Tarawera Ultra-Trail New Zealand by UTMB® 2027

While the Northern Hemisphere shivers in the depths of winter, New Zealanders lace up their shoes in shorts and a singlet 😎. The Tarawera Ultra-Trail New Zealand by UTMB takes place every February in Rotorua, on the North Island, in the heart of the Bay of Plenty—that corner of New Zealand where the ground spits steam and smells like hard-boiled eggs 🇳🇿. The country’s biggest trail rendezvous, the race is part of the UTMB World Series calendar and takes runners all the way to the other side of the world 🌏.

Five formats share the bill, all mapped out on flowing, not-too-technical trails. At the top of the pyramid, the 163 km “TMiler” with its 3,800 m D+ draws a big loop starting from the Te Puia geothermal park, beneath the maunga Tarawera, Ruawahia and Wahanga 🌋. The “T102”, 102 km for 2,300 m D+, runs point-to-point from Kawerau to Rotorua and even serves as a golden ticket to the legendary Western States 100 🎫. More accessible, the “T50” (52 km, 1,150 m D+) welcomes anyone who’s already completed a road marathon, while the “T21” (23 km, 400 m D+) and the “T14” (14 km, 161 m D+) open the party to beginners, road shoes on their feet 👟. From a single token to a set of four, each distance earns its Running Stones toward the grand UTMB final at Mont Blanc 🏔️.

Forget the climbs that shred your legs. Here, the terrain stays runnable almost without a break, which wears your thighs out even more because you never stop trotting 🦵. The trails dive into the forest among giant redwoods and tree ferns, skirt eight different lakes, and hold a quirky surprise: the crossing of Rotomahana is done quite simply by boat 🚤. The route then goes around the volcano Tarawera before finishing on the shores of Rotorua, with waterfalls and raw nature as a backdrop 💧.

The benchmark times on the current course remain a home affair: New Zealanders Ruth Croft and Daniel Jones set them in 2025 👑. The Tarawera Ultra-Trail New Zealand by UTMB also made a bit more history by becoming the first UTMB World Series event to line up as many women as men on the start line 🙌. Thousands of runners from all over the world descend on this small thermal town every year.

Before the starting gun, it’s time for the pōwhiri, the traditional Māori welcome, because the maunga Tarawera remains a sacred mountain for the local kiwis 🤙. These lands still remember the 1886 eruption, which buried the village of Te Wairoa and made the Pink and White Terraces vanish—long regarded as the eighth wonder of the world. Run in the height of the southern summer, under a mild and changeable climate, the event cultivates a warm atmosphere, a world away from the icy seriousness of some European ultras 😊.

Once the medal is around your neck, Rotorua lays out its hot baths, natural spas, and that now-familiar whiff of sulfur ♨️. An hour’s drive away, Hobbit fans head to Hobbiton, the Lord of the Rings set built near Matamata 🎬. On the food side, the Māori hāngī, slow-cooked underground, recharges the batteries like nothing else.

Between sulfur, ferns, and a sleeping volcano, the “Tarawera” is earned right down to the last kilometer—and sends you home with burning calves and your head spinning, but full of memories 🥰.