Mountain Ultra-Trail by UTMB® returns to George from 29 to 31 May 2026, and five races are now officially sold out, with the Outeniqua Mountains once again setting the stage above South Africa’s Garden Route. With participation leading the story of this year’s race, the distances of MUT 100, MUT 60, MUT Marathon, MUT Challenge and MUT Lite are now officially full and ready at the start line. This new edition has reached its highest total athlete of the last three, with more than 2,300 confirmed across elite and amateur fields
Set on South Africa’s east coast, the event takes place in and around George, where the Outeniqua Mountains rise from the edge of the city and shape a race experience defined by indigenous forest, fynbos and ridgelines with views towards the Indian Ocean and the Karoo.
This year, this scenery continues to shape an appealing race experience that has been building year after year. This is not a one-off jump for MUT by UTMB®. Athlete totals have climbed by 26.4% from 2024 to 2026, pointing to an event that continues to grow in both scale and depth across the race calendar.
As the only African UTMB World Series event, this race continues to hold a distinctive place on the calendar, mainly bringing South Africa’s trail-running community onto an international stage while retaining the local character that has shaped the event in George.
This is reflected in the strength of the South African field, with 1.881 athletes from South Africa making up the core of the 2026 start line. MUT also continues to draw runners from a growing range of international markets who make the journey to compete, including athletes from Saudi Arabia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Mauritius, and the United Arab Emirates.
A strong 2026 field reflects race rising appeal
Race Director Carmen Schmahl, said, “To see the 2026 edition reach a new participation high, with such a strong mix of first-time athletes and returning runners, is a really encouraging sign for MUT by UTMB®. To have five races sold out in record time only adds to that momentum. It reflects not only the quality of the race, but also the challenge of the courses and the appeal of the Outeniqua Mountains as a destination.”
As MUT by UTMB® builds towards race weekend in George, the 2026 edition is set to welcome its biggest field of the last three editions to the Outeniqua trails. With five races now sold out and a mix of first-time and returning runners heading to the Garden Route, no shifts
