As the dust settles after the release of the 2026 UTMB World Series Finals draw statistics, it’s clear that the world’s most prestigious trail race is entering a new era.
Participation trends are shifting, environmental priorities are sharpening, commercial questions are rising, and the sport continues its rapid evolution. Below, we break down the major developments shaping the future of competitive trail running.

Zermatt isn’t just a postcard. It’s a place where you start your day with crisp mountain air, end it with tired legs and good food, and spend the hours between stringing together trails, lakes, viewpoints, and stories worth keeping.

This is your guide — part experience, part trail companion, part food memory — shaped by the days we spent wandering here in September.

Over the past few years, running culture has been undergoing a quiet but unmistakable transformation. What was once a sport dominated by roads, tracks, and pavement-focused training plans is increasingly becoming an off‑road pursuit.

Trail running — once a niche corner of endurance sport — is now one of the fastest‑growing segments in outdoor recreation.

For years, carbon plates belonged to the road — sharp, stiff slabs of propulsion reserved for marathon PRs and smooth tarmac. Trails were different. They were supposed to be wild, unpredictable, too uneven for anything stiff or engineered.

But somewhere between Western States podiums and alpine ultras, something changed.

Spring in Hardanger arrives in a slow, cinematic unfurling. Down by the fjord, everything softens first — apple trees begin to blush with early bloom, the light brightens across Sørfjorden, and the air carries that first hint of warmth layered over winter’s memory.

Higher up, the mountains still hold onto patches of snow, reminders that the season changes at its own pace.

Where the Mountains Open: Our Best Hikes in Northwestern Norway.

Some peaks impress you. Others stay with you. These are the hidden paths, high plateaus, and rugged climbs in the northwest that continue to shape our seasons — the ones we carry with us long after the trail ends.

There are days in the mountains that feel less like outings and more like chapters — the kind of days you don’t plan as much as you step into. Our autumn run of Trekanten in Trollheimen became one of those.
Ten hours of movement, golden light, shifting terrain, and the quiet companionship only long trail days can cultivate.