Vihren Vertical Kilometer mountain race scheduled for October 2026

The speed climbing competition ‘Vihren: Vertical Kilometer’ is scheduled to take place on October 11, 2026. The event features a race from Vihren Hut to the summit of Vihren Peak, which stands at an altitude of 2,914 meters in the Pirin Mountains.

Following a 15-year hiatus after its last occurrence in 2010, the event was revived in 2025. Organizers, including the Bulgarian Tourist Union, the Tourist Association ‘Vihren – Bansko’, and SK ‘AlPirinski’, aim to establish the race as an annual fixture in Bulgaria’s mountain sports calendar.

The course covers approximately 3 kilometers with a positive elevation gain of nearly 950 meters. Registration for the 2026 competition is open until October 4, 2026.