- After two decades in China’s Gobi Desert, the endurance series expands to AlUla, an ancient crossroads of trade and culture
- The first edition of Ultra Gobi AlUla is scheduled for January 13 to 20, 2027
AlUla, Saudi Arabia – May 2026: Ultra Gobi, one of China’s most established outdoor endurance races, will stage its first international event in January 2027 with the launch of Ultra Gobi AlUla, bringing its established race formats to the historic oasis destination in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The 21st edition of the original Ultra Gobi takes place in the Gobi Desert in October 2026, followed by Ultra Gobi AlUla from January 12 to 20, 2027. The announcement marks the first time in the series’ 20-year history that Ultra Gobi will take place outside China.
A new desert, an ancient crