Race: Transylvania 100K Race
Runner: TRR Coach Emily Keddie
Race Date: 05/24/2025
Location: Bran, Romania
Result: 18 hours, 30 minutes and 59 seconds; 1st place female
Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/14586291194
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
It is hard to highlight only a few things about the Transylvania 100K: a great problem to have!
- Organization and execution: From the course markings (including blinking lights marking the way for nighttime), to the fully manned and stocked aid stations, and the well-planned race expo and awards ceremony, it is clear that this race has nailed every aspect over the past 10 years.
- Stunning scenery: It calls to mind the ascents and descents of Tour du Mont Blanc, mixed with the rugged feeling of Crazy Mountain 100, and the technicality and trail-less aspects of Swiss Peaks or Tor de Geants. The course takes runners up into the alpine and then down, back up again and then down, proving constantly changing views and terrains. You get an intimate experience of the Bucegi Mountains.
- Excitement and camaraderie: Both were contagious. The stoke for this race is very high, with people come back year after year. For 2025, there were almost 2,000 runners over the 5 different race distances. Running in other counties with racers of different nationalities is fun and exciting: an opportunity to share common ground (literally) with people from around the world.
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
There really wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy or appreciate about this race. It is extremely challenging with over 21,000 feet of elevation gain, making it the most difficult 100K I’ve completed by far! Conditions—mainly the amount of snow on course—vary. The weather seems similar to Colorado in the U.S., where storms can come on quickly in the afternoons and become quite severe, as one did the night before the race. There are also brown bears—an equivalent of grizzlies—so runners often pair up for safety.
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
One weird and certainly unexpected thing was seeing a dead brown bear! I kept saying I wanted to see a bear (just maybe not up close), and I did! A couple runners (not in the race) I passed told me I’d see a dead bear ahead. I wasn’t sure if they were kidding or not, so it still took me by surprise when I came across it suddenly right on the trail. It was massive!
Also weird, but very cool, is that the Transylvania 100K race starts right beneath Bran Castle, better known as “Dracula’s Castle.” It has to be the most unique start/finish location I’ve ever been to.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
This was the first time I can truly say I “ran my own race.” Coming off an overuse injury in my shin from racing a lot early this year, my training milage had been quite low and I wasn’t sure I was back to 100%. Even hiking in Romania the week before the race, I could feel it mildly. My plan was to start easy and smooth, pay attention to my body, and not run through pain, as I didn’t want to set back all of my recovery progress. The further I got into the race, the more surprised I became that my shin was holding up great. When people started to tell me I was in first place, I couldn’t believe it! From there, I just continued to move smoothly, rather than pushing myself into a potentially unsustainable higher gear. Just completing the Transylvania 100K would’ve been a success.
The beauty of the race, superimposed with the difficulty, was both such a challenge and reward. You have to be incredibly determined.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
You really need to practice steep uphill hiking for this race. You use completely different muscles to hike a 30-40 degree slope (common in this race) compared to 10-20 degrees outside or on a treadmill. There are also several “no fall” areas, meaning if you trip or slip off the trail, you’ll very much injure yourself, or worse.
It is extremely rugged. Expect your time to be longer than you think, because the terrain is highly technical. Before the race, you want to be familiar with using your poles, including having a good system for putting them away/taking them back out again. Also, some water stops are spread quite far apar, so making sure you carry enough water is important!
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Pacing! I read shortly before the race started a reminder for runners not to go out too fast for the first climb (about 8-9 miles). At around 4800 feet, this first climb is huge and will leave you tired no matter what! I let my body adjust to the demands of the course, not worrying who passed me or my pace, and ran more by feel. After that, I eased into running the flats and downhills so that my legs could recover.
While the front half of the race has a ton of climbing, it doesn’t necessarily make the back half easier. The rugged terrain never ends!
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
Definitely download the course GPX onto your watch! The course is very well marked, but there are a few times you’ll exit a dirt road onto a less obvious trail (or no trail) and it’s easy to miss these even with markings.
Then make note of what to expect with the elevation. The first 28 miles has around 12,000 feet of gain, leaving 9,000 feet for the other 35 miles, but it’s not a lot easier. The high point is around 8100 feet, and you get close to that twice within the first 28 miles! Remember that every time you drop down, you’re about to go right back up! Enjoy the runnable trails and dirt roads, they are a reprieve.
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
The Transylvania 100K course is extremely beautiful. There are jagged mountains, rock formations, beautiful alpine rolling hills, lush forests, small towns, lakes, and, of course, the castle. One of my favorite courses for sure!
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
Beautiful and rewarding, but the most difficult 100K race I’ve ever done! It is up there in difficulty with the Ouray 100 miler, Swiss Peaks 360K, and Crazy Mountain 100. If you like vert heavy races, the Transylvania 100K is one for you! Expect technical trails, steep and scrambly descents, snow traverses, and plenty of rocks, roots, and mud.
The 31 hour cutoff on a course this tough poses another challenge.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
This was the 10th edition of the Transylvania 100K, and it was run exquisitely. Everything was well organized, making for a great runner experience.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
This year there was a lot of press over François D’Haene (legendary trail and ultra runner; multi-time UTMB winner and course record holder) competing in the 100K. I stood near him at the front on the start line, knowing he was the favorite to win, and having no idea that I would be the female winner! There were strong females in the race, and the men’s field was very strong too. Nationality-wise, there were very few Americans in it.
Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
This race is extremely affordable. It did not sell out, and it only cost 100 Euros (currently that is around $125 US). For a week in Romania, including airfare, Ubers (do not bother renting a car), trains between Bucharest, Brasov, and Bran, all meals, and the race, it cost under $2,000. We did have apartments booked ahead of time—I recommend trying to book something in Bran as close to the race start/finish as possible. Brasov is an excellent place to spend the week before the race, with plenty of trails and exploring for that taper week. Nearly everyone speaks English everywhere we went, making travelling and being tourists quite simple.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Aid stations were wonderful. I brought plenty of my own snacks and actually ended up eating very little of them! Most were stocked with fairly standard offerings: pickles, olives, chips, wafer cookies, sour gummy worms, nuts, etcetera. Some aid stations had hot food: soup, pizza, and pasta arrabbiata. Isostar is the on-course hydration brand, common in Europe, and it is actually my favorite electrolyte drink of all. There was one place for a drop bag, surprisingly early on at mile 28. I didn’t need or want it at that point, wishing it was available later, but grabbed a few snacks and changed out my jacket. The race provides the same 10L drop bag to every runner—I couldn’t fit my shoes in it, so used the same pair for the whole race.
Weather and typical race conditions
Warning, this is a mountain race with weather similarly unpredictable to Colorado in Spring! There were significant snow sections throughout the first half of the course, and microspikes were recommended but not required. The amount of snow on course varies year by year though, so it’s not always a given. I ran in shoes with sizable lugs (Speedland GL:SVT), which were the perfect shoe for this race with all of the snow and mud. The weather forecast called for rain, but fortunately it held off until the last 2 hours. And the temperatures were in the 40’s-60’s degrees Fahrenheit (5-15 degrees Celsius).
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?
I would absolutely recommend using poles, as well as having a well-practiced system for stowing your poles. Opt for shoes with a more aggressive tread capable of handling a wide variety of gnarly terrains in different weather conditions. Also, give your nutrition carrying capacity some thought: I only brought two 600ml flasks, but wished I had a third at a couple points.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
I forgot that many of the other runners are from here, and therefore had crew throughout! I did not have crew, but had help from people at aid stations, and there were people cheering in the towns we ran through. A lot of the course isn’t easily accessible for spectating, but for family or friends who want to join in the fun, there are tourist activities they could do during the race! The finish line setting is spectacular, and there is an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the race on Sunday, both of which are great for spectators to enjoy too.
How’s the Swag?
The swag is outstanding! All of the runners get a t-shirt, and extra one is optional. You’re provided a 10L drop bag, and a printed map of the course which you are required to carry. Also included in the runner’s swag was a bag of chips, protein bar, and chip timer which was scanned many times at checkpoints throughout the race. At the finish, a medal is presented.
On top of that, the winner’s swag was the most extensive I’d ever seen: two more shirts, two buffs, a hat, Scott trekking poles, a Columbia 7L running vest, commemorative plaque, book about Bran Castle, and a bottle of Romanian red wine! Absolutely incredible!! The race director also let me keep the finish line time: a really fun souvenir I have yet to decide what to do with.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
5/5 stars for the Transylvania 100K, without question, and 10/10 I would do it again! It was a great international trip to a unique country, a really well organized race, stunning, and challenging.
Emily Keddie is a coach with Team RunRun based in Bend, OR. She is an experienced runner and dedicated coach, with a PhD in Psychology. Emily coaches a wide range of athletes in road and trail/ultra running, from 5K to 200+ mile distances.