19th January 2026

Robert Hajnal - The inner talk

From his early connection with the mountains to major international results such as UTMB podium finishes, Robert describes running as both a personal dialogue and a path to growth. He reflects on the transformative power of races like Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB, the balance between comfort and discomfort, and his belief that strong roots, discipline, reflection, and community, are essential for reaching new horizons, both in sport and in life.

Introduction

1. Who are you, and what are the most notable results of your running career so far?

My name is Robert Hajnal. I was born in Petroșani, Romania, a small town surrounded by mountains. From an early age, my connection with nature came naturally, through long days spent in the forest, mushroom picking, gathering wild berries, and exploring the outdoors. My most significant competitive results in mountain running began 12 years ago, with my first victory at my very first ultra-distance race, Ciucaș 105 km. Internationally, highlights of my career include a second-place finish and a ninth-place finish at UTMB and CCC, second place at Lavaredo Ultra Trail, and fourth place at MIUT. These results represent some of the most meaningful milestones of my journey as a mountain runner so far.

2. How did your trail running journey begin? (And tell us about UTMB, your participations, results, and especially the defining moment of 2018.)

My running journey began in 2012, at a 28-kilometer race with more than 2,000 meters of elevation gain, although at the time, I barely understood what that meant. I finished the race in five hours. I started running out of a simple desire: to explore as many mountain ranges in Romania as possible. Around that same period, I first heard about UTMB, as a group of courageous Romanian athletes were preparing to take on the 170-kilometer race. It sounded fascinating, but at that time, such distances felt far beyond my imagination. My own UTMB journey began in 2015, with a ninth-place finish at CCC. That was followed by seven more participations across UTMB events: three DNFs, a second-place finish in 2018, ninth place in 2022, and finishes in 49th and 69th position. The year 2018 was pivotal for me. It was the moment I truly understood that almost anything is possible when you combine hard work, planning, disciplined execution, the right support system, and a bit of luck. That realization carried me all the way to the podium of the world’s most iconic ultramarathon.

3. Who are you when you are not running and how much of that person do you bring onto the trail? (What part of you emerges when you are alone with the mountains?)

When I’m not running, I’m surprisingly undisciplined, perhaps even lazy. I enjoy a calm, relaxed daily life, free from unnecessary stress. I tend to accept things as they come, exactly as they are. Nothing more, nothing less. In the mountains, however, everything changes. There, I consciously counterbalance that ease and comfort. When I’m alone on the trails, I seek discomfort, through effort, distance, or intensity, whether during training or through long adventures in the wild mountains near my home. The mountains demand honesty, and they always bring out a truer version of myself.

4. Which Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB races have you run, and what have they taught you about yourself? I have taken part in all the races at Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB, with the exception of the 33-kilometer event.

Year after year, this race shows me that the same trails can feel endlessly new and increasingly spectacular, no matter how many times you run them. It reminds me that while we change from one year to the next, nature remains constant. And it teaches humility, because compared to a tree that has stood on these trails for hundreds of years, we are very small. Races help me understand myself. They accompany me in my inner dialogue. They become both stage and audience, shared with fellow runners, in a performance of pleasure and suffering. Running on the trails of Bucovina has taught me that one year between races can mean everything and almost nothing at the same time. That Runcul feels brutal on the first race day, and surprisingly manageable by day three.

5. Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB is more than a race, it’s a state of mind. How does this place feel to you? (Nature, people, energy, how did Bucovina touch you?)

No matter how many times I return to this corner of the country, the emotional experience is always different. It shifts from pre-race calm, to competitive tension, and finally to the deep joy of completing the challenge I chose for myself. Every year, I tell myself it will be the last time I race here, it’s far from where I live. And every year, for the past five, I’ve thanked myself for choosing to return to these lands.

6. How would you describe the Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB experience to runners who have never been here? (What should they feel to truly understand it?)

I would challenge them to close their eyes and imagine the greenest meadow, the densest and wildest forests, high ridgelines, and technical descents. To imagine the weight of a demanding challenge defined by distance and then blend those sensations together. For me, Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB is a cocktail of powerful, often opposing emotions. And when I cross the finish line, I’m left with the deep satisfaction and lingering taste of a true adventure brought to completion.

What does the idea of “running among roots and looking toward the horizon” mean to you?

For me, it represents the desire to be better tomorrow than I am today. I’ve always believed in growth, but growth requires strong roots. Mountain and endurance running have given me the space to spend time with myself, to strengthen those roots, and to understand the horizon toward which I want to stretch my branches, the person I aspire to become. Moments of rest and pause allow me to reflect on whether I’m growing in the right direction, not only for my own well-being, but also for the people closest to me.

7. What are your plans for 2026? (Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB, UTMB races, training, and TrailRunning Academy.)

In 2026, I want to stand at the start line of the 74-kilometer race at Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB, climb the three peaks, look inward, and smile, telling myself, “I’m proud of you,” for still doing this with passion. Beyond racing, I want to share this journey with as many athletes as possible from the club I founded, TrailRunning Academy. I hope to pass on the experience gained over more than 13 years of running and dozens of completed and won races. Any joy shared is doubled. Any suffering shared is halved.