THE WORLD WORKS BEST WHEN EVERYONE DOES THEIR PART

What do you take home after three days of volunteering at Slovenia’s largest trail-running event? More than just tiredness. Volunteer Klemen Avsenik’s reflections after the 2025 event remind us that the greatest value of any event lies in its people. At first glance, it may seem that volunteers at a trail-running event simply carry out a series of straightforward tasks.

Someone helps with registration. Someone prepares aid stations. Someone marks the course. Someone drives a van, directs runners or assists in the finish area. Everyone does their part. But once you step behind the scenes, you quickly realise that volunteering is much more than a list of tasks.

IT'S THE FEELING. IT'S THE SENSE OF BELONGING. IT'S THE COMMUNITY.

After the 2025 I feel Slovenia Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB®, volunteer Klemen Avsenik shared a post on his personal profile about what volunteering truly means. He did not write about records, results or winners. He wrote about people. About the volunteers who mark the trails at night so that runners never have to doubt their next step in the dark. About the teams at aid stations who refill a soft flask in seconds, offer a warm cup of tea or simply say the right words at the right moment. About the mountain rescuers, medical teams, firefighters, drivers, course sweepers and organisers—each doing their part, often unnoticed, but always with the same goal:

TO MAKE THE EVENT WORK.

Because volunteering is not about helping one individual. It is a chain, and every link supports the next.

COMMUNITY IS BUILT THROUGH SMALL ACTS

Sometimes, a glass of water is enough. A warm cup of tea. A brief look that tells a runner they can keep going. Sometimes it is a smile. At other times, a few extra minutes. Or a ride to the finish line. Small acts that mean everything in that moment. That is why volunteers often say they take away far more from the event than they put into it. Not because of a medal. Not because of a gift.

BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE.

SUCCESS IS NOT FOUND ONLY AT THE FINISH LINE

When we talk about trail-running events, we usually talk about kilometres, elevation gain and results. But Klemen draws attention to something else. True success is also created far from the finish line. It is the volunteer who remains at an aid station until the final runner passes. The team working late into the night. The driver who gets back into the van one more time. The course marker who begins marking the trails several days before the event.

Everyone contributes their part. And that is what transforms an event into something more than a competition.

IT BECOMES A COMMUNITY.

AND THAT IS WHY WE KEEP COMING BACK …

At the end of his post, Klemen shares a thought that captures the essence of volunteering: “The world works best when everyone does their part.”

Every year, more than 500 volunteers help bring the I feel Slovenia Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB® to life—creating an experience that stays with everyone involved: runners, volunteers and the entire organising team.

BECAUSE THE GREATEST EVENTS ARE NOT CREATED BY INDIVIDUALS. THEY ARE CREATED BY PEOPLE WHO EACH DO THEIR PART FOR ONE ANOTHER.

JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM

We are looking for volunteers to support us in a variety of roles:

• working at aid stations,
• helping with registration and race-bib collection,
• directing runners,
• marking the courses,
• assisting in the finish area,
• providing logistical support,
• driving and transport,
• and many other roles.

Become part of the team that comes together to create Slovenia’s largest trail-running event.