Human Diplomacy on the Roof of the Kaçkars
Kaçkar by UTMB turns Türkiye’s high country into a global stage for endurance, culture, and connection
Dawn broke over the Ayder Plateau, splitting the sea of clouds while the sound of tulum pipes drifted through the valley. From that moment, the Kaçkar Mountains became a stage where grit met hospitality, and Türkiye hosted its first-ever UTMB World Series event: Kaçkar by UTMB.
It wasn’t just a race. It was a gathering of more than 1,280 athletes from 55 countries, who came to run ridgelines carved like waves, cross stone bridges older than memory, and test themselves against valleys rimmed with black pine. Weather dictated the rules—the 100K course was canceled due to persistent snow and avalanche risk—but the 50K and 20K went ahead spectacularly, with runners swallowed and revealed by shifting veils of mist and sunlight.
The Mountain, The Memory
On course, the landscape spoke louder than any announcer: tea-green slopes, waterfalls that sang, cloudscapes so close they seemed to breathe with the athletes. Of course, the hospitality sealed the memory. Cups of steaming tea pressed into cold hands, conversations that stretched into the night, and the sweet ritual of oven-baked sütlaç—Rize’s iconic rice pudding, golden-topped and scattered with hazelnuts, light and calming after the storm.
Women Up Front
Before the horn, an official asked men to crouch so the women could be visible at the start. Dozens of women stood tall. Cameras clicked. The applause rolled like thunder. It lasted only a minute, but it captured the spirit of this debut: a race where one-third of the field was female, and where visibility mattered as much as victory.
Safety Without Compromise
Behind the romantic fog and the ringing cowbells was a world-class safety net. Over 200 staff worked the valleys and checkpoints. Real-time athlete tracking mapped every move across the high passes. And when conditions stayed too dangerous, the 100K was canceled without hesitation—proof that operational excellence allows adventure to unfold without fear.
Voices From the Mountains
• Frédéric Lénart (UTMB Group CEO): Kaçkar checks every box—epic terrain, unforgettable athlete experience, and a sustainable future for both the sport and the region.” He also confirmed a €10,000 UTMB Cares donation to support communities hit by recent floods.
• İhsan Selim Baydaş (Governor of Rize): Called the event a cornerstone for Rize’s future, confirming that Kaçkar by UTMB will return annually through 2030.
• Rahmi Metin (Mayor of Rize): Framed Rize’s rugged landscape and volatile weather not as obstacles, but as assets—natural elements that, with vision, can become reasons to visit.
• Ahmet Temurci (Director General, International Organizations & Foreign Relations, Ministry of Youth and Sports): “This is more than sport—it’s human diplomacy,” he said, describing the race as a way to share Türkiye’s story authentically.
• Osman Aşkın Bak (Minister of Youth and Sports): Gave the start, praised the region’s resilience after floods, and spotlighted its significance in Türkiye’s sports-tourism vision.
Champions of the Kaçkars
50K — Women
1. Jasmin Nunige — 5:21:52, 2. Tuğçe Karakaya — 5:35:15, 3. Greta García Morán — 5:51:54
50K — Men
1. Cole Campbell — 4:29:19, 2. Sven Koch — 4:38:19, 3. Iurii Shtankov — 4:49:52
20K — Women
1. Beyza Güzel — 2:28:25, 2. Tanya Vasilevskaya — 2:29:51, 3. Jeanne Larichelière-Banken — 2:34:05
20K — Men
1. Mestan Turgan — 1:59:20, 2. Andrey Menyakin — 2:05:45, 3. İrem Can Ayaz — 2:12:39
Elite names on the trails included Philipp Ausserhofer, Cole Campbell, Daniel Osanz, Sven Koch, Oğuzhan Emre Singer, Greta García Morán, and Dioni Gorla—a field worthy of the scenery, and vice versa.
In the end, Kaçkar by UTMB® was not defined by canceled kilometers or stopwatch splits, but by the images that linger: women standing tall at the start line, locals offering tea in the rain, and runners disappearing into a sea of clouds. What Türkiye brought to the UTMB World Series was not just terrain—it was heart, and that will echo long after the trails grow quiet.
Photos by @ theflyingflip, @kackarbyutmb and TGA
Photos: Source – GoTürkiye
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