PortoPiccolo: The Ascent from the White Cliffs

The PortoPiccolo climb is the first wall of the Half Trail: from Bora Village you hit the limestone ridge immediately — limestone and Mediterranean scrub, with the sea widening at every metre of elevation gained. It is not a gentle start, but an honest one — the Half Trail shows its character right away. Those who find their rhythm here arrive on the plateau with warm legs and their mind already in the race.

Extended start waves — from one to two hours — eliminate bottlenecks in the narrow sections and let every athlete find their rhythm from the very first steps. The climb is better without the queue.

The Rilke Path: Poetry Terrace on the Adriatic

Once on the cliffs, the trail stretches along the Sentiero Rilke: two kilometres suspended between sky and sea, from the Gulf of Trieste/Tržaški zaliv to Istria, with the snowy Julian Alps in the background on clear bora days. The trail is sheltered and flowing — a breather after the climb, before the race resumes toward Duino.

It was here, in 1912, that Rainer Maria Rilke heard the first words of the Duine Elegies: «Who, if I were to cry out, would hear me from the hosts of angels?». From these cliffs also arises the motto of the Corsa della Bora: being here is wonderful. Anyone who arrives at Rilke after the climb from PortoPiccolo understands exactly what it means.

The Borgo di Duino: Between the Castle and the Pizza delle Cravatte Rosse

The route runs through the historic town of Duino/Devin, nestled between Mount Ermada and the white cliffs on the Adriatic. It runs past Duino Castle - the 15th-century residence of the Princes della Torre and Tasso, where Dante was a guest before Rilke, and where the terraces overlooking the sea guard centuries of history and poetry. Next to the ruins of the old castle, the silhouette of the Dama Bianca can be glimpsed, the rock in the likeness of a veiled woman who, according to legend, was a castellan turned to stone.

Passing through the picturesque Piazza del Castello is also the time for the day-only refreshment of the Cravatte Rosse: freshly baked pizza, smiles and the energy of the volunteers who have always been the soul of La Corsa della Bora. A place to take a break, have a hot bite to eat and start off again with your spirit as full as your legs.

Mount Ermada: Where the Karst Becomes a Mountain

Beyond Duino the terrain changes character. You leave the coastal cliffs and enter the heart of the plateau, where Mount Ermada - Grmada in Slovenian, 323 metres - dominates the Karst landscape like a sentinel between two worlds. The ascent is gentle and continuous, never brutal, through mixed pine and beech forests that alternate with clearings of bora-beaten moorland.

The summit ridge offers a well-balanced mix of athletic challenge and enjoyment of the panorama: gently descending stretches interspersed with short ascents on flowing paths, with views sweeping from the sea to the mountains. Mount Ermada was also the scene of bitter fighting during the Great War - its slopes still conceal trenches and fortifications of the Austro-Hungarian army - but today nature has healed those wounds and the green of the woods has replaced the stony ground of yesteryear.

The Mount Ermada Ring

This is where the Half Trail shows its character: it runs the entire ring of Mount Ermada, a sequence of ups and downs around the mountain offering ever-changing perspectives - the sea appearing and disappearing among the pines, the dolines opening surprisingly below your feet, the ridge stretches where the bora blows freely and the view sweeps from the Julian Alps to Istria. The pace changes constantly: short uphill sections followed by smooth descents on single tracks that reward those who can read the terrain and adapt their pace. It is not a stretch to be underestimated, but neither is it an insurmountable wall - it is trail running the way those who seek variety and direct contact with the nature of the Karst like it. And this year, along the route, there may be a surprise.

The Descent to PortoPiccolo

The route skirts its slopes in the most accessible version, with a smooth and scenic descent back to PortoPiccolo.