This can be listed as a female supported FKT or as a mixed gender team self-supported FKT. If only one option is possible, list as a female supported FKT.
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Dilara Tuna and Thomas Quirk ran the Peaks of the Balkans immediately following completion of the Trans Balkan Race bikepacking race, starting on Sunday, June 7th at 7:37AM and finishing on Tuesday, June 9, at 7:29PM, for 59 hours and 52 minutes of elapsed time.
The Peaks of the Balkans route has a number of variants – the GPX currently on FKT.com is from the current male self-supported FKT, which describes the route as 173km. However, our route, which followed trail markings and the map of the Peaks of the Balkans available on the official app, was 193km – consistent with the distance described by the PoB website. However, there are also deviations between the trail markings and the “official” GPX, and the descent from Valbona pass into the Valbona valley was modified due to a massive avalanche and rockslide which has destroyed the main trail.
Route conditions in Montenegro and Albania were very good, ranging from paved roads to alpine hiking trails. Route conditions in Kosovo were very bad, with many sections of trail damaged from avalanches and storms and overgrown in some places.
Given our exhaustion from the prior Trans Balkan Race, we chose to sleep in guest houses on both Sunday and Monday night. Additionally, we needed to stop earlier than planned on Monday due to bears blocking the trail at sundown.
We resupplied from cafes and restaurants and a shipping-container housed shop along the route. We got water from fountains.
It’s a stunning route and worth contesting as an FKT – with the caveat that it is unlikely that any two attempts will follow exactly the same route due to the variation across available gpx files, maps and on-the-ground trail markings, as well as both the rerouting caused by avalanches/rockslides and ongoing road development in the region.