Race Technical Description

Technical description of “The Round of Donoussa” mountain running race

The round o Donoussa is a mountain running race of a 20km distance in total, with an elevation of 1200m in total.

The run unifies the most important trails of the island in a beautiful Cycladic route with a constant view of the Aegean.

Out of the 20 thousand metres of the route, there is not one from where the sea is not visible!

Although Donoussa is a small island, the event aspires to be on par with the rest of the events of this kind that have been taking place on the Greek mainland for many years.

Signage will be clear and relatively frequent – respecting the unspoiled natural terrain and keeping the tracks clean.

The route does not present difficulties for anyone with an experience in mountain runs of this kind.

Nevertheless, you should remain fairly cautious, given that certain parts of the route are too far to be accessible by a vehicle.

The event will be covered medically, however, you should keep in mind that Donoussa is a small and remote island without a hospital, so run responsibly!

For environmental reasons, water at the refreshing stations will be drawn from the only water spring of the island, therefore you should be properly equipped in advance, as no bottles or cups are going to be distributed.

Now, let us review the route in detail, breaking it down to 4 parts:

1st part: Stavros - Kalotaritissa

The race starts at the harbour of Donoussa. The first 500 metres are cobble and cement streets crossing through the village. After vertically crossing the main road of the island we enter a slightly uphill trail which reaches the characteristic col after 2.5 kilometres.

There, at an altitude of 270 metres, you will find the 1st refreshing station with water.

At this point we are going to start our climb towards the peak of Papas, with an altitude of 385 metres. Here, the registration of the athletes is going to take place. After you have taken a break enjoying the breathtaking view, you will follow the downhill trail, which arrives again at the typical col above Kalotaritissa, where you can be supplied with water again if you want.

At this point starts one of the most beautiful parts of the race, a well-defined trail ending up at the settlement of Kalotaritissa. This peaceful settlement has only one resident! Here, on the 5th kilometre, you will find the third refreshing station.

2nd part: The round of Fanari

At the third station we enter one of the most inaccessible and unknown parts of the island. Having climbed down to 40 metres, the trail crosses a thin growth of cedar trees, then gains altitude and passes along a precipitous ridge, to reach Fanari at the 8th kilometre – a primitive and almost ruined iron lighthouse.

At this point the vertical slopes end up in the sea. No part of the trail is dangerous, yet caution is necessary so that you will not wander off the signage.

At Fanari, a listing of the athletes will take place, after which we will start heading back following a downhill trail, which climbs down to a low altitude after a while. It passes by the secluded beach of Tripiti, circling back to Kalotaritissa where you will find the 4th refreshing station on the 10th kilometre.

3rd part: Kalotaritissa – Mersini

After the 10th kilometre, a dirt road starts at sea level, which ends up at a fresh water well at Koumaria point. At this point a cobbled road starts, which quickly brings us to 120 metres, where we are going to reach and follow the asphalt road for the next 2.5 kilometres. This particular part is steep and arduous, reaching an altitude of 240 metres, from where we will be climbing down to enter the settlement of Mersini. Here, on the 14th kilometre, you will find the water spring with the plane tree and the 5th refreshing station.

4th part: Mersini – finish

There is a new route  this year.

From the Spring in Mersini village,you follow the trail that descends to the famous Livadi beach.It passes through the beach, goes uphill and descends again to Vathi Limenari beach.

From there it goes up again to the Windmill and descends to the most famous beach of the island Kedros. From the beach of Kedros starts the last ascent which takes us above Stavros village.Then it goes downhill, passes through the beautiful beach of Stavros until it reaches the finish line which is exactly at the same point from where we started,the port of Stavros.

The race ends after having completed the 20km route of stunning views and Cycladic beauty!