AlUla Trail Race 2027: The Ultimate Runner’s Guide

There are races, and then there are experiences that make you rethink what running actually is. The AlUla Trail Race is firmly in the second category. Set inside one of the most visually dramatic landscapes on Earth — where 2,000-year-old Nabataean tombs are carved into sandstone cliffs and the desert floor shifts from soft pink sand to hardened volcanic rock within a single kilometre — this is a race where the scenery genuinely competes with the effort for your attention.

The 5th edition in January 2027 marks a significant moment for the race. What started in 2023 with 600 runners from 40 countries has grown into the region’s most anticipated trail event, drawing serious ultra runners, destination runners and families alike to a place that, until very recently, most of the world had never heard of. AlUla’s development as a global sports destination has been rapid and deliberate, and the trail race sits right at the heart of that ambition.

Six distances — from a 1.6km kids run to the brutal 100km Hegra Hundred — mean the race functions less like a single event and more like a weekend trail festival. Whether you’re a seasoned ultramarathoner looking to tick off a UNESCO World Heritage Site on your running resume, a trail newcomer wanting something genuinely different from your first off-road race, or a family looking to share the start line, the AlUla Trail Race has a category for you.

The 2026 edition pushed the format further, giving each course its own name tied to the landmark it passes through. The Hegra Hundred, the AlMejdar 50km, the Elephant Rock 23km, the AlUla Oasis 10km. That naming matters — each route has its own distinct character, its own flavour of suffering and reward. This guide covers everything you need to know about signing up, preparing for the terrain and getting the most out of what is genuinely one of the world’s most unique destination races.

AlUla Trail Race 2027 — Race at a Glance

What Makes the AlUla Trail Race Worth Running?

You’re Running Through a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The 100km Hegra Hundred course takes you directly past Hegra — Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, known also as Madain Salih, and one of the Nabataean Kingdom’s greatest cities after Petra. Running before sunrise through canyons carved by desert wind over millennia, with the pre-dawn light starting to paint the sandstone tombs gold as you hit the AlManshiyah climb, is the kind of thing that sounds overwrought on paper but genuinely stops runners in their tracks. This is not a race backdrop. It’s a living museum, and you’re running through it.

Six Distances, Six Completely Different Experiences

One of the sharpest things about this race is that the six distances don’t feel like variations on the same course — they feel like genuinely distinct events. The 10km threads through the AlUla Oasis, a lush green corridor of date palms and ancient mud-wall pathways where the air is cooler and fragrant. The 23km starts directly under the 52-metre Elephant Rock, with runners surging out beneath the shadow of the trunk as the horn fires. The 50km wades into the sheer-walled AlMejdar canyons with technical rocky descents and climbs that echo with the sound of trail shoes on sandstone. And the 100km just takes all of that and multiplies it through the night. There is no one template here.

Race Week in AlUla Is a Cultural Event

AlUla is not a city that exists purely to host runners. It’s a destination in full bloom — ancient, photogenic and increasingly well-connected. The Royal Commission for AlUla has invested heavily in infrastructure, dining, arts and cultural programming, and race weekend sits alongside that broader visitor experience. Non-running partners and spectators have genuinely compelling things to do: Hegra tours, Elephant Rock dining experiences, Ashar Valley walks, the Maraya concert hall (a mirrored cube in the middle of the desert that is as surreal as it sounds). The race enriches a trip that would be worth taking regardless.

It’s an ITRA and UTMB Index Race

For runners who care about points and qualification, the AlUla Trail Race carries real weight. All major distances are ITRA certified and part of the ITRA National League. The race also sits on the UTMB World Series Index, which means your finishing time earns UTMB Running Stones that count toward UTMB race entry qualification. For serious trail runners building toward UTMB Mont-Blanc or other majors, this is not just a holiday race.

January Conditions Are Nearly Perfect for Trail Running

January in AlUla is as good as desert racing gets — mild, dry and clear. Daytime temperatures peak around 20–21°C (68–70°F) and nighttime drops into cool single figures. For the 100km runners starting before dawn, it will be cold and you need to be geared up for it, but by the time afternoon rolls in for shorter distance finishers, the conditions feel almost ideal. No humidity. No mud. Just clean desert air and extraordinary light for most of the day.

The Inclusivity Is Genuine

A trail race that draws runners from 80+ nationalities and still finds room for a Kids Run and a Sunset Run for families is doing something right. The 3km Sunset Run around AlUla Old Town in the golden evening light is a standalone experience — short enough for complete beginners, beautiful enough to be a highlight of the weekend for anyone. This is a race where you can have your child cross a finish line in the same canyon system where you ran 50km in the morning.

