Xtrail Kenting by UTMB

Set on the Hengchun Peninsula at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, Xtrail Kenting by UTMB brings trail running to one of Asia's most dramatic tropical landscapes. Races from 10 to 100 kilometers start from the coast and wind inland through Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, where uplifted coral reefs, tropical monsoon forests, and sweeping Pacific grasslands converge. The flagship 100K covers 98 kilometers with 3,300 meters of climbing, starting in darkness from Howard Beach Resort and traversing the full spine of the peninsula over 24 hours.

The geology of the Hengchun Peninsula defines the race. Runners navigate natural gorges carved from uplifted coral limestone, scramble over stony riverbeds scattered with loose rock, and climb to exposed ridgelines where the Luoshanfeng winds whip across open ground with no shelter in sight. The 50K route reaches Xiaobaiyue peak, a summit surrounded by ocean on three sides at Taiwan's southern edge. Between the technical sections, the terrain opens into the vast Longpan grasslands rolling down to the Pacific, and runners pass through pockets of tropical forest thick with ferns, vines, and banyan roots.

The conditions are as much a part of the challenge as the terrain: hot, humid, and unpredictable, with all four seasons capable of unfolding in a single day. Strong coastal winds test balance on the ridges, while the tropical sun beats down on the exposed plateaus. For runners seeking a race where coral geology, ocean horizons, and raw tropical wilderness collide, Kenting offers an experience unlike any other on the UTMB World Series calendar.