At Wildstrubel by UTMB, routes of up to 113 kilometres cross Valais and the Bernese Oberland, taking in historic mountain passes and thousands of metres of elevation gain.
113 kilometres, 6,600 metres of elevation gain and no more than 30 hours to finish: anyone lining up for Wild 110 knows what they are signing up for. The longest race at Wildstrubel by UTMB loops around the Wildstrubel massif through terrain that gives runners little respite, but rewards them with an unusually varied cross-section of the Swiss Alps. From 10 to 13 September 2026, international trail runners take on a course that ignores cantonal and language borders. It links Valais with the Bernese Oberland and passes through five well-known Swiss mountain destinations: Crans-Montana, Leukerbad, Kandersteg, Adelboden and Lenk.
Wild 110 sets off from Crans-Montana on Friday evening. From there, the route crosses Alpine meadows, mountain trails and high-altitude sections as it circles the Wildstrubel massif. One of the region’s defining landmarks is the 2,268-metre Gemmi Pass, an important link between Valais and the Bernese Oberland for centuries. Merchants, muleteers and travellers once crossed the Alps here; today, trail runners follow in their footsteps. Running 113 kilometres is only one way to experience Wildstrubel on foot. The programme ranges from Wild 70, with 72 kilometres and 4,600 metres of elevation gain, to Wild 55, with 55 kilometres and 3,300 metres, as well as Wild 25 and Wild 10. New for 2026 is the Wild Glacier Marathon: 42 kilometres with 2,700 metres of elevation gain. Starting in Lenk, it adds the classic marathon distance to the programme – albeit in a format that has little in common with an ordinary city marathon.
The variety of distances shows just how broad trail running has become. Yet every race shares one defining feature: conditions that cannot be standardised. Weather, altitude and terrain are as much part of the challenge as fitness and experience. Runners used to comparing pace per kilometre on tarmac have to rethink the metric in the mountains: elevation gain and terrain matter at least as much as distance itself.
Away from the sporting challenge, Wildstrubel by UTMB is interesting for another reason. For four days, it connects destinations that visitors usually experience separately. The routes cross two distinct Alpine regions and follow paths that have linked north and south for centuries. The race therefore offers a particularly direct way of getting to know Switzerland. One that requires a fair amount of training.
Wildstrubel by UTMB
10 – 13 September 2026
Valais and the Bernese Oberland
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