Roadbook S1 Borin — the route section by section

The S1 Borin starts from the Bora Village in PortoPiccolo and returns there after 4 km: it is the shortest loop of La Corsa della Bora, a non-competitive route with no final ranking. This page describes the course in the order in which you meet it, section by section.

The beach of PortoPiccolo and the trenches of the Karst front

The start is on the beach of the Bora Village in PortoPiccolo, with the sea behind you. The first section climbs among the Great War trenches of the Karst front: white stone, Mediterranean scrub and wild sage, on a well-marked trail with a steady gradient — no sudden ramps, suitable for anyone tackling the Karst for the first time or walking with a child.

Sistiana/Sesljan — what changes in 2027

Until the previous edition, Sistiana was a junction: the longer distances carried on inland, while the Borin turned straight back towards the sea. In 2027 this changes — Borin runners are the only ones, of all the races of La Corsa della Bora, to reach Sistiana and carry on from there towards the coast instead of turning back at once: a stretch of Karst crossed on your own, with no other competitors around, that no other distance of the event covers.

The descent to the Costa dei Barbari

From Sistiana the course drops towards the Costa dei Barbari, a wild stretch of Karst coastline between Sistiana and PortoPiccolo, with no beach clubs, hidden coves and an open view over the Gulf of Trieste. The ground is Karst — live terrain, the odd root, watch where you put your feet — and the descent, short as it is, is steep: it is the hardest point of the whole route, despite the minimal distance.

For children it is a section suited to those who already have some familiarity with trails, not an absolute first step. The only real thing to watch is technical, not a matter of pace: here you need trail shoes with good grip, whatever speed you take the descent at.

The return and the finish at PortoPiccolo

From the shore the trail returns to the beach of PortoPiccolo, where the Borin reaches the same finish as the other distances of the day: same beach, same celebration. Anyone who has run the Borin takes home a stretch of coast — Sistiana and the Costa dei Barbari one after the other — that no other competitor of La Corsa della Bora covers in the same way this year. Four kilometres, but well chosen.

Sequence of places

PortoPiccolo (Bora Village) → trenches of the Karst front → Sistiana/Sesljan → Costa dei Barbari → PortoPiccolo

Further reading

• PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay — the logistics base of La Corsa della Bora and the stretch of coast the race starts from.
• Costa dei Barbari — the wild coastline of the final descent.
• The CAI trails of the Karst — numbers, official names and 2027 races across the whole network.
• Trail running in Trieste and the Karst — the same places, walkable all year round.

This description has editorial value and helps you understand how the route is built section by section. To actually follow the track, in training as in the race, only the official track and the race markings put in place by the organisers apply. Up-to-date distances, elevation gain and times are published on the race page, S1 Borin 4 km; the network of trails on which the Corsa della Bora courses are built is described on the page The CAI trails of the Karst.