One of the favorite races

Ionut Zinca (Skyrunning 2014 vice-champion, Record holder on both Cross and Marathon races at Cross 2015 – 56min04, Marathon 2018 – 3h27min11).
‘At the first participation in 2011, I ran the Cross race, and then I ran the second loop as well. Just as Zegama has a special place in my heart, the same thing I can say about EcoMarathon … after the first participation I was shocked. I could not believe that this could be happening in Romania, the incredible organization, the incredible location, the incredible race, everything is perfect. Congratulations to the Eco team and hope you never lose your spirit!’

‘The next year, I did not want to miss the queen race, the marathon. It was fantastic, especially since half of the race I did not know, the ‘new’ part of the second loop, plus the third loop’
In that year, 2012, the marathon route was modified so that there is no trafficked road, the ascent between Cheia Village and the Cheile Grădiştei Fundata Resort being on the old trail, a very beautiful part of the forest. Ionuţ Zincă won the marathon that year, setting the first time for this new route.
2015 found Ionuț together with us and this time, ready for Sstart for the Cross race. We had unbelievable competition at the start, probably all of these led to a race record and a time below 1h mark for this race, a record that will probably be hard to beat! At that edition the podium was completed by Gheorghita Vitalie and Gyorgy Szabolcs.
‘EcoMarathon is one of my favorite races, my strength for me is the event’s surroundings. A very well-organized race from all points of view that makes you come back and when you get to the finish line you are already thinking about the next edition. In the last few years I have tried to return to the start much as possible, the Cross race being the race I participated most in, due to the crowded racing calendar I scheduled.’
‘Now, in 2018, I return with other goals. After two rough seasons, in the last few months the left knee was quite generous with me, allowing me to get back to training. I want to celebrate my return to the queen race at Eco, it will be the second test in my attempt to reach the Long Distance World Championship in Poland. There are many questions in my mind that need an answer and I hope to find the answers in Moieciu.
Thanks to the Eco family, for the chance to get to the start and the quality of the event.
Take a lot of health and see you at the start! ‘

Useful advice for those who run the Marathon: ‘Do not force the first loop, the extra effort on the first loop is then paid on the third. It’s very easy to miss the “sparkle” in the first part, especially since the enthusiasm and the dose of adrenaline that you get at the start make your rhythm much more alert than you can handle and from my experience in the races in Romania, it goes very fast, at least on the start’. So, ¨relax¨ at first, you must enjoy all the loops, to avoid wasting your energy to early.
We are honored to have Ionut Zinca present again at the start of EcoMarathon, he is a sportsman with fantastic enthusiasm and with extraordinary results obtained due to his special qualities, but especially because of his passion for running, whether it is sport orientation or mountain running. Ionuţ won the Cross in 2011, 2015 (record) and 2016, and in 2012 and 2018 (record) he won the marathon race.