The European Athletics Executive Board has awarded the 2028 European Trail Running Championships to Villars, Switzerland following its meeting in Birmingham on Thursday (23).
The 2028 edition will mark a historic milestone as the first time the event will be staged under its new title, the European Trail Running Championships, following its previous editions between 2022 and 2026 as the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships.
Set against the Alpine backdrop of the canton of Vaud, the championships will bring together elite athletes and amateur runners in a celebration of mountain and trail running, with a strong emphasis on mass participation alongside elite competition.
European Athletics: A strong step forward for the discipline
Dobromir Karamarinov, President of European Athletics, said: “We are delighted to award the 2028 European Trail Running Championships to Villars in Switzerland, a nation with a rich and proven heritage in hosting off-road running events, including the 2019 European Mountain Running Championships.
“Importantly, the bid’s strong emphasis on mass participation aligns closely with our strategic vision to grow trail and mountain running across all levels. This will also ensure that the event has a wide reach locally.”
A vision beyond elite competition
On behalf of the local organising team, André Duvillard, President of the Villars Ultraks association, added: “We are honoured to have been entrusted by European Athletics with the organisation of the 2028 European Trail Running Championships. We are delighted to take on this wonderful challenge, which aims to make this event much more than just a competition for the elite.
“We want this event to become a major public gathering that brings together spectators, competitors and local residents around an innovative project. Our ambition is to position the 2028 European Trail Running Championships as a catalyst for the sustainable development of trail running throughout the canton of Vaud.”
Villars Ultraks has been organising trail running events for over five years, playing a key role in the growth of the discipline in the region and helping position Villars as a leading destination for off-road running in Switzerland.
Christoph Seiler, President of Swiss Athletics, added: “Switzerland has a great tradition in trail and mountain running – in terms of our outstanding runners as well as in terms of excellently organised events that inspire both top athletes and recreational runners. Just a few weeks ago, we launched the Swiss Athletics Junior Trail Series to further promote young talent in conjunction with our numerous events. The European Trail Running Championships will give the growing trail running movement another boost.”
Strengthening Villars as a premier sports destination
From a destination perspective, Sergei Aschwanden, Director of Villars Tourism, highlighted the wider impact: “Hosting European Athletics’ official championships fulfils our mission to bring top-level sporting events to Villars and to spotlight our destination as a premium sport tourism hub.
“Taking place at the beginning of June, the European Trail Running Championships will energise the start of the summer season, attracting thousands of dedicated trail runners from Switzerland and across Europe.
“As a year-round destination, Villars offers exceptional natural landscapes that support both diversification and sustainable growth for the local community. This event will generate economic impact while aligning closely with our sustainability strategy, strengthening our position as a leading European trail running destination towards 2028 and beyond.”
Competition format and mass participation focus The championships will include the disciplines of mountain and trail running with a strong emphasis placed on mass participation alongside the elite races in which individual and team medals will be on offer.
The mountain running programme is composed of an uphill race along with the classic uphill and downhill race while the trail running programme features three events: the ‘Sprint Trail’ for non-elites, the ‘Euro Trail’ which is open to elites and non-elites alike and the ‘Enduro Trail’ for non-elites.
Looking ahead
The next edition of the championships, under its previous format, will take place in Ljubljana-Kamnik from 5–7 June 2026.
With Villars set to host in 2028, the European Trail Running Championships will continue to expand their reach—bringing together elite performance, community participation and sustainable development in one of Europe’s most iconic mountain settings.
