A Year of Trail Running in India
There is no single trail-running season in India. January can mean green hills in Kerala or rocky Sahyadri trails in Maharashtra. By March, runners can choose between the Nilgiris, Himalayan foothills and the high mountain roads of Sikkim. The monsoon transforms western India through June and July, while August and September open a completely different world in Ladakh. That variety is what makes running across India interesting.
January
Vagamon ULtrail, Kerala
For – Meadows and Tea Estates of the Western Ghats
Vagamon offers one of southern India’s most inviting trail-running landscapes. Meadows roll into forest, paths cross tea-growing country and the route moves constantly through the green hills of Kerala’s Western Ghats.
Race – 09 Jan 2027 | Confirmed
Deccan Ultra, Maharashtra
For – Runners wanting a rugged mountain challenge
Deccan Ultra heads into the mountain country around Bhandardara, where rocky trails, steep climbs and the broken ridges of the Sahyadri create a completely different challenge from Vagamon.
Race – 24 Jan 2027 | Confirmed
February
Tata Ultra, Lonavala, Maharashtra
For – Long-distance hill running
The Tata Ultra runs through the Sahyadri hills around Lonavala, with forested slopes, reservoir views and old hill forts where gradients rather than rocky footing provide the challenge.
Race – 21 Feb 2027 | Confirmed
Munnar Marathon & Ultra, Kerala
For – Long Distance Running though Tea Country
Few Indian race settings are as immediately recognisable as Munnar. Munnar Ultra brings together tea plantations, shola forest and long mountain gradients in one of southern India’s most recognisable landscapes.
Race – 27-28 Feb 2027 | Confirmed
March
Ooty Ultra, Tamil Nadu
For – For long climbs through the Nilgiris
The Ooty Ultra routes move through the Nilgiri Hills, climbing towards places such as Doddabetta and passing villages and tea-growing landscapes along the way. The challenge is sustained elevation rather than difficult footing.
Race – 21 Mar 2027 | Confirmed
Tsomgo Ultra, Sikkim
For – High-Altitude Mountain Endurance Race
The Sikkim Tsomgo Ultra takes you on a long climb from Gangtok’s greener Himalayan slopes at around 2000 m into the colder, more exposed high-altitude landscape around Tsomgo Lake towards roughly 3800m.
Race – 14 Mar 2027 | Announced
April
Silk Route Ultra Trail, Himachal Pradesh
For – Runners who love climbing
The Silk Route Ultra Trail takes you on a steep Himalayan trail through pine – covered forest slopes and exposed ridges around Narkanda, with long climbs opening onto broad mountain views.
Race – To Be Confirmed
The Buddha Trails, West Bengal
For – Kanchenjunga views and serious trail running
The Buddha Trails route moves from dense Himalayan forest onto the open ridges of Singalila, where the landscape suddenly widens and Mt. Kanchenjunga dominates the horizon.
Race – 25 Apr 2027 | Announced
May
Patnitop Marathon, Jammu & Kashmir
For – A Scenic Mountain-Road Endurance Race
The Patnitop Marathon course runs through Patnitop’s high Shivalik landscape, where cedar and blue-pine forests open onto meadows with views across the Chenab basin towards the Pir Panjal Range.
Race – 09 May 2027 | Confirmed
JBG Goechala Trail Ultra, Sikkim
For – A rugged Himalayan adventure
The Goechala Ultra trail climbs from Yuksom through dense alpine forest and glacial streams into increasingly rugged, boulder-strewn high country beneath the Kanchenjunga massif.
Race – To Be Confirmed
June
Bison Ultra, Yercaud, Tamil Nadu
For – Forest and Coffee Estate Trails
The Bison Ultra route winds through quiet coffee estates and shaded shola forest before climbing onto open ridges with broad views across the rolling Shevaroy Hills.
Race – 06 Jun 2027 | Confirmed
Great Mawla Ghaati Ultra, Maharashtra
For – A Difficult Terrain Monsoon Run
Great Mawla Ghaati Ultra takes you through raw Sahyadri landscape of steep ghats, exposed ridges and deeply cut valleys, with the route threading through remote mountain trails around Bhor and Velha.
Race – 17-20 Jun 2027 | Confirmed
July
Bir Billing Ultra Trail, Himachal Pradesh
For – A Steep Himalayan Climb
The Bir Billing Ultra trail climbs steeply above Bir through forested Himalayan slopes before opening onto exposed mountain ridges around Billing with wide views across the Kangra Valley and the Dhauladhar range.
