11 May 2026
HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB to Bring World’s Top Trail Runners to Blue Mountains this Week
This week, the largest trail running event in the southern hemisphere, HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB, returns to the Blue Mountains with it once again the UTMB World Series Major for Oceania.
More than 8,000 runners will take part in five separate events between 13-17 May, tackling 11km, 22km, 50km, 100km or 100 Mile distances.
As a UTMB World Series Major the event joins races in Europe, the Americas and Asia as the top events of the sport, with the 2026 UTA also set to be beamed to trail running fans around the world through a live broadcast.
The event kicks off with UTA11 on Thursday, with UTA22 and UTAMiler taking place on Friday, ahead of UTA50 and UTA100 on Saturday. The final finishers in the UTAMiler and UTA100 will cross the line on Sunday morning.
Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB Regional Director Tanya Carroll said that the team was looking forward to welcoming athletes, their families, and supporters back to UTA this year.
“We’re looking forward to bringing our trail running community back to the Blue Mountains once again for HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB this week,” said Carroll. “This is an event that means so much to so many people, and we have watched it grow from 157 runners in 2008 to the thousands of athletes, supporters, and spectators we’ve seen in recent years and will welcome once again for a sold-out event in 2026.
“We’re excited to have some of the world’s top trail runners joining us on the trails in the Blue Mountains National Part and can’t wait to beam all of the action to a global audience through the live broadcast,” she said.
Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle said the weekend of Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB was highly anticipated among the trail-running community within the Blue Mountains and internationally.
“We welcome runners from near and far to battle it out on some of the toughest and most spectacular trails in the world. And after you have conquered the trails, visit some of our villages and indulge in the best of what the Blue Mountains has to offer,” Ms Doyle said.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper welcomed runners and the supporters to the region.
“The Blue Mountains is open business and the NSW Government is proud to support the HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB, which has now cemented its position as one of the world’s most prestigious trail running events. ‘Runcations’ are taking off across the globe and having a world-class running event like this set in the natural wonder of our World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains creates a bucket-list experience unlike anywhere else,” he said.
This year, UTA will welcome participants from 79 countries, with more than 47% of runners taking part in the event for the first time.
Since 2022, UTA has been part of the UTMB World Series, a circuit of the best trail running events in the world offering runners the only opportunity to begin their quest to UTMB Mont-Blanc – the UTMB World Series Final and the pinnacle event of trail running.
HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB is supported proudly by the NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
For more information please contact:
Craig Heydon
Communications & Creative Services Director, HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB
Mob: 0402 318 918
Ruth Bowerman
Media & Communications Manager, HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB
M: (+64) 21 209 6978