5th Cross in the Bilje Hills 2010

Vrtojba (Slovenia), Sunday 19 December 2010

The first of a series of four cross-country running events in Slovenia's Mediterranean Primorska region takes place on the Sunday before Christmas.

Participants run up and down the vineyards between the villages of Vrtojba and Bilje, which are very close to the Slovenia-Italy border. The town of Gorizia in Italy is just 4 kilometres away.

Competitors run several loops on grass and dirt trails. The distance depends on their age category:

• 300m-2km: children
• 4km: juniors (born 1992-1995)
• 6km: men (born 1965 and older); women (born 1991 and older)
• 8km: men (born 1966-1991)

In 2009, on an unusually cold day, the event welcomed over 100 runners, half of them children.

Country: Slovenia

Venue (Map): Vrtojba (4km from Gorizia, 43km from Udine, 46km from Trieste, 103km from Ljubljana)

Date: 19 December 2010 (Sunday)

Start time: 11.00-11.40 (children); 12.00 (4km); 12.25 (6km); 13.00 (8km)

Start and finish: in the vineyards near Vrtojba

Entries: on the day from 9.00am in the Primary School Vrtojba (Osnovna Šola Vrtojba)

Entry fees: 4 euros; 2 euros (17 years and under)

You get: tea, fruit, biscuits, sweets

Prizes: medals and practical prizes to the first 3 in each category

Number of finishers 2009: 53 adults and 53 children

Event website (in Slovene): filipides.net

No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page.