The Municipalities of Foča and Plužine ended this year’s tourist season with the duathlon “Sutjeska – Piva”

The first duathlon “Sutjeska – Piva”, which gathered 50 participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, was held on 17 October 2021 with the support of the European Union. The duathlon was organised within the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.)” implemented by the Municipalities of Foča and Plužine with partners.

The race started at Tjentište in Foča, from where the competitors rode bicycles to Prijevor, at the foothill of the highest peak of BiH, Maglić Mountain, in the length of 18 kilometers. From Prijevor, the competitors ran to Trnovačko Lake, the jewel of the Nature Park Piva (Montenegro) and back, along an 11-kilometer-long trail, and then rode their bicycles back to Tjentište.

The duathlon through the National Park Sutjeska and the Nature Park Piva attracted cycling and mountain marathon enthusiasts from several cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, who had the opportunity to enjoy the phenomenal scenes of untouched natural beauty of this cross-border area. The winner of the duathlon is the young Nikola Jovanović from Rudo, who successfully finished the race in 3 hours and 45 minutes. The second place won Miloš Bodiroga from Trebinje, while the third place went to Slaviša Vrećo from Foča. Naida Husić from Živinice was the only woman among the participants in the duathlon and placed among the first ten participants. Despite the demanding track and cold weather, all participants expressed a desire to participate in the next duathlon.

The project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.)” is implemented by the municipalities of Plužine and Foča, in cooperation with the Nature Park “Piva” and the Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Foča. Project is funded by the European Union within the Cross-Border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro. The aim of the project is to develop and promote the cross-border area as a unique destination for active tourism. Implementation started on December 1, 2019 and will last for two years, until the end of November 2021.

Source: IPA II CBC Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro programme website