Race – To Be Confirmed
Belagavi Monsoon Ultra, Karnataka
For – Western Ghats experience in the Rain
The Belagavi Monsoon Ultra trail rises and falls through misty, rain-soaked terrain as the route winds through quiet countryside, with rain-washed hills and farmland stretching across the landscape.
Race – To Be Confirmed
August
Ladakh Trail to Heaven
For – A True High-Altitude Expedition
The Ladakh Trail to Heaven takes you across vast high-altitude desert of bare mountains, deep valleys and windswept trails along the Markha River, with the route crossing remote Himalayan terrain between Leh and Stok.
Race – To Be Confirmed
Twin Lake Ultra, Jammu & Kashmir
For – A Scenic Hill Endurance Run in the Shivaliks
The Twin Lakes Ultra route rolls through the Shivalik foothills from Jammu towards Surinsar and Mansar Lakes, passing forested hills, quiet mountain roads and broad lake views along the way.
Race – To Be Confirmed
September
Matheran Endurathon, Maharashtra
For – A Scenic hill Endurance Run
The Matheran Endurathon route winds through Matheran’s dense forest and misty hill-station terrain, with red-soil paths, steep climbs and occasional views opening across the surrounding Sahyadri valleys.
Race – To Be Confirmed
Ladakh Marathon & Ultras
For – A High-Altitude Mountain Road Race
The Ladakh Ultra takes you across stark high-altitude landscape of sandy valleys, willow-lined river stretches and bare mountains, passing monasteries, stupas and the Indus before the climb towards the immense Khardung La.
Race – To Be Confirmed
October
Solang SkyUltra, Himachal Pradesh
For – Extreme Vertical Gain
Solang SkyUltra route climbs steeply from Solang Valley into rugged high-altitude terrain, crossing technical single-tracks, boulder fields, streams and exposed mountain sections beneath the surrounding Himalayan peaks.
Race – To Be Confirmed
The Coffee Trails, Karnataka
For – A Serious Climb Through the Western Ghats
The Coffee Trails route winds through Coorg’s coffee estates and dense forested hills, with steep climbs opening onto misty ridges and views over Coorg’s rolling hills and coffee plantations.
Race – To Be Confirmed
November
Malnad Ultra, Karnataka
For – The Classic Western Ghats Ultra
The Malnad Ultra route runs through the rolling coffee-growing hills of Chikkamagaluru, crossing uneven trails, exposed ridges and forested sections where mist and filtered light continually reshape the landscape.
Race – 28 Nov 2026 | Confirmed
Vayalada Ultra Trail, Kerala
For – Steep Tropical Mountain Trails
The Vayalada Ultra Trail route climbs from the foothills through steep, intensely green terrain, passing forested slopes, waterfalls and a series of hill sections before reaching the open views around Vayalada Peak.
Race – 15 Nov 2026 | Confirmed
December
SRT Ultra, Maharashtra
For – Historic Maratha Forts and Technical Sahyadri Trail
The SRT Ultra route follows the rugged Sahyadri hills around the historic Maratha forts of Sinhagad, Rajgad and Torna, crossing forested slopes, rocky ridges and steep valleys along the way.
Race – 12 Dec 2026 | Confirmed
Dudhsagar Ultra Trail, Goa
For – A Long Distance Forest Run
The Dudhsagar Ultra route runs through the dense tropical forests around Mollem, crossing rolling Western Ghats terrain, plantation paths and quiet forest tracks near Dudhsagar Falls.
Race – 06 Dec 2026 | Confirmed
Trail, Road or Technical Mountain Trail?
A mountain-road event such as Ooty, Tata Ultra or Patnitop removes much of the technical footing but introduces long climbs and descents. A trail race such as Malnad adds uneven ground, changing surfaces and less predictable pacing. And a technical mountain trail such as SRT, Buddha Trails or Solang may involve steep climbing, loose rock, roots, mud and sections where hiking becomes faster than running.
Then altitude changes the equation again. Tsomgo, Ladakh Trail to Heaven and the Ladakh Marathon take place high enough that the environment itself becomes part of the challenge. That is why the Terrain field matters almost as much as distance.
A Different India Every Month
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Indian running calendar is how little these races resemble one another. You can begin the year among Kerala’s green hills, run through tea country in February and reach the high mountain roads of Sikkim by March.
Spring brings Himalayan forest and Kanchenjunga views. The monsoon transforms the Sahyadri and Western Ghats. August opens the enormous landscapes of Ladakh before the calendar returns south towards coffee estates, tropical hills and forest trails. By December, you could be climbing between centuries-old forts outside Pune or running beneath the canopy around Dudhsagar.
From Himalayan passes to coffee estates, every month offers a different way to run India.