Ultra trail runner above the clouds at sunrise

Ultra & Vertical · Based in Czech Republic

Jan Vancura

Ultra distance. Vertical kilometers. Mountain time.

Endurance athlete chasing long lines across the world's highest ranges.

01 — About

A long, quiet kind of work.

I run long in the mountains. My calendar follows the snowline — from the Toscany in spring to UTMB in late summer and the Julian Alps in autumn. I race for the moments when the body quiets and the ridge does the talking.

Based in

Czech Republic

Discipline

Ultra & Vertical

In the mountains

20+ years

Portrait

02 — Athlete Profile

Built for distance.

Terrain

High alpine, technical descents, and exposed ridgelines from the Dolomites to the Pyrenees range.

Distances

20 to 170 km — the territory where the day disappears and pacing becomes a practice in patience.

Home

Trains daily from Czech Republic. Long Sundays on the Alpians mountains ridges.

03 — Results

Race log.

DateRaceDistanceElevation+Time
25 Jul 2026
3Kings3Hills Trailrunning-Festival
59 km2 450 m08:39:00
11 Jul 2026
Trail Verbier St Bernard by UTMB
78 km5 100 m18:30:58
12 Jun 2026
Andorra by UTMB
108 km7 000 m24:56:59
15 May 2026
Alsace Grand Est by UTMB
110 km4 200 m15:02:02
18 Apr 2026
Jested Skyrace
22 km1 400 m02:51:52
11 Apr 2026
Istria 100 by UTMB
42 km1 150 m04:19:18
21 Mar 2026
Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB
75 km3 100 m09:52:14
06 Dec 2025
Winter Skyrace
22 km1 250 m02:34:25
08 Nov 2025
Puglia by UTMB
85 km2 000 m13:51:37
26 Jul 2025
3Kings3Hills Trailrunning-Festival
54 km2 350 m06:41:26
12 Jul 2025
Trail Verbier St Bernard by UTMB
78 km5 000 m15:47:44
06 Jun 2025
Mozart 100 by UTMB
92 km4 700 m17:25:37
18 May 2025
Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB
50 km2 000 m05:49:53
12 Apr 2025
Istria 100 by UTMB
42 km950 m04:20:01
23 Mar 2025
Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB
46 km1 700 m06:00:18
07 Dec 2024
Winter Skyrace
22 km1 250 m02:37:33

04 — Current Season

Where the calendar takes me.

21 Mar 2026 · Ultra 100K

Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB

Toscany, IT

Completed

11 Apr 2026 · Ultra 50K

Istria 100 by UTMB

Istria, HR

Completed

18 Apr 2026 · Skyrace 20K

Jested Skyrace

Liberec, CZ

Completed

15 May 2026 · Ultra 100K

Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB

Alsace, F

Completed

13 Jun 2026 · Ultra 100M

Andorra by UTMB

Pyrenees, AND

Completed

11 Jul 2026 · Ultra 100K

Verbier St Bernard by UTMB

Swiss Alps, CH

Completed

26 Jul 2026 · Ultra 50K

3KINGS3HILLS Trailrunning-Festival

Bavaria, D

Completed

18 Sept 2026 · Ultra 100M

Julian Alps by UTMB

Julian Alps, SLO

Confirmed

09 Oct 2026 · Ultra 100M

UltraKotlina 2026

Krkonose, PL

Planned

05 Dec 2026 · Skyrace 20K

Winter Skyrace

Liberec, CZ

Confirmed

06 — Race Journal

Field notes.

29 Aug 2026 · UTMB 2026

Chamonix trip

Unfortunately, I also had some bad luck with the lottery this year and didn’t get a spot in the main UTMB final in Chamonix. Even so, my race season is packed with big challenges, so there’s no reason to be disappointed. I’ll probably travel to Chamonix anyway to catch up with running friends, and we’ll likely plan a few great runs there on our own.

Bad luck with the lottery

11 Jul 2026 · Verbier by UTMB

The Wall

Verbier is my favorite race in the UTMB Series. Last season brought a great result here, and I still remember how well the day came together. At The Wall — around kilometer 65, where you gain nearly 1,500 meters in just 6 kilometers — I moved past 99 runners and really showed my strength on the climb. This race is my season goal, and I’ll be fighting right at the edge of my limits to achieve the best possible result.

My goal race in the UTMB Series

13 Jun 2026 · Anorra 100 by UTMB

Next big challenge

Andorra 100 is my first 100-mile race of the season, and one of the toughest challenges I’ll face in the Pyrenees. I’m really looking forward to it. The season started in the best possible way with a great race in Chianti, followed by strong results in Istria and Alsace. That gives me confidence, but Andorra is a different test altogether. I know every race is unique, and I’m approaching this one with respect and humility.

First 100-mile race of the season

07 — Trailbook

Signature lines.

Topographic illustration of a mountain route

A growing logbook of the routes that shape my training year — the home loops, the favorite traverses, and the lines I keep coming back to between race blocks.

  • Salzburg, Austria100 km+4 900 m
  • Verbier, Switzerland80 km+5 000 m
  • Krkonose, Czech Republic60 km+2 500 m

08 — Highlights

Moments.

Verbier by UTMB

Race · 11 Jul 2026

Verbier by UTMB

One of the season's highlight races is my beloved Verbier. 'The Wall', where I shone last year and had a fantastic race. And how did I do this year? My worst result in the World Series in recent years. Still, I’m not disappointed. It was a hard-fought race. Halfway through, heavy rain set in, followed by hail, and then one of the worst storms I’ve ever experienced in the mountains. On top of that, I was still tired from the 100M in Andorra just four weeks ago, so the race became about just finishing rather than the result. But I didn’t give up and I finished! It's always worth fighting to the end!

Andorra by UTMB

Race · 12 Jun 2026

Andorra by UTMB

The first 100M challenge of the 2026 season has now been completed! 💪🏻Oh, that wasn't easy! But the time and ranking are great considering how many things went wrong during the race. Anyway, I really enjoyed it! 🏃🏻‍♂️⛰️

Alsace Grand Est by UTMB

Race · 15 May 2026

Alsace Grand Est by UTMB

What a race! In the rain and mud, on a slippery mountain trail. My legs felt great 👍🏻 It was supposed to be a warm-up race, but I ended up crushing it 😄🏃🏻‍♂️💪🏻⛰️

Istria by UTMB

Race · 11 Apr 2026

Istria by UTMB

Crush it 🏃🏻‍♂️⛰️💪🏻 I beat my time from last year by 40 seconds 😄 66th place overall, 8th in my age group. It was incredibly hot, but other than that, my legs felt great 💪🏻

Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB

Race · 21 Mar 2026

Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB

Season opening - done ✅🏃🏻‍♂️ The weather conditions were perfect this year (probably to make up for last year). The race went great, and in terms of performance, I delivered exactly what I had planned for the start of the season. So I’m very satisfied 👍🏻⛰️🏃🏻‍♂️

09 — Stats in Numbers

By the count.

15
Season Races
150:42:09
Season Races Time
925,3
Season Races Distance
42 020 m
Season Races Evevation Gain

10 — Gear & Partners

What I run with.

Long-term partnerships with brands that share a commitment to durability, honest design and mountain culture.

Hoka
Garmin
Camelbak
Leki
Compressport
Precision Fuel

The kit I actually run with — tested in night sections, river crossings and 30-hour pushes.

11 — Contact

Get in touch.

For media, sponsorship, coaching or personal messages.

jvancura@jvancura.cz

Prefer email? Write directly to jvancura@jvancura.cz.