The Ladja Marathon is an amateur sports competition involving races of ladjas, traditional indigenous vessels in the Neretva River valley. The first marathon took place on 13 September 1998, as part of the commemoration of the seventh anniversary of the Croatian Army’s operation Zelena tabla – Mala bara. When the race was being prepared in 1998, no one could have imagined that this first Ladja Marathon would eventually evolve into one of the most significant cultural, sports and tourist events in the Republic of Croatia. The first marathon laid the foundation for a traditional event that has been held continuously on the Neretva River every year since then.
At the first marathon, 18 teams from the Neretva region participated. Driven by great desire and with immense dedication and patience, rowing teams were organized: Rogotin, Gusari iz Komina, Banja Sagena, Vidonje (Mlinište), Krvavac, Kula Norinska, Šarić Struga, Male Bare (Metković), Spilice Crpala, Peračko Blato, Vlaka Slivno, Baćina, Podgradina Slivno, Opuzen 1, Opuzen 2, Torcida Ploče1 and Torcida Ploče 2. Many young men from these places spent weeks preparing for the first Ladja Marathon. It was necessary to find the ladja, renovate it and bring it into navigable condition, and find or make oars, rudder and a drum. Despite the tremendous effort the rowers endured because they were not physically prepared for such a demanding race, they bravely and proudly rowed from the start under the bridge in Metković to the finish line in Ploče, thus connecting all three towns of the Neretva Valley.
In the years that followed, it was decided that the Marathon would always take place on the second Saturday of August, a tradition that remains unchanged to this day.
By the number of direct participants, it is one of the largest competitions in Croatia. On average, there are 35 crews with 18 members, resulting in over 600 competitors every year. Regarding viewership, it is one of the biggest events in Croatia and a tourist spectacle and attraction. It is estimated that tens of thousands of spectators watch it live along the entire route, both along the Neretva River banks and from tourist and private boats. The Ladja Marathon has become even more attractive due to its live broadcast on HRT. It has reached a wider audience across Croatia and beyond, promoting the rich cultural heritage and sports tradition of our region.
As the Ladja Marathon was created from the wish to preserve an important part of Neretva's history, it has never been just a sports or tourist event, but also a special cultural occasion. Therefore, from the early years of the Marathon’s existence, Duke Domagoj has been participating in the opening ceremony, the course of the race and its closure as a historical figure. The main prize for the winners of the Ladja Marathon is the ceremonial victory shield of Duke Domagoj, weighing 37 kilograms and a smaller shield to keep permanently, along with a cash prize. The second and third-placed crews receive medals and smaller shields to keep permanently, along with cash prizes. In special cases, if a crew wins three consecutive marathons, they receive a large victory shield to keep permanently.
The starting positions are determined during the speed trials on the Wednesday before the marathon. The speed trials (trials for starting positions) are held in Opuzen on the Little Neretva River. All crews row in the same ladja using the same rudders and oars. First, the debutants row, followed by the crews from the previous marathon, in the reverse order of last year’s marathon ranking. The fastest crew chooses the starting position first and so on until the last crew.
The most impressive and attractive moment is the start in Metković. At that moment, rowers in tightly packed ladjas, accompanied by the sound of drums, set off towards the finish line in Ploče. Although the finish line is far away and the route is challenging, all crews start rowing as if the finish line were just 100 meters ahead and maintain the same rhythm throughout the route. The start of the marathon is under the Lučki Bridge in Metković and it continues downstream along the Neretva River through the following places: Kula Norinska – Krvavac – Opuzen – Komin – Banja – Šarić Struga – Rogotin – Čeveljuša – Stablina – Ploče. The length of the route is 22,500 meters.
Considering the unauthorized attempts over the years to make the ladja faster, the Neretva River Boatmen Association decided to build standardized ladjas that meet the regulations of the Marathon, which are based on the original historical ladjas with precisely defined numbers and dimensions of lukoći (ribs). The hull of the ladja must be made of wood (commonly oak and larch) with a precisely defined thickness of the board. The oars are of traditional shape, made of wood, as well as the rudder which is shaped like a longer oar and cannot be shorter than 3.8 meters. On the ladja, there must be a mast with a height of 3.5 meters, on which the crew flag, sponsor flag and flag with the starting number are displayed at the start.
Those 33 ladjas are owned by the Neretva River Boatmen Association, used exclusively to compete in the marathon and no modifications are allowed on them.
The crew consists of 10 rowers, a drummer and a helmsman. During the competition it is allowed to substitute (up to) 6 rowers in Opuzen, so each team counts a minimum number of 12 and a maximum number of 18 competitors. If the crew doesn’t make any substitutions, they must pass through the designated corridor. The rowers sit arranged on both sides of the ladja, with their feet not crossing over the ladja (they can be stretched along the edge). Substitutions are made at the designated location near the waterfront in Opuzen. The drummer is located at the bow or in the middle of the ladja and can replace any rower if needed during the race. A person of the male sex who has reached the age of 15 is eligible to participate. Although the initial idea was that only those born in the Neretva Valley and descendants of our emigrants from these parts could participate in the marathon, to popularize this great competition, since 2005, everyone who wishes to compete can participate.
The Neretva ladja and its crew have become an intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia. The Ladja Marathon has expanded beyond the boundaries of the Neretva region and has become an important event that attracts attention beyond the borders of Croatia, representing a blend of tradition, sport and tourism that wins the hearts of all who experience it.
The Neretva River Boatmen Association
