Kaçkar by UTMB

Rize will bring the global spirit of trail running back to Türkiye’s wild northeast on September 11–13, 2026, as Kaçkar by UTMB returns to the dramatic landscapes of the Kaçkar Mountains. This is not just a race weekend. It will be a journey through one of the country’s most powerful natural settings, where deep green valleys, high ridgelines, fast-changing mountain weather, roaring streams, waterfalls, forests, and highland villages shape every step.

The Kaçkar 100K will stand as the event’s toughest mountain challenge, with long climbs, remote valleys, high passes, and serious elevation demanding full respect from every runner. The Kaçkar 50K will offer a shorter but still highly demanding route, moving through dense forests, historic highland plateaus such as Hazindak and Samistal, and the stone-built mountain texture that gives the region its soul. The Kaçkar 20K may be the shortest distance, but it will still carry the character of the mountain, with forest roads, alpine meadows, rocky sections, technical climbs, and a finish atmosphere shaped by Ayder’s highland energy.

Kaçkar by UTMB will not be about easy kilometers. It will be about earning passage through a landscape that feels alive at every turn. Runners will meet altitude, mud, mist, steep climbs, and silence; then they will meet the kind of views that make the effort feel unforgettable. For visitors, the weekend will open the door to Rize’s highland culture: yaylas, wooden houses, stone bridges, waterfalls, tea gardens, cool mountain air, and local flavors like muhlama (Black Sea Cheese Fondue), cornbread, black cabbage rolls, highland honey, and of course, oven-baked rice pudding topped with Black Sea hazelnuts. Even if you are not running, you will still want to be here—because Kaçkar by UTMB turns Rize into a mountain story of green valleys, clouded ridges, roaring water, local flavor, and pure trail-running soul.