The 2019 ZMR poster welcomes you to Zagori Mountain Running together with the impressive fauna of the area. Zagori is not just the magnificent stone bridges and architectural heritage, but also a remarkable environment, a unique set of natural diversity.
The graphic design of the poster with the participation of the fauna species, which we ran across in the National Forest Vikos-Aoos, in the Vikos Gorge and in the paths, reflects brightly the harmony of the bio-community: “weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers”. Through the symbolic phrase from the classic literature “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, Zagori Mountain Running embraces inclusion, encouraging every athlete to meet their personal goal, rewarding the participation, the effort, the victory, in 4 great races, of 10, 21, 44+ and 80km, including children and adults in special categories, in a rather “hard” but exceptionally rich land, an integral part of our cultural and environmental heritage.
Today the area hosts about 60 species of mammals, almost all the endangered mammals of Greece, such as the bear (Ursus arctos), the wolf (Canis lupus), the wild cat (Felis sylvestris), the otter (Lutra lutra), the Balkan chamois (Rupicarpa rupicarpa balkanica), and the rare European pine marte (Martes martes). Among the 180 bird species, the birds of prey are of great interest. Here, is the home of the Egyptian vulture, (Neophron percnopterus) the smallest and most endangered vulture in Europe. We also meet the osprey and the golden hawk. The presence of the large black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) and the Black Stork is remarkable, whereas the Alpine Newt (Triturus alpestris) appear in the Dragon lake at the Mountain Tymfi.
Zagori Mountain Running manages with absolute responsibility this unique ecosystem, along with the protected areas listed in the European Network of Protected Areas “NATURA 2000”, in cooperation with the Northern Pindos National Park, the Region of Epirus and the local Authorities.
