Ultra-Trail Snowdonia Eryri by UTMB® 2027

You know that feeling when you look at a map and think "but what's over there?" 🤔

Well, over there is the north of Wales! 🏴 Since 2018, something pretty crazy has been happening there in a national park called Eryri, but which English speakers long called Snowdonia because they struggled with Welsh (we get it 😅). The Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB, or UTS for those in the know, is the British answer to the great Alpine ultras. And spoiler: it's got character 🔥.

The story begins in beautiful chaos 🪨. At the very first edition in 2018, the Welsh weather made sure to introduce itself properly—meaning in torrential rain 🌧️. The trails are flooded, the course becomes a playground for amphibians 🐸, and of the 46 brave souls on the start line of the 160 km, only 13 cross the finish line. A thunderous birth for a race that would quickly become one of the most sought-after trail dates on the UTMB World Series circuit, with more than 2,800 participants from 64 nations at the 2023 edition. Not bad for a corner of Great Britain that most people vaguely place "somewhere between London and Ireland." 📍 What makes the UTS unique is its terrain. Eryri (pronounced "Erri," so you'll sound like a local at the aid station 😉) is the second-largest national park in the United Kingdom, created in 1951—827 square miles of mountains, glacial lakes, forests, and 2,400 kilometers of trails ⛰️. And its name? It probably comes from the Welsh word eryr, which means "eagle" 🦅. Yes, you're literally running on eagle lands. With nine mountain ranges, off-trail sections, and areas with no phone signal 📵, the place isn't trying to reassure you. It's trying to impress you. And it does a very good job 🤩.

The good news is: there's something for everyone. The "ERYRI 25K" (25 km, 1,400 mD+) arrived in 2023 to open the door to those who want a taste of the magic without getting lost in the mountains for three days 🪄. A discovery distance, but it still doesn't mess around ☝️. The "UTS 50K" (56 km, 3,400 mD+) really dives into the heart of the park, with its technical ridgelines around the Snowdon massif 🏔️. Spoiler alert : this is where many runners fall in love with the place 😍. The "UTS 80K" (78 km, 2,500 mD+) offers the smoothest crossing, with less elevation gain but terrain that’s just as wild 🍃. The "UTS 100K" (106 km, 5,400 mD+) is the big challenge—a true mental and physical test in the heart of Eryri and considered one of the most demanding events on the UTMB World Series circuit. And then there's the boss: the "UTS 100M." 163 kilometers, 9,200 meters of positive elevation gain 🤯. A time limit that gives you time to sleep... just a tiny bit 🥱. It's the race you'll tell your kids, your coworkers, and especially your physio about 😂. It all starts in Llanberis, a mountain village that turns into the trail-running capital for one weekend in May.

And if you think a trip around the race is just about picking up your pasta party, think again. Caernarfon, a few kilometers away, is home to a UNESCO-listed medieval castle, built at the end of the 13th century by Edward I of England 👑. The region itself is World Heritage-listed—landscapes that even the rain makes beautiful... and trust us, you'll see plenty of it ☔. In short, the place has as much history as your legs will have pain at kilometer 80 🤪.

So, are you really going to let the eagles of Eryri run all by themselves? 🏁