February 6, 2022 - The beloved sporting event on Pašman island is back after a two years’ wait

One of the most popular races on the Adriatic will take place next month for the first time since 2020. Škraping, named after 'škrapa' which refers to a rock or a cliff by the sea, is a unique trekking race that involves a lot of cliff-hopping as the runners make their way over the island's rugged terrain. 

The beloved sporting event was last scheduled for March 2020, when it got cancelled last-minute to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

The skraping race will take place in Tkon on Pašman island on March 12th this year, reports morski.hr. Those who are interested in taking part in the event can register until March 7th.

Skraping on Pašman is the biggest and most popular trekking and trail running event in Croatia and is split into four categories:

Ultra - the most challenging race with a 45 kilometre route for experienced athletes. The route has a starting point in Ždrelac, on the west side of Pašman island.

Challenger - a 25 kilometre route for those looking to discover the natural beauty and historic sites on Pašman island

Active - a 12 kilometre route with a view of Kornati National Park and the entire Zadar archipelago

Light - a 6 kilometre race intended for children and adults looking to spend some time in nature

All participants who paid the race fee for the cancelled skraping event in 2020 can participate in this year’s skraping without any additional fees. They’re kindly asked to contact the organisers via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let them know whether they want to attend.

Those contestants who are unable to attend this year’s skraping are also asked to contact the organisers so that a refund can be arranged.

You can register for the race of your choice and find detailed schedules and other details here.

New to skraping? Learn more about the popular trekking event in a dedicated feature here.

The eleventh Island Products Fair will be held in Tkon on the island of Pasman on during the much loved Skraping 2020 event, and will last for three days from the 6th to the 8th of March, 2020.

As Morski writes on the 23rd of February, 2020, the traditional fair will be open on Friday from 10:00 to 20:00. The grand opening of the eleventh Island Prodicts Fair will be held on Saturday from 10:10 with the performance of local klapa groups from Tkon. The Island Products Fair will also be held on Sunday from 08:00 to 13:00.

The aim of organising this fair is to encourage the development of island production, to preserve the island's traditions and authenticity, and to brand the products through the prestigious Croatian Island Product label, and since back in 2010, the Skraping race has worn the prestigious ''badge'' as an intangible island product.

The Island Products Fair will feature over forty island exhibitors with products labelled "Croatian Island Product/Hrvatski otocni proizvod''.

The official announcement of the winner of Skraping 2020 will be held on the 7th of March, 2020 at the restaurant "Sovinje" at 19:00, and as part of the announcement of the winner, from 19:30 to 20:00 there will be a Diploma Ceremony for the best product exhibited at the fair, as well as a thank you to all of the fair's participants.

On Saturday, March the 7th, 2020, a joint dinner will be organised for the exhibitors of the fair, once again with performances from local music/klapa groups, at the "Đardin" restaurant in Tkon from 20:00 onwards.

On Sunday, March the 8th, 2020, a lecture on the topic of Croatian island products will be held at the Tkon Skraping Centre, thanks to the lecturer Mrs. Ljubica Ajdukovic Ugarkovic.

On the same day, from 09:30 to 10:30, at the Skraping Centre, there will be a HOP (CIP) workshop for making liqueurs, performed by Ljiljana Jakovljev from KUU "Kunjka", as well as a knitting workshop held by Jadran Lukacic. On Sunday from 12:00 until 13:00, a visit to the "Lanđin" farm and Rozalindi Banic will also be organised in Kraj.

The organisers of 2020's Tkon Island Products Fair are "Orlić" d.o.o., the Tourist Board of the Municipality and the Tkon Municipality. The sponsors are the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the Croatian Island Product Cluster.

Make sure to follow our Made in Croatia page for more.

Like elsewhere around the globe, and especially over the last decade or so, running events have been springing up all over Croatia like mushrooms after the rain, in all sizes and shapes. Among the many, there is a truly outstanding one - the country’s biggest trekking and trail race - Škraping. Christened so by its real founder Josip Tomic, a genuine athletic enthusiast thirteen years ago.

''Škrapa'' is a rock or a cliff by the sea. In other words, you don't go just running, but you go ''cliffing and rocking'', you run, you jump over the cliffs, climb up and down, all along the picturesque coastline of Pasman island.

The first Škraping was held back in 2006, with weak but enthusiastic local organisers, it gathered 182 enlisted participants, all so enthused and enchanted with the very particular track, spread the word around so that the event kept growing until it reached 1350 runners. In the words of the organisers, the Municipality and the Prvenj Comunal Entity of the picturesque little place of Tkon, that is the upper limit for the number of possible participants.

Why?

''Of course we'd like to have tens of thousands of people, but we are aware of our capacities. We don't have the necessary logistics for more than 1,300 people, approximately, that's about the number about which we're sure we can provide accommodation for, as well as catering and other services, transportation, and so on. We've had a lot of local infrastructure sorted out over the last several years, we've improved the old side and forest roads and made some ten kilometres of new paths and proper roads across the territory of our municipality, for at least two good causes - protection against wood fire and for Škraping!,'' says Goran Mušćet, the Mayor of the picturesque Tkon.

''It mobilises all our forces, but the purposes of Škraping are many. Taking place in early March each year, like an early harbinger, it announces the spring and the tourist season, it injects so much life into our otherwise very quiet little place, it helps the local economy, our young ones are interested and take part either by participating or volunteering in the organisation, friendships are coined, and so on. Last year we had people from eleven countries,''

Any age or limits of any other sort?

''Not really, as long as the person is healthy, one can be 100 years old and run! To support this, I always quote with special affection how some years back we organised the ''Little Škraping’ for pre-school kids. With our assistance, our local kindergarten invited other kindergartens from the island and the mainland. It's so touching to watch those little faces give their genuine effort to arrive first and win. So they also learn about the good that running can bring, about competition, about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, they mingle, share a fruit juice and a cake and make friends. Who could ask for more?'' concludes Mušćet.

There are other things happening during ''Škraping time'', too, music, fun, and the traditional and, again, another special event - the Fair of Island Products, a trademark under which some forty small private producers offer their very particular local products, from cosmetics to food.

But don't get discouraged just because you're past pre-school age! There are four different tracks, from short to long, you can choose and apply for any that you think suits your post-Christmas form. More details can be found here, and if you want to register, click here.

Hurry up, as registration closes on March the 1st, and many of those who have participated before have already registered again! Have fun, start getting back in shape in preparation and join the 1000+ people that, just like you, want to feel healthy in the cleanest environment imaginable.

Stay up to date with this and much more by following our dedicated lifestyle page.

Are you ready for Škraping?

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