Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Justinas Leveika finished first at the 2025 Trans Balkan Race yesterday, crushing the 1,350-kilometer route in just 4 days, 8 hours, and 39 minutes, an incredible 23 hours faster than the previous record. Find a stunning selection of photos from Nils Laengner and a short recap from the organizers here…
Words by Exploro.cc, photos by Nils Laengner
This year’s Trans Balkan Race saw a record-smashing ride from Justinas Leveika, who crossed the finish line in Risan at 5:39 p.m. on day five, setting a new fastest known time (FKT) for the route of just 4 days, 8 hours, and 39 minutes, an astonishing 23 hours and 21 minutes faster than the previous record. From the very start, Justinas rode with quiet confidence and relentless determination. The opening stages were a blur of position swapping and border hopping, but he took control of the race after Gospić, where he settled into a commanding lead and never looked back. His calm, consistent style turned what could have been a seesaw battle into a demonstration of how experience and resilience pay off in the long haul, even though he didn’t feel completely recovered and couldn’t really ride at his usual pace.
In typical Justinas fashion, he was refreshingly candid throughout. “I didn’t do my homework,” he admitted more than once during the race, often riding with only a vague idea of what lay ahead. When he reached Nikšić and realized the last 70 kilometers might be rough and remote, he stuffed his bags with snacks and drinks, ready for anything. That adaptability, and a deep well of ultra-racing experience, carried him through the rugged climbs and wild descents that define the Trans Balkan Race.
On day five, Justinas was unexpectedly joined by a small dog who ran alongside him for a full 30 kilometers. He paced him up the climb, and then, finally, on the first descent, he dropped off. Justinas was actually relieved that the dog didn’t have to keep running with him! Such a long run for those tiny fluffy legs.
Earlier in the race, Justinas shared a memorable night in Ulog, a tiny Bosnian village. He arrived first and arranged warm beds and a simple meal with the locals. When Benedek Borsos arrived 50 minutes later, they shared a meal and a room. Justinas even overslept his alarm and was only woken by Benedek’s. At that point, he knew he needed all his strength to be able to outride him.
As he rolled across the finish line, Justinas smiled. His love for this wild, remote route was clear in every word. He says this truly is Europe’s last untouched natural area, and you can feel it in every stretch of the route. One final detail sums up how tough this race was: Justinas said it was the first time he hasn’t been able to shower, eat, and sleep before the second rider arrived—a testament to how fierce the competition was, even for a rider of his strength.
Congratulations, Justinas, on an incredible race, and for giving us all a new FKT to dream of chasing!
Editor’s Note: Before folks ask about Justinas’ mystery bike, we reached out to Trek to learn more and they politely responded, “We are always testing and developing products in real life scenarios to learn more as we strive to create the best bikes in the world for all cyclists.” That’s all we know for now!
Further Reading
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