North Olympus Trail Vrontou 2025 | Trail Running at Mount Olympus

Vrontou, Pieria — 2025

The trail passes near Agia Triada, beneath the northern slopes of Mount Olympus.

There are mornings on Mount Olympus when the mountain seems to set its own pace.

The forest is quiet, the air is cool, and somewhere ahead runners are already moving along the trails. In Vrontou, Pieria, the North Olympus Trail brings together trail runners, volunteers and mountain lovers on the northern side of Olympus.

In 2025, I went there with a camera rather than running shoes. I wanted to record something simple: what a mountain race actually feels like when you are standing beside the trail, listening to footsteps, breathing and the voices of the people who make the event happen.

Watch the North Olympus Trail 2025

Before getting into the details, watch the short documentary from the 2025 event. The film was created voluntarily, with the aim of capturing the atmosphere of the race rather than simply recording its results.

North Olympus Trail Vrontou 2025 — trail running, mountain landscapes and the people behind the event.

Where Is the North Olympus Trail?

The North Olympus Trail takes place in Vrontou, a mountain village in Pieria on the northern side of Mount Olympus.

The area offers a very different perspective of Olympus from the better-known approaches around Litochoro. Forest roads and mountain paths lead into a landscape of dense vegetation, changing elevations and open views towards the surrounding countryside.

The race is organised by the Vrontous Mountaineering Club (Ε.Ο.Σ. Βροντούς), connecting trail running with the club’s wider relationship with the mountain.

The 2025 Race

The 7th North Olympus Trail Vrontou 2025 featured a challenging mountain route of approximately 21 kilometres with around 1,250 metres of elevation gain.

For runners, the distance tells only part of the story. Elevation, terrain, weather and the constant rhythm of climbing and descending all become part of the experience.

For spectators, the race offers something different: the opportunity to see the mountain through the movement of the runners and the work of the volunteers who keep the event moving.

A few metres before the finish line — the final effort of the North Olympus Trail.

2025 Race Results

The 2025 men’s overall results included:

• Vasileios Balamotis — 1st place, 2:01:00
• Anargyros Roussos — 2nd place, 2:07:00
• Giorgos Brizis — 3rd place, 2:07:29

In the women’s classification:

• Dimitra Bika — 1st place, 2:18:01
• Konstantina Boskopoulou — 2nd place, 2:23:37
• Chrysoula Vlissarouli — 3rd place, 2:41:24

For the complete official classification and timing information, see the official SMF Sports results.

More Than a Race

Standing near the finish line, what stayed with me was not the stopwatch.

It was the interaction between people.

A runner arrives exhausted. Someone from the organising team is waiting. A volunteer offers support. Friends applaud. Families watch for familiar faces. For a few minutes, the finish line becomes a meeting point rather than simply the end of a course.

This is one of the things that makes mountain races interesting as travel experiences. The landscape provides the setting, but the people create the atmosphere.

A moment of congratulations between the organising team and a runner after the race.

The People Behind the Trail

Events like this depend on much more than the runners.

The Vrontous Mountaineering Club brings together people who know the mountain and understand what is required to organise an event in this terrain. Volunteers, organisers, runners and supporters all become part of the same temporary community.

There were moments I deliberately did not film.

A hand on a shoulder. A child applauding. Someone waiting patiently for a runner to appear. These small moments are easy to miss when the focus is on times and rankings.

But they are often what gives a mountain event its character.

Running Beneath Olympus

Trophies and banners beneath the mountain landscape of Vrontou.

Mount Olympus is often associated with its highest peaks and the famous approaches from the south and west.

The northern side tells another story.

Here, the mountain meets the villages and forests of Pieria in a landscape where outdoor activity is closely connected with local life. Trail running becomes one way of moving through that landscape — fast for some, slowly for others, but always on foot and close to the terrain.

For visitors interested in outdoor experiences, Vrontou offers an opportunity to discover a less familiar side of Olympus.

Can Visitors Take Part?

The North Olympus Trail is an organised mountain running event, with participation and registration details announced through the organisers and official event channels for each edition.

Anyone considering participation should check the current route, distance, elevation, registration requirements, equipment recommendations and safety information before entering.

For the latest information, the Vrontous Mountaineering Club is the relevant local organisation to follow.

Visiting Vrontou for an Outdoor Experience

You do not have to be a competitive trail runner to appreciate the area.

If you are travelling through Pieria and enjoy walking, hiking, photography or mountain landscapes, Vrontou can be included in a wider exploration of northern Mount Olympus.

Depending on the season and conditions, you can combine a visit with other mountain experiences, villages and routes across Pieria.

For a broader introduction to the mountain, continue with our Mount Olympus guide.

You can also explore more outdoor activities and experiences in Pieria.

What Makes a Mountain Race Special?

Perhaps it is the combination of things that cannot easily be measured.

The sound of shoes hitting the trail. The changing light between the trees. The effort on an uphill section. The relief of reaching the finish. The people waiting there.

A race gives the mountain a temporary pulse.

And when the runners leave, the mountain remains.

Vrontou and its mountain landscape — the setting behind the North Olympus Trail.

A Race, a Village, a Mountain

The North Olympus Trail is ultimately more than a collection of kilometres and elevation metres.

It is an event rooted in a particular place.

Vrontou provides the starting point. The forest provides the terrain. Mount Olympus provides the landscape. And the local people provide the human side of the experience.

That is what I wanted to keep in the camera.

Not only the runners moving towards the finish line, but the atmosphere around them — the dust, the applause, the smiles, the tired faces and the quiet moments in between.

Because sometimes the best way to understand a mountain is not to stand at its summit.

Sometimes you simply follow a trail.

The trophies at the end of a mountain day — symbols of effort, participation and achievement.

Continue Exploring Pieria

The trail is only one way to experience Mount Olympus.

From Vrontou, you can continue exploring the northern side of the mountain, discover forest landscapes and traditional villages, or head towards other parts of Pieria for hiking, waterfalls, ancient sites and the Aegean coast.

Explore Pieria at your own pace:
Explore Pieria