One year to go: Cape Town begins countdown to 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

From 6 to 10 October 2027, Cape Town will welcome the world's best mountain and trail runners for the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), a landmark event that will place Africa at the centre of the global off-road running community.

“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,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “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.”

Sarah Rowell, Nadeem Khan and Janet Ng, respective presidents of the World Mountain Running Association, the International Association of Ultrarunners and the International Trail Running Association, said: “With one year to go until the fourth World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, 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.”

WMTRC Cape Town 2027 will be the first World Mountain and Trail Running Championships ever hosted in Africa and the first World Championship in an athletics discipline staged in South Africa since 1993. Hosted by Golazo South Africa, Athletics South Africa and Western Province Athletics, the championship represents a defining moment for South African athletics, African sport and the continued growth of mountain and trail running worldwide. 

Individual and team world titles will be contested across all disciplines, bringing together the world's elite mountain and trail runners. The championship programme will feature the sport's premier disciplines:

• Uphill
• Classic
• Classic U20
• Short Trail 
• Long Trail 

A programme of mass participation events is also being developed, allowing more than 2000 amateur runners from South Africa and around the world to experience the championship atmosphere and compete on selected championship terrain. It will make the championships even more memorable and provide many sports enthusiasts with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Further details on these events will be announced in due course.

"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,” said Athletics South Africa Acting CEO Terrence Magogodela. “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.”

Beyond the world titles, WMTRC Cape Town 2027 aims to leave a lasting legacy through athlete development, greater participation and international exposure. Bringing the championship to Africa creates an opportunity to grow the sport across the continent and introduce more runners to its exceptional mountain and trail destinations.

“I am so proud that Cape Town will host Africa's first World Mountain and Trail Running Championships,” said South African international trail runner Toni McCann. “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.”

As the countdown enters its final year, WMTRC Cape Town 2027 is poised to become more than a championship. It is an opportunity to showcase Africa to the world, elevate mountain and trail running across the continent and create a lasting legacy for future generations of athletes. 

One world stage. A new continent. Mountain and trail running's next chapter. 

WMTRC Cape Town 2027