09.10.2025.
3rd CISM Balkan Mountain Running Championship held
The 3rd CISM Balkan Mountain Running Championship was held in Vrdnik today. The competition was organized by the Delegation of the Republic of Serbia to the International Military Sports Council (CISM).
The event was organized on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Military Academy. It was supported by the Ministry of Sport, the University of Defence, the Provincial Secretariat for Sport and Youth of Vojvodina, the Municipality of Irig, Tour de Fruška sports association, and the Novi Sad Fair.At the opening ceremony, the audience was addressed by State Secretary at the Ministry of Sport, Marko Kešelj, Provincial Secretary for Sport and Youth, Dane Basta, Head of the Delegation of the Republic of Serbia to CISM, Colonel Negovan Ivanković, Ph.D., and the President of the Municipality of Irig, Tihomir Stojaković.
State Secretary Kešelj formally opened the championship, emphasizing that in recent years, Serbia has earned recognition as a host of numerous European, global, and military sporting events, which our country is extremely proud of.
Colonel Ivanković said that military sports competitions such as this one help build mutual understanding, but also contribute to establishing cooperation and building friendships among members of the armed forces from different countries.
The competition brought together athletes from the armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Türkiye, and Serbia. Female competitors ran a 6-kilometre race, while men ran a distance of 9 kilometres. The winner of the women’s race was Milica Mirceva from Bulgaria, followed by Andreea Piscu and Luisa Rasina, both representing Romania. In the team standings, Romania took first place, Bulgaria came in second, and Montenegro placed third.
In the men’s race, members of the Turkish Armed Forces claimed all three top positions, with Murat Emektar finishing first, followed by Hüseyin Can in second and Abdurrahman Gediklioğlu in third. Turkey also secured first place in the men’s team standings, ahead of Serbia in second and Romania in third.
In the overall standings, combining results from both the men’s and women’s races, the Romanian Armed Forces took first place, followed by Serbia in second and Bosnia and Herzegovina in third.Trophies and medals were presented to the winners by Colonel Ivanković, accompanied by the heads of delegations from the participating countries.