The Course — What Each Distance Actually Runs Through

Hegra Hundred (100km) — The UNESCO Ultra

The flagship distance starts before sunrise and takes runners deep into the Hegra archaeological zone — soft sand sections, rocky mountain passes and dramatic canyon traversals. The AlManshiyah climb is the emotional centrepiece: you’re ascending in the dark, and if your pacing and your timing work out, you hit the summit as the sunrise lights up the Nabataean tombs below you. It is genuinely one of the more extraordinary moments any trail race offers anywhere in the world. Expect roughly 1,566m of elevation gain across the 100km, with both gradual desert slogs and sharp technical climbs. Finish line is back at the race village. Cutoff times apply — check your athlete guide.

AlMejdar (50km) — Canyons and Technicality

The 50km doesn’t reach the Hegra tombs, but it finds its own grandeur in the AlMejdar canyon system. Sheer sandstone walls tower over the course, and the terrain gets legitimately technical — rocky descents that demand attention and punishing inclines where your poles (highly recommended) earn their weight. The echo of footsteps off the canyon walls is one of those sensory details that stays with you. This is a race for experienced trail runners comfortable with elevation changes and uneven footing, not a flat desert shuffle.

Elephant Rock 23km — The Spectacle Distance

The 23km is arguably the most photographed distance because of its start. Runners line up directly beneath the trunk of Elephant Rock — the 52-metre sandstone monolith that is AlUla’s most recognisable natural landmark. The horn fires and hundreds of runners surge out from beneath its shadow, with the golden desert spread out ahead. The terrain from there is relatively flat but persistently sandy, which creates its own fatigue, and the views across the wider AlUla basin are uninterrupted for much of the route. A spectacular race for anyone stepping up from 10km events or doing their first trail race.

AlUla Oasis 10km — The Green Surprise

If you expect all six distances to feel like dry desert running, the 10km will catch you off guard. The AlUla Oasis is a lush, living ecosystem threaded through the canyon floor — towering date palms, citrus groves and ancient mud-brick walls that date back centuries. The air here is noticeably cooler, fragrant with damp earth. It’s a completely different sensory experience from the other distances, and it makes for a brilliant entry-level trail race: manageable distance, extraordinary setting, no extreme technicality.

Sunset Run (3km) — AlUla Old Town at Golden Hour

The Sunset Run follows a 3km scenic circuit around AlUla Old Town in the early evening, timed to catch the last of the day’s desert light. This is a community run in the truest sense — anyone aged 13 and over, any pace, the full spectrum of running ability. The Old Town is a ghost city of mud-brick buildings abandoned in the 1980s and now lit atmospherically at dusk. It’s a walk, a jog, a run or a family stroll depending on who you are, and it consistently draws some of the loudest post-race conversation from participants.

Kids Run (1.6km) — Age 5–12

The 1.6km Kids Run is on a safe, flat, manageable course designed to introduce young runners to the spirit of trail running. Children aged 5–12 run with a bib and a timing chip and cross a proper finish line. Children under 12 not racing must be accompanied by an adult at the race village. Kids receive a finisher’s medal — a proper one, not a token. This is a race, not a participation event, and the kids treat it accordingly.

Registration — How to Enter the AlUla Trail Race 2027

Registration for the AlUla Trail Race works across two platforms. Payment is handled through ExperienceAlUla.com, while race registration management is handled by Race Arabia. At the time of writing, the 2027 registration date has not been confirmed — check both sites for opening announcements. The 2026 edition sold out well ahead of race day, so early entry is strongly advised once registration opens.

Race Weekend Schedule

The 2027 schedule has not been confirmed at the time of writing. The pattern from 2026 is shown below as a guide — the two-day structure has been consistent across all four previous editions. Confirm times on the official athlete guide, which will be published at racearabia.sa closer to race day.

Weather in AlUla in January

January is peak season in AlUla for good reason. The desert heat that makes summer events like the AlUla Desert Blaze genuinely brutal is completely absent — you’re looking at mild, clear days and cold mornings that feel almost Alpine in the hours before sunrise. For runners on the 100km, the cold dark start is the biggest single weather challenge. Everyone else is racing in what amounts to near-perfect trail conditions. Carry a post-race layer; the desert cools fast once you stop moving.

Prize Money and Elite Racing

Past Results — 2026 Defending Champions

The 2026 race (4th edition, January 22–23) saw runners from over 80 nationalities compete across all six distances. The Hegra Hundred was won in a dominant performance by Abdelaziz Ahnida of Morocco, who clocked 08:53:56 — a blistering pace for 100km through technical desert terrain. All results below are verified from the official Race Arabia post-race report.

