New Zealand
- Auckland Region 10
- Bay of Plenty Region 10
- Canterbury Region 22
- Gisborne Region
- Hawke's Bay Region 2
- Manawatū-Whanganui Region 3
- Marlborough Region 6
- Nelson Region 1
- Northland Region 1
- Otago Region 13
- Southland Region 3
- Taranaki Region 1
- Tasman Region
- Waikato Region 13
- Wellington Region 6
- West Coast Region 3
Trail Running Calendar New Zealand 2026-2027
Explore the best trail runs in New Zealand for 2026-2027! Our updated list features 119 exciting trail runs across the country. Find your next trail run in New Zealand below and join the trail community at these great events!
Community multi-sport event in Ashburton featuring mountain biking, running, walking, duathlon and a schools team cycling race; proceeds support the local community.
December 2026
A multi day running festival in Whakatū Nelson on 4 to 5 December 2026 with road miles, relays, an elite mile and trail races up to 100 miles.
A trail running event on the Hunua Traverse Trail near Auckland offering 50 km, 25 km and a 50 km relay on 5 December 2026.
A mountain running weekend in Fiordland featuring the original 60 km Kepler Challenge and a 27 km Luxmore Grunt, with community and charity elements.
A 100 mile, 19-lap trail race covering 161 km with 10,830 m ascent and descent to be completed within 36 hours. Entry is by koha with proceeds to the Valley Project; basic camping and facilities are available at Bethunes.
Valley Ultra on 12 December 2026 is an ultra running event in the Craigieburn Valley with three distances: 54 km, 24 km and 10 km, featuring routes that pass near and partly ascend Mt Cheeseman.
A rogaining fundraiser on the Port Hills, Christchurch offering 6 hour, 4 hour, 2 hour and family options. Teams navigate by map and compass across farmland and native forest with electronic punching and scored checkpoints.
January 2027
A short, steep 7.7 km trail race in Pāuanui with 410 m of climb, marked singletrack, water at event HQ and medals for all finishers.
Three trail events on Banks Peninsula on 9 January 2027, from 15 km to 101 km, featuring coastal and volcanic scenery with substantial elevation.
A 10 km hill run or fun walk in Wither Hills Farm Park, Blenheim, with views to Taylor Pass. Online and on the day entries cost $25 and race numbers are issued at the Rifle Range car park; food and a coffee cart will be on site.
A women only Frontyard Ultra at McLeans Forest on 16 January 2027 featuring repeated 6 km laps run on the hour. Runners self support from a personal aid area and the last runner to complete one more lap than others wins.
A roughly 20km alpine trail from Whakapapa to Turoa on the Round the Mountain track, featuring over 1,000 m ascent, rugged terrain and required safety gear.
A Backyard Ultra at Queen Elizabeth Park where runners complete repeating one hour laps of 6.71 km until one participant remains; self-sufficient event limited to 150.
February 2027
Trail races in Rotorua, New Zealand on 13–14 February 2027 featuring courses from 14 km to 163 km through lakes, native forest and waterfalls as part of the UTMB World Series.
An 85 km backcountry ultramarathon on the Old Ghost Road with 2,600 m elevation gain, limited to 300 runners and supported aid stations and transport included.
Off road mountain marathon on Ben Lomond Station near Queenstown with over 2500 m of ascent, extensive single track terrain and a finish at Moke Lake.
A seven day, six stage ultra covering about 250 km through the Southern Lakes and Central Otago, finishing in Queenstown with staged racing and a final awards dinner.
Backyard Ultra Wānaka is an inaugural Backyard-format event on 27 February 2027 at Outlet Camp Wānaka, beside the glacial Mata-Au / Clutha River. Runners repeat a 6.7 km trail loop with hourly starts on a mixed moraine and forest route.
March 2027