August 8, 2020 - Zagreb and Stablina are the winners of the 23rd Ladja Marathon on the Neretva River.

HRT reports that these two crews alternated in the lead throughout the race. Zagreb was the first to enter the finish line, but the judges later decided that both teams were the winners and that there would be no second place, for the first time in the history of the competition.

The reason for this move was that at one point in the race, the Zagreb team took away the advantage from Stablina.

Sveti Ilija from Metkovic came in third.

On the 22.5-kilometer-long track from Metkovic to Ploce, organized by the Neretva Boatmen's Association, 35 crews competed for the Great Shield of Prince Domagoj. Each boat crew consists of 10 rowers, a drummer and helmsman.

Before arriving in Opuzen, the crews of Stablina, Crni put Metkovic, Zagreb and Slivno were in the lead, and in Komin, for more than half of the race, the leaders were Zagreb and Stablina. After almost two hours of racing, Stablina and Zagreb were still at the top, followed by two Metkovic crews, Sveti Ilija and Crni put.

This year's marathon was held without spectators and under the auspices of the President of the Republic Zoran Milanovic.

Last year, Gusari from Komin celebrated.

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August the 12th, 2019 - Maraton lađa is a traditional amateur boat race which takes place on the Neretva river in southern Dalmatia.

These vessels are called ''lađe'' (pronunciation: plural: ladje/singular: ladja), which are narrow boats which hail from the lower part of the Neretva river. The lađe were once used to transport not only people, but farming products, animals, equipment and other items along not just the Neretva river but along the typically narrow rivers which connect to it.

Various celebrations and gatherings, such as both the weddings and funerals of local people were also known to be facilitated by lađe.

In an effort to keep tradition alive, Maraton lađa has become of huge significance to the Neretva valley and the surrounding areas, and many would claim that what the famous Gondola is to Venice, lađe are to the Neretva valley. As such, each and every year on the second Saturday in the month of August on a 22.5 kilometre course, this sporting event naturally attracts crowds of locals and tourists alike.

In order to cement the traditional and historical importance of the Neretva's lađe, the very first ''Maraton lađa'' was organised and held way back in 1998, and the distance travelled along the water took the vessels from the town of Metković to Ploče. 

The most recent Maraton lađa, which drew an impressive 40,000 spectators down to the banks of the Neretva river to watch, saw Gusari Komin win, reaching Ploče from Metković in two hours and ten minutes. Second place was taken by the Stabline team, and the third to the finish line in Ploče was the Crni put team.

Watch this great piece of footage of the most recent Maraton lađa captured from the air by Velimir Bešić: 

Velimir Bešić

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The 22nd ''Maraton lađa'' on the Neretva river will see the participation of the Croatian Navy (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica) for the very first time, those participating will be from the new HRM unit stationed in Ploče.

As Morski writes on the 9th of August, 2019, the 22nd Maraton lađa, which will be held on Saturday, August the 10th, 2019, will be further enriched with the participation of the Croatian Navy for the first time. The crew of the Croatian Navy who will partake consists of sixteen members.

In addition to the successful conduct of exercises and training activities, the Croatian Navy's members have been intensively preparing to participate in Neretva's traditional Maraton lađa since back in April this year. As part of their preparations for this boat marathon, the Croatian Navy team also participated in a series of preliminary races, including one in Zagreb, far from the Neretva river.

The participation of the Croatian Navy in the ship marathon is held in light of last year's return of the Croatian Army to the Neretva valley in southern Dalmatia.

Namely, since September 2018, a new barrack has been in function in Ploče, which houses the newly established unit, which has also provided the Croatian Navy with some new capabilities.

The return of the Croatian Armed Forces to southern Croatia is a function of security and assistance to the local community, civilian institutions, and the local population. In this sense, the initiative and active participation of the Croatian Navy's members in Maraton lađa came from the perspective of the development of close cooperation and cohabitation of the Croatian Army and the people from which the Croatian Army actually originated.

The Neretva river's traditional boat marathon is a cultural, sporting and tourist event and competition organised by the Association of the Neretva boatmen, which preserves the tradition and identity of the southern Croatian people who are from the areas in and around the Neretva valley in Dalmatia. The competition is conducted from the town of Metković to Ploče, on a route which is 22.5 kilometres in length.

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