Kullamannen by UTMB® race week is underway in northwest Skåne, with runners gathering ahead of four races taking place on Friday and Saturday.
The week started last Saturday in Mölle with the Legacy Run, a non-competitive 16.5 km social run celebrating the roots of Kullamannen and raising funds for Skåne Stadsmission.
Social runs and activities continued throughout the week before the focus moved to Båstad today, when bib collection and the Shop & Expo opened and the first races get underway.
A strong international field is expected across all four distances.
Finland’s Juuso Simpanen leads the Ultra 100 Miles men’s field with a UTMB Index of 867, followed by Sweden’s William Englund (823), Joel Engström Aloul (816) and Poland’s Roman Ficek (814).
Sweden’s Anna Carlsson leads the women’s field, with Susanna Sjörgren, Norway’s Anne Luksengaard Mjelva, Sweden’s Maria Saxvall and the Czech Republic’s Natálie Kapcalová also among the highest-ranked runners.
In the Sprint Ultra 100K, Britain’s Joseph Turner (861), Norway’s Tobias Dahl Fenre (856) and Spain’s Alejandro Mayor (851) are among the leading contenders. Britain’s Gemma Hillier Moses (778) heads the women’s field, which also includes Poland’s Dominika Stelmach, Hanna Aho, Sofie Nelson Rask and Ellinor Ericsson.
The Seventh Seal features Britain’s Jacob Adkin, the highest-ranked runner across the four races with a UTMB Index of 934. Sweden’s Oscar Claesson, Italy’s Henri Aymonod, Britain’s Bertie Houghton and Sweden’s Noah Brautigam are also on the start list.
Norway’s Yngvild Kaspersen leads the women’s field, alongside Eleanor Davis, Kirsty Skye Dickson, Marte Emilsen and Alice Goodall.
In the North Shore, Britain’s Matt Knowles leads the men’s field, while Michelle Sigvardt heads the women’s field.
For Alexandre Boucheix, this year’s Kullamannen will have two very different goals. The French runner returns for his fifth Ultra 100 Miles at Kullamannen, having finished second in the race in 2025. Completing the race this weekend would earn him the Diamond Ring, awarded to runners who finish the Ultra 100 Miles five times. After completing his own race, Alexandre Boucheix plans to head back onto the course to meet Nicolas Ronget, a runner with low vision who will be taking on the Ultra 100 Miles with his guide. Alexandre Boucheix will then join them for the final part of the race, accompanying Nicolas to Båstad and crossing the Kullamannen finish line for a second time.
The Ultra 100 Miles starts at 18:00, followed by the Sprint Ultra 100K at 22:00, sending runners into the first night of racing.
On Saturday, attention returns to Båstad as finishers from the two longer races begin to arrive. The Seventh Seal starts from Skansen Seaside at 11:00, followed by the North Shore at 17:00. This year, North Shore will start after sunset for the first time, putting its 22 km course fully into the darkness that has become such a recognisable part of Kullamannen.
