“Buila Trail Race 2023 was an absolute blast and it was even more interactive and better organized than last year’s edition. We met even more vibrant and inspiring individuals who motivated us towards a healthier lifestyle.
If you’re already familiar with Adriana Anisia Cojocaru’s previous articles and her athletic achievements, this time we’re delighted to introduce you to another phenomenal athlete – Maria Madalina Popa. We got to know Maria at the second edition of the Buila Trail Race, and what intrigued us the most was that she and Anisia secured the top two spots on the 10K race podium.
Both ultra-athletes have vast experience in long-distance races, but you might wonder why they participated this time in the ‘mere’ 10K race. The reason is that each had a different major goal immediately after the event.
Imagine running continuously for 24 hours! Furthermore, this event took place at the end of the summer season, which means the daytime temperatures could be scorching, with cool evenings and strong winds, or ideally, a gentle breeze at night. I say ‘breeze’ because it’s on the sandy beaches of Mamaia, by the Black Sea.
We immediately started contemplating how to prepare, structured our training sessions, planned our nutrition and supplements before the race, and chose the right footwear to avoid major joint damage from the slippery sand. And, importantly, how to recover as quickly as possible after 24 hours of continuous effort.
Meanwhile we’re still planningJ, but Maria participated in the Autism 24h race at Mamaia and ran 120km in 24 hours on the sandy beach.
Congratulations once again to Maria! You can support her in the upcoming races here:
https://www.autism24h.ro/alergator/popa-maria-madalina-3165
We’ll see you in 2024 at the third edition of Buila, where you can sign up here:
https://builatrailrace.ro/
