There will be a significant moment for UTMB and ultrarunning this week with a 50:50 gender split at the the 17th edition of Tarawera Ultra‑Trail, the first time an equal number of women and men will toe the start line at a UTMB World Series event.
The World Series is the biggest global ultrarunning platform and UTMB first announced some encouraging trends at the end of 2025, which saw 44,563 women compete over the course of the year, up 11,620 on the previous 12 months.
However that was only just above the 30% mark so still a long way to go compared to the major road marathons which are getting much closer to a 50:50 split.
Significant progression
But the breakdown of female participants at Tarawera by distance highlights a particularly strong presence across all formats, with a majority of women on the shorter and intermediate races.
Runners will take part across five distances in 2026 – TMiler (100 miles / 163km), T102 (102km), T50 (50km), T21 (21km), and the new T14 (14km) – offering more entry points than ever before.
The flagship events of the weekend, notably the Miler and the 102km, show female participation rates almost twice as high as the average typically seen on the UTMB World Series circuit, confirming Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB as one of the most progressive events on the circuit in terms of equity and female representation:
TMiler: 30%
T102: 38%
T50: 52%
T21: 61%
T14: 68% (a new distance introduced this year)
UTMB said: “Many factors help explain this strong and steadily increasing female participation over the years. The event places emphasis on participation and personal achievement rather than performance, fostering an intentionally inclusive, neutral, and welcoming atmosphere for all athletes.
“The organisers are committed to highlighting and celebrating women in trail running at every level: from triple champion and iconic figure Ruth Croft, who has already won the race overall, to inspiring stories such as that of Eileen Odgers, who finished the T50 at the age of 86.
“This commitment is reflected throughout the entire event experience, with female speakers, discussion panels focused on women in trail running, and regional leadership led by a woman, driving numerous practical improvements such as providing women-specific hygiene products at aid stations, women-only changing areas, and less intimidating course designs that are more accessible to those new to long-distance racing.”
Bucket list event
Runners around the world will arrive in Rotorua this week for the event, with the 2026 edition set to be the biggest in its history.
Taking place from 14-15 February, more than 5,600 runners are registered, with 55 percent travelling from overseas, reinforcing the event’s position as one of the most desirable races in the world. And a whopping 71 percent of participants will be lining up at Tarawera for the first time.
The courses take in the region’s most iconic and runnable trails, winding through lush native bush and forest, the towering Whakarewarewa Forest, and past lakes, waterfalls and geothermal landscapes, before finishing at the Village Green by the lakeside in the heart of Rotorua.
Stop two on the World Series
The event begins at 4:00am on Saturday 14 February for those taking part in the TMiler, with athletes given a total allowable time of 36 hours to complete the course. Three other distances also start on Saturday, with the T102 and T50 races underway from 7:00am, and the T21 from 10:00am. The event’s newest distance, the T14, begins on Sunday 15 February at 7:30am.
Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB is the second UTMB World Series event of 2026, following the Arc of Attrition in the UK, part of a global circuit of the best trail running events in the world offering runners the only opportunity to begin their quest to the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix, France and the pinnacle event of trail running – the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB).
The T102 race also returns a HOKA Golden Ticket qualifier for the 2026 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in California, USA – giving the top two female and male finishers a direct path to the start line in June.