Full live results for the 2026 edition: my.raceresult.com/379311

Spectator Guide — Where to Watch the AlUla Trail Race

AlUla’s desert terrain means large portions of the course are inaccessible to spectators without their own transport, but the race village and landmark areas provide excellent viewing opportunities. The two-day format gives spectators genuine flexibility — Day 1 evening for the Sunset Run and Kids Run, Day 2 morning for the 10km and 23km starts and afternoon finishes.

Where to Stay Near the AlUla Trail Race

AlUla has limited accommodation relative to its rapidly growing profile. Race weekend sells out across all price points. Book as early as possible — ideally the moment race registration opens. The Royal Commission for AlUla has been actively expanding the accommodation mix, but demand significantly outstrips supply in January.

Full accommodation listings: ExperienceAlUla.com/hotels-and-stays

International Runners — Visa and Getting to AlUla

A Short History of the AlUla Trail Race

The AlUla Trail Race began in January 2023 as a single, focused experiment: could a trail race in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region, a place still largely unknown to international runners, attract a serious field from across the world? The answer arrived quickly. The inaugural edition drew over 600 runners from 40 countries — a debut field that any new trail race would be proud of. The landscape did the marketing. Once the photographs of runners moving through Nabataean canyons hit social media in the weeks after the race, the 2024 edition was already generating significant waiting-list interest.

The 2nd edition in early 2024 expanded to over 1,000 athletes and added the Kids Run and Sunset Run categories that broadened the race from a pure competitive event into a genuine trail festival. ITRA certification followed, bringing the race into the official global trail race ecosystem and giving finishers’ results meaningful currency within the trail running world. The 3rd and 4th editions consolidated the format and introduced named course identities — the Hegra Hundred, the AlMejdar, the Elephant Rock 23km — that gave each distance a proper sense of individual character rather than just being distances on a common menu.

By the 2026 edition, runners from over 80 nationalities were competing across six distances in a race that had gone from concept to regional landmark in four years. The 2027 edition will be the 5th — and given the trajectory of growth, likely the largest and most competitive yet. The Royal Commission for AlUla’s sustained investment in the region’s sporting calendar means this race is not going anywhere. It’s becoming a permanent fixture on the global trail running schedule.

How the AlUla Trail Race Compares to Other Major Trail Events

AlUla Trail Race 2027 — Frequently Asked Questions

When is the AlUla Trail Race 2027?

The Experience AlUla website has listed 22 January 2027 as the next edition date. The full two-day race schedule has not yet been confirmed at the time of publication. Check racearabia.sa and experiencealula.com for registration opening announcements and the complete schedule.

What distances are available at the AlUla Trail Race?

Six distances are offered: the Hegra Hundred (100km, 18+), AlMejdar (50km, 18+), Elephant Rock (23km, 16+), AlUla Oasis (10km, 13+), Sunset Run (3km, 13+) and the Kids Run (1.6km, ages 5–12). Each course passes through a distinct part of AlUla’s landscape and has its own character.

Is the AlUla Trail Race part of the UTMB World Series?

Yes. The AlUla Trail Race is an ITRA National League certified event and is included in the UTMB Index. This means finishing times generate UTMB Running Stones that count toward qualification for UTMB World Series races including UTMB Mont-Blanc. It is also an official ITRA partner race.

What mandatory kit do I need for the AlUla Trail Race?

All runners need trail shoes, a running pack and a cap. The 10km and above require at minimum: 0.5–1L of water, a basic first aid kit, a smartphone with a working SIM card and the downloaded route map. The 50km adds food reserves and a whistle. The 100km requires all of the above plus a survival blanket and a head torch. Kit checks are conducted at bib collection — you cannot race without the required items.

Can I get a refund if I can’t run the AlUla Trail Race?

No. The race operates a strict no-cancellation, no-refund policy. This applies to all distances without exception. Do not register until your flights, visa and accommodation are confirmed. There is no provision for transferring your entry to another runner or a future edition.

What is the best hotel to stay in for the AlUla Trail Race?

AlUla has limited accommodation that sells out fast for race weekend. Banyan Tree AlUla and The Chedi Hegra are the premium options. Our Habitas AlUla is popular with the running community for its social atmosphere. Caravan by Habitas offers a more accessible price point. Book as early as possible — ideally at the same time as registering for the race. Check ExperienceAlUla.com for the full accommodation listing including seasonal rates.