Seven Balkan countries entered athletes for the first edition of the Balkan mountain running championships on 29th &nbsp,June, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Moldova, and Macedonia. Missing were Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The championships were held from Sapareva Banya, famous for it hot springs, and the ‘uphill only’ courses were located in an Eco-development park on the foothills of Mt Rila.

Turkey, with several years of experience winning medals in the World Trophy and European Championships swept the board in the mens senior and junior races by placing the first three in each event. In the mens race of 9km, M.Munir Cura won in a time of 50.44 with a margin of a minute over the second. The junior mens race over 6.6km was a much closer affair with just three seconds between the winner Emrah Akalin and runner-up Alper Demir.

Host nation Bulgaria place second team in both races. 
Cura Munir                                 
In the 6.6km womens race the teams of Bulgaria (1st) and Romania (2nd) displaced Turkey to 3rd with Romania supplying the winner, Cristiana Frumuz in 45.40. Rumyana Panovska (Bulgaria) was second 1.49 behind.

The junior women raced over 3.4km, Turkish athletes filled the first two positions, Argun Nigar winning in 29.25, her team mate Ulu Mevlude second in 29.46, and again Turkey won the team race from Bulgaria.

Full results can be seen on the event web page.   

                                                                                          ‘Cristiana Frumuz (29) & Rumyana Panovska’
                    

The Bulgarian Athletics Federation, led by president Dobromir Karamarinov are taking the initiative in developing mountain running in the region and will stage the second edition of the Balkan championships next year. They have also applied to stage the 2010 European championships. 

Dobromir Karamarinov