One of the world’s most humbling endurance challenges is expanding its horizons beyond the borders of China for the very first time. From January 13 to 20, 2027, the legendary Ultra Gobi Series will descend upon northwestern Saudi Arabia to launch Ultra Gobi AlUla, marking a profound new chapter for the series and for global endurance racing.
The choice of AlUla as the race series' first international location outside of China, comes with both challenge and heritage intertwined. Runners will trace ancient routes cut directly into a landscape defined by towering rock formations, expansive sandy desert, and the monumental cliffside tombs of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. This race will be a gruelling test of human willpower.
Hundreds of racers from around the world are set to descend upon AlUla in January to take part, but this time of the year is one of the best to visit AlUla. January is set to offer racers the ideal climate for the endeavour, with relatively comfortable day time temperatures of between 18°C and 21°C, whilst the nights will be crisp, usually offering unrivalled views of the stars.
What is the Ultra Gobi Series?
The Ultra Gobi Series is an elite, world-renowned extreme-endurance racing franchise that for two decades has tested the absolute limits of human willpower in the unforgiving expanses of the Gobi Desert before it will expand the series outside of China for the first time, to AlUla.
Founded in 2006, the series is uniquely built on a historical and philosophical concept inspired by the Tang Dynasty monk Master Xuanzang, challenging athletes to understand both a landscape and their own inner strength by traversing ancient trade routes on foot. While the series offers a diverse range of formats — including multi-generational family stages and highly strategic four-day corporate team races where results are determined by the slowest runner — its signature event is a gruelling, ultra-exclusive 400-kilometre solo race. This flagship challenge requires competitors to navigate entirely via GPS, carry their own survival gear, and endure extreme sleep deprivation to beat a punishing 139-hour cutoff across some of the planet's most silent and formidable desert valleys.
Who can participate? And what race formats are available?
To accommodate varying levels of ambition, Ultra Gobi AlUla will introduce six distinct racing formats ranging from 30 to 400 kilometres, ensuring a place on the starting line for elite soloists, corporate teams, duos and families alike. At the pinnacle of the event sits the Ultra Gobi 400km, a punishing, self-navigated, and self-supported non-stop solo run, but this option is restricted to just 50 starting slots. Armed with a strict 139-hour cutoff, competitors are expected to endure five days of intense terrain with only a few cumulative hours of sleep.
For those seeking elite competition over a shorter distance, the continuous Ultra Gobi A+ spans a non-stop 121 kilometres and features a dedicated prize purse for both men's and women's categories. However the heart of the series is found in the Ultra Gobi A, a 121-kilometre, four-day team race for groups of three to five runners. This format scores teams based entirely on the time of their third member to cross the finish line, emphasising collective strategy and teammate preservation over raw individual speed. Alternatively, the Ultra Gobi B offers the exact same 121-kilometre route as a traditional individual stage race, complete with full, supportive base camps to foster camaraderie each evening.
Ultra Gobi Series AlUla
The Ultra Gobi - 400km, 5 days
- Individual race
- Self-navigated and un-marked route, self-supported non-stop run, with a 139 hour time cap
- Only open to experienced ultra-distance runners
- Water at checkpoints and aid stations are available
- 50 starting slots
The Ultra Gobi A+ - 121km
- Individual race, non stop race
- Self-navigated and un-marked route,, with a time cap of 30 hours
- Water at checkpoints and aid stations are available
- Open to all qualifying runners, prizes for men's and women's categories
The Ultra Gobi A - 121km
- Team race, teams can consist of between three to five racers
- 4 days, 3 nights with full desert camp support.
- Marked race course across 4 stages, each ranging from 25 to 35km in distance
- Placing is determined by the time of the third member to finish each stage, this means the two fastest runners do not determine position
The Ultra Gobi B - 121km, 4 days
- This is the same 121km course as the Ultra Gobi A+ and A, but an individual race with camp support each night
- 4 days, 3 nights. Run during the day. Sleep, eat and rest at night
- Marked course across 4 stages, each ranging from 25 to 35km
The Ultra Gobi C - 30km, 1 day
- Individual race, cut off of 8 hours
- Race during the day, challenging yourself and enjoy a supported desert camp at night
- Marked course, racing experience is not required
The Ultra Gobi Youth - 90km, 3 days
- A family experience and most definitely not a race, and a new addition to the series
- Multigenerational event, children participating must be aged 12 to 18
- Nights are spent at desert camps along the route.
- Limited to 100 participants
Ultra Gobi AlUla, from January 13 - 20, 2027
Registration to open in the coming weeks
@ultragobi
ultragobiseries.com
