UTMB World Series delivers new race event around dormant volcano in South Korea

December 1, 2022

The UTMB World Series newest event in Asia, TransJeju by UTMB® - will be located on Jeju Island, situated off the coast of South Korea – with the race set around the dormant volcano Hallasan, sitting in the middle of the island - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Taking place from the 7th-8th October 2023, runners will be able to choose from four distances between 100 and 10 kilometres, with entries opening in March 2023.

Jeju is known for its beautiful beach resorts and volcanic landscape of craters and cave-like lava tubes. TransJeju by UTMB will take runners into the heart of the Hallasan Mountain National Park, where they can discover ever-changing scenery and nature, including 1,800 species of subtropical plants and 4,000 animal species along the well-trodden trails.

Settled on a rocky volcanic coastline, the island's second largest city, Seogwipo, will host the start and finish of all four races. The event regularly welcomes over 1,200 runners annually and is already established as the biggest trail running event in South Korea. It will celebrate its ninth edition in 2023, with the addition of a 20km distance to the existing 100km, 52km and 10km races.

Race Director Byeungsik Ahn notes “One of the biggest draws of TransJeju by UTMB is that runners can reach the peak of the Hallasan Mountain, the highest mountain in South Korea. And runners in the 100km race climb the mountain when the sun sets, which is very special. Jeju is a very popular resort so we have great infrastructure, and it is easy to access, and we are sure participants and their families will enjoy the great local seafood and tourist attractions in Jeju before and after the race.

“We are really happy and honoured to be a part of UTMB World Series. I hope that more runners will come to enjoy TransJeju by UTMB on their way to the UTMB World Series Finals. We would like that every trail runner's dreams come true with TransJeju.”

The 100km-queen race covers the most scenic trails of the Hallasan National Park with a cumulative elevation gain of 4,200 meters. Taking runners to the peak of Hallasan Mountain, runners will discover a crater lake at the 1,950m summit - the highest point in South Korea. Finishers will be rewarded with 3 Running Stones which can be used to enter the lottery for the UTMB World Series Finals.

The Trans50K is 52km with an elevation of 2,110m, and awards 2 Running Stones, while 1 Running Stone is available for all Finishers of the Trans20K, a 20km challenge with 420m of elevation gain. At 10km the Trans10K is a perfect introduction to trail running.

UTMB World Series events are the only place for runners to access the UTMB World Series Finals, held annually at the world's biggest trail running event, UTMB Mont-Blanc. 32 events across Europe, Asia, Oceania, the USA, South America, and Africa are currently confirmed for the 2023 season, giving runners from around the world the chance to meet their extraordinary at exceptional events across the globe.

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