What is Trail Running?
Trail running takes distance running off pavement onto mountain trails, forest paths and technical single-track. Events range from short vertical kilometres to multi-day ultramarathons across ranges. The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is the sport's most prestigious race, tracing a 170 km loop of Mont Blanc with 10,000 m of climb.
Quick facts
Category
Athletics
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇫🇷 France
Estimated origin
Late 20th-century Alpine sport; UTMB founded 2003
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-20.verified