Last weekend, club member Mark Buckle took on one of Europe’s more spectacular — and challenging — mountain marathons: the Troodos Terra Marathon in Cyprus.
Held annually in the stunning Troodos Mountains, the race starts and finishes at Troodos Square, at around 1,700m altitude, and takes runners deep into the island’s forested highlands. The marathon distance has a brutal elevation gain of around 2,170 metres, making this not just a marathon in distance but a serious test of climbing legs and downhill control!
The course climbs steadily towards the summit of Mount Olympus, Cyprus’s highest peak at 1,952 metres, before taking runners through a series of tough ascents, rocky descents, winding trails, and exposed ridgelines. Much of the course follows famous trails such as the Artemis and Atalante paths, offering breathtaking views — when you can catch your breath!
“Here’s the beauty I got from Troodos, Cyprus – as some of you may have seen on Strava it wasn’t a “fast” Marathon for me (6h37) for a number of reasons (mainly because I was in no rush for the race to end) but it was an incredible experience, and I loved every minute of it in a weird ‘my quads and glutes are trashed’ kinda way.” says Mark.
The event itself has grown steadily in recent years, attracting around 150–200 runners across the marathon and associated distances (including 29 km, 15 km, and 5 km options). While not a mass-participation event, it draws mountain runners from Cyprus and beyond who are looking for a serious early-season test.
The Troodos Terra Marathon was first established to help showcase Cyprus’s trail running potential, and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most scenic and tough trail events in the eastern Mediterranean.
Despite the thin mountain air, rocky trails and steep gradients, Mark completed the race strongly — a great achievement in what many describe as a ‘proper mountain marathon.’
“There were photographers out on course, and I’ve sifted through thousands of photos from the day, but unfortunately only found one of me crossing the finish line, so here’s a few other photos from the area.”
