 km. I climb up to Motovun. Beautiful town, beautiful scenery, old stone paths and stairs winding up, then a descent to Livade. The sun is directly overhead and I arrive in Livade soaked through and quite drained.

There I make my first and only longer stop. A can of Coca-Cola, chips, a change of shirt, socks, and shoes. A few times through the race I felt a cramp threatening in my quadriceps, never fully hitting, just the warning signal. My brother-in-law was there as support crew and handed me magnesium direct, which I used several times from that point to keep cramping at bay.

The climb after Livade under that sun just goes on and on. It drains you. My elbow paid the price for leaning hard on the poles it was sore for days after. I reached Grožnjan, refilled fluids, greeted my family who had come out to cheer, and kept moving.

Half a marathon left.

The hardest stretch

The section after Grožnjan was the hardest mentally, not physically. Gravel road, almost flat terrain, sun directly overhead, it just wouldn't end. I ran what I could, then alternated running and walking, banking energy for the last small climb that, in the end, I barely noticed.

My body had stopped tolerating gels by around 40 km. The mistake was not packing enough salty food I had brought only sweets and gels, assuming I'd find savoury options at aid stations. A lesson learned the hard way. From 40 km onwards: electrolytes, water, and as many M&Ms and cookies as I could manage.

The Buje aid station came as a genuine relief. I was quite depleted by then. Some chips, some water, and unexpectedly a bit of cheese, which tasted like the best thing I'd ever eaten. I left Buje through forest, then open fields and tall grass. That's where the mental shift happened: sub-10 hours wasn't happening, and that was fine. Let's just finish this well.

Run, walk, run, walk.

The finish

I arrived in Umag. About 200 metres from the finish line I reached my family. I handed my poles to my wife, picked up my daughter who was holding a baby doll and we crossed the finish line together.

Official time: 10:07:45. Moving time: 09:36:24.

An incredible feeling. First ultra, done. Will there be more? Absolutely. Longer distances? Without a doubt.

Alex's coaching notes

What stands out to me about Zoran's race is that the physical preparation held. The fatigue he felt in the final 20 km was situational heat, accumulated effort, a nutrition gap around salty food not a fitness problem. He had the aerobic base to cover 69 km with significant elevation. That doesn't happen by accident.

The things he'd do differently more time at aid stations early, a better salty food strategy are exactly the lessons that first ultras teach. You can study a course on paper but some things only register when you're in it at hour eight.

What I'm most proud of is the finish. Not the time, the decision-making. He assessed the situation at Buje, accepted that sub-10 wasn't on the cards, and finished strong and in one piece. That's good racing.

He's already thinking about what's next, and so am I.