Riding upon the success of Korea 50k near Seoul in April and the increasing popularity of trail running in Korea, the crew at RunXRun will be organising the second edition of Ultra Trail Mount Jiri (UTMJ) from 1 - 2 October 2016 in the Southeastern part of South Korea.

UTMJ 2016 will be the second of three Korean races in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series with the third one being the Ultra Trail Jeju held from 14 to 16 October 2016.

The Race

UTMJ 2016 will be held in Jirisan, the oldest and largest national park of the country which lays emphasis on biodiversity conservation and a pioneering restoration programme on damaged areas by overuse.

The area is infused with Korean traditional culture with green tea farms, valleys, temples, traditional markets and plains. Centrepiece of the park is Mount Jiri, 1 of the 3 holy mountains in the country. The scenic route will appeal greatly to nature enthusiasts as well as provide an exquisite experience with an exposure to the unique Korean traditional culture.

UTMJ 2016 features 2 race distances - 50km and 100km, both of which have a considerable amount of elevation gain (5900hm and 3500hm), which also makes it suitable for avid climbers.

Photo Credit: ULTRA-TRAIL® Mt. JIRI

Transportation

International participants can fly into the Busan Airport. To facilitate travel, the event organiser has also arranged for a shuttle bus service departing from Seoul Station at 10 a.m. on Friday, 30 September 2016 to the event location - Kensington Resort, with a return trip on Sunday, 2 October 2016 at 10 a.m. The shuttle bus tickets are priced at US$50 for a two-way return trip and must be booked in advance.

Participants are advised to arrive at the event location on Friday, 30 September 2016 for safety gear checks and collection of number bibs.

Accomodation

Serving as the event centre over the weekend, the Kensington Resort in Hadong would be the recommended accommodation for runners. Reservation should be made through the event organiser through their dedicated registration form.

Reservation of rooms can only be made for 2 nights (from 30 September to 2 October 2016), with the choice of a double room (US$180 per room) or a shared room for 4 (US$55 per person). Reservation and payment for additional nights before and/or after the race event will have to be made directly with Kensington Resort. The shared room option will also not be available for the additional nights.

Runners who wish to stay in other accommodations will have to make their own arrangements.

Photo Credit: ULTRA-TRAIL® Mt. JIRI

Exclusive for RunSociety Readers

Courtesy of the Asia Trail Master series, RunSociety readers will be offered an exclusive 20% discount on the registration fee for UTMJ 2016! Participation fee in the 50km race is set at US$88 and US$156 for the 100km race. Please get in touch with us to register your interest.

Now is definitely the time to run like crazy at one of the most awesome running trails in South Korea!