From Friday May 15 to Sunday May 17, 2026, more than 2,800 runners from over 60 nations will descend on the village of Llanberis in North Wales for the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB. Often described as the toughest race on the UTMB World Series circuit, this event takes place in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, at the foot of Yr Wyddfa, the highest peak in Wales.
Race schedule and distances
- UTS 100M — 164 km, 9,200 m+ — Friday May 15, 14:00
- UTS 80K — 78 km, 2,500 m+ — Friday May 15
- UTS 100K — 104 km, 5,400 m+ — Saturday May 16
- UTS 50K — 56 km, 3,370 m+ — Saturday May 16
- ERYRI 25K — Sunday May 17
Our favorites
UTS 100M: Joaquin Lopez heads a stacked field
The men's UTS 100M race has a clear top entry: Joaquin Lopez (Ecuador, Kailas Fuga), the highest-ranked runner of the entire weekend with a UTMB Index of 908. Lopez will face stiff opposition from French duo Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon (On Running, Index 876) and Benat Marmissolle (Index 864), Italian Franco Colle (Kailas Fuga, Index 812) and British veteran Dan Lawson (Index 818).
The women's race lines up around Charlotte Fisher (Great Britain, Index 668), who finished 3rd here in 2025 and now starts as the top-ranked entrant. Polish Aleksandra Narkowicz (Index 653) and Scottish Sanna Duthie (Scarpa, Index 644) will be in the mix, alongside Dutch Anouk Baars (Team Instinct France) and Rebecca Di-Luzio — winner of the very first UTS 100 in 2018.
UTS 100K: Eleanor Davis moves up, Tschumi vs Wigley
The UTS 100K has lost reigning champion Jonathan Albon (he's racing the 50K) and the men's field is now a four-way fight. Jean-Philippe Tschumi (Switzerland, Kailas Fuga, Index 900) and Frenchman Paul Cornut Chauvinc (Asics Fuji Trail, Index 903) hold the highest indexes, but 2025 podium finisher Keith Wigley (Great Britain, Altra / Elite Trail Team, Index 862) knows this course better than anyone. American Jeffrey Colt (On Trail) and David Norris (Index 881), Welsh-based Harry Jones (Merrell / Janji) and Tom Joly (Kailas Fuga, 3rd at UTS 100M 2025) complete a tense top group.
In the women's race, all eyes are on Eleanor Davis (Great Britain, The North Face, Index 778), the 2025 UTS 50K champion who steps up to the 100K this year — a major statement of intent. Swiss Ariane Wilhem (Compressport, Index 718) and Briton Katie Kaars-Sijpesteijn (Salomon, Index 660) lead the rest of the field.
UTS 80K: Josh Wade returns
The UTS 80K headline name is Josh Wade (Great Britain, The North Face), the 2023 UTS 100M champion (Index 921 — the highest of his entire group). Dutchman Peter Van Der Zon (Index 818) and Briton Evan Allan (Team Våga, Index 752) will try to keep him honest. Welsh adventurer and ultra athlete Lowri Morgan (Index 665) leads the women's race.
UTS 50K: Jon Albon drops in
The big story of the weekend is on the UTS 50K, where Jonathan Albon (Great Britain, The North Face Trail) — winner of the UTS 100K in 2025 in 11:34:51 — moves down to the short ultra. With a UTMB Index of 940 he is statistically the strongest runner on any course this weekend. Expect a no-holds-barred race against Norwegian Anders Haga (VJ, Index 845), Briton Andrew Heyes (Soar, Index 842), Italian Simone Eydallin (La Sportiva, Index 803) and Lewis Bowness (Inov8, Index 826).
Italian Giuditta Turini (Kailas Fuga, Index 746) leads the women, with 2025 UTS 100K runner-up Lauren Graham (Index 610) and Swede Tove Hjertonsson (Index 648) right behind.
ERYRI 25K: Kristian Jones at home
On the ERYRI 25K, defending UTS 50K champion Kristian Jones (Great Britain, Hoka / Elite Trail Team, Index 906) is the overwhelming favorite on home roads. Swede Albin Gezelius (Asics, Index 776) and Briton Sam Bentham (Team OMM, Index 767) lead the chase. Emilia Platt (Great Britain, Salomon, Index 684) starts as the top-ranked woman.
Expected weather conditions
Mid-May in North Wales is notoriously unpredictable, and the 2026 forecast is shaping up to be classic Snowdonia. Mountain forecasts point to changeable, unsettled conditions dominated by low pressure systems, with northwesterly winds of 25 to 40 km/h (up to 50 km/h along exposed ridges) through the race weekend.
Runners should expect scattered heavy showers, the possibility of hail, and air temperatures well below seasonal norms — potentially close to freezing on Yr Wyddfa's summit, with significant wind chill. The full mandatory kit, including waterproof jacket and trousers, hat and gloves, will not be optional. Visibility on the exposed ridges may drop at any point.
The course difficulties
UTS earns its reputation as "one of the toughest Ultra-Trail events in the world." What sets it apart from Alpine ultras is not just the vertical gain, but the relentlessly technical nature of the Welsh terrain.
- Boggy ground and exposed ridges: The course mixes peat bog sections that drain the legs with airy ridge running on the most committing skylines in Britain.
- Scree, boulder fields and scrambling: Both the 100M and the 100K include short sections of non-graded scrambling where runners need to use their hands. This is not standard trail running.
- Navigation: When the cloud drops in — and it often does — the route demands real mountain awareness, particularly along the Glyderau and Carneddau ranges.
- Vertical gain: 9,200 m+ over 164 km on the 100M is comparable to Alpine 100-milers, but condensed into shorter, sharper climbs.
To even toe the line at the UTS 100M, runners are recommended to hold a UTMB Index of at least 380. The cut-off times are tight, and the course is unforgiving for anyone underestimating Welsh weather or terrain.
How to follow the race
Live tracking will be available on the official UTMB Live platform from Friday afternoon, with the 100M front-runners expected to reach the finish in Llanberis on Saturday morning. Whatever the weather throws at them, the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB will once again deliver one of the most spectacular and savage weekends of the European trail season.