Rajd Beskidy Returns with a ‘Devilishly Tough’ Course in Poland and Slovakia

Rajd Beskidy is set to challenge teams on a 580km course through the low Tatra mountains of Poland and Slovakia next week, and the race organsiers say; “It’s going to be tough — even devilishly tough.”

Rajd Beskidy is set to challenge teams on a 580km course through the low Tatra mountains of Poland and Slovakia next week, and the race organsiers say; “It’s going to be tough — even devilishly tough.”

The race is staged by father and daughter team of Jerzy and Magda Lekki as part of a series of races in the Beskidy mountain area, which also includes a winter race and a shorter adventure race which was part of the ARWS Europe Series earlier this year.

The upcoming Expedition race is their third as part of the Adventure Racing World Series and teams know to expect a tough, technical and innovative course. This year Jerzy says, “The route parameters — 580 km and 14,000 meters of elevation gain — speak for themselves. There will be a constant mix of climbs and descents, steep ascents and treacherous downhills, which will require exceptional endurance and an iron mindset.”

He added, “There will be different types of maps and competitors, especially the navigators, won’t have time to get bored! There will be LIDAR maps, loved by some and hated by others, satellite imagery, and some surprises too!

“A few checkpoints will have to be plotted by the teams themselves using azimuths, so apart from precision, a protractor and ruler will come in handy. There will also be an itinerary — a navigation task that’s ridiculously easy with a fresh mind, but our racers will face it on the final stage, when they’ll be falling asleep on their feet.

“The route has plenty of variation and it’s possible that in some sections each team will choose a different option. There will be parts of the course where checkpoints can be completed in any order so, not only do you have to find the points, but also work out the optimal sequence (and traps are waiting). There will be a tangle of paths, from which to choose the one right track and all of this will be a feast for dotwatchers following the race satellite tracking.

“There will be a 40-meter rappel down a rock face, via ferrata, and rock climbing where completing the harder routes will be rewarded with bonuses. We will cross the border also into Slovakia is a small, mountainous country with a low population density. It’s a true paradise for adventure racing. The race base is located right by the border, and most of the course leads through Slovakia with Tatra Mountains visible from every direction.”

Teams will gather at the ECO Active Resort Pieniny this weekend read to start the race at 10 a.m. on Monday and have a time limit of 122 hours to complete the course. This is split into approximately 420km of mountain biking, 110km of trekking and 50km of water activities, which will include some swimming.

The race has attracted a very multi-national entry and the 12 teams on the start line have athletes from 12 European countries and include the defending champions, Team Gymcity AR, ranked #18 in the World. They are a long-established Polish team but on this occasion have two Irish racers in the team.
Also racing is the second placed team from last year, Team Untamed, with a line up from Switzerland and Czechia, and the youth team winners from last time, Team Aaros of Denmark.

Bull Adventure Team from Finland/Estonia is ranked #2 in Europe and the Õnnevalem team from Estonia includes Rain Eensaar from World #4 team Estonian ACE Adventure. Also in the mix for the podium will be the very experienced Black Hill team from Czechia. The most international team of all will Rachel’s Irish Adventures, with racers from Ireland, France, Poland and the UK.

The top teams will be racing for the title and the free place at this year’s Adventure Racing World Championship in Canada as the race is an ARWS Qualifier. Rajd Beskidy is one of the last chances to win a place, but to do that they will first have to finish the “devilishly tough” course, and overcome all of the navigational challenges set for them. For most teams on the start line just reaching the finish line after completing the full course will be their ambition.

Race fans can follow the race on the Rajd Beskidy website at https://rajdbeskidy.pl and the race social media pages @rajdbeskidyfestival (Facebook) and @rajdbeskidy (Instagram), as well as through the ARWS channels on @arworldseries.

The satellite tracking will go live once the race starts at https://sledzgps.pl/events/view/rajd_beskidy_2025