Counting down with one year to go, the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from October 6–10, 2027, marking the first time the international event has been hosted in Africa.
The event aims to leave a lasting legacy through athlete development, greater participation, and international exposure for mountain and trail running across the African continent.
Organised by Golazo South Africa, Athletics South Africa and Western Province Athletics, in partnership with the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and World Athletics, the event will also mark the first world championship in an athletics discipline staged in South Africa since 1993.
Individual and team titles will be contested across five disciplines: Uphill, Classic, Classic U20, Short Trail, and Long Trail. Alongside the elite competition, a mass participation programme is being developed to accommodate more than 2,000 amateur runners.
In a joint statement, Sarah Rowell, President of the World Mountain Running Association, Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultrarunners, and Janet Ng, President of the International Trail Running Association, said “With one year to go until the 4th World Mountain and Trail Running Championship, it is clear that the excitement around the event continues to grow.
“Member federations are planning their trials and athletes and their coaches their training for what will be stunning and competitive races set against the backdrop of Table Mountain. As event partners we have been impressed by the professionalism of the Local Organising Committee and we continue to work closely with them to deliver a successful event in October 2027.”
Sebastian Coe, President at World Athletics, said “Mountain and trail running is experiencing a real boom, and the fourth staging of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships is another cause for celebration.
“As the first World Mountain and Trail Running Championships to be hosted in Africa, this is an important milestone for our sport and one for which excitement continues to build now the event is only one year away. We look forward to another successful edition of this global championships, one that brings together the world’s best elite athletes and mass participation runners for a festival of off-road running.”
Terrence Magogodela, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Athletics South Africa, said “With one year to go, Athletics South Africa is proud to be part of a historic moment as we prepare to welcome the world to the first World Mountain and Trail Running Championships ever hosted in Africa.
“Cape Town 2027 provides an extraordinary opportunity to showcase South Africa’s athletes, landscapes and hospitality, while creating a lasting legacy for mountain and trail running across our country and continent. Through our national championship and selection pathway, we are committed to ensuring that Team South Africa is ready to compete with the world’s best when the championships arrive next October.”
Toni McCann, South African international trail runner, said “I am so proud that Cape Town will host Africa’s first World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. It’s incredibly exciting to welcome the world’s best athletes to experience the energy of this city: its people, our passionate trail and running community, the diversity of our natural spaces and the magical beauty of our rugged trails. Beyond that, this event has the power to make a lasting impact on a new generation of South African runners who dream of one day wearing the green and gold.”
www.capetown2027.com
www.worldathletics.org/mountain-and-trail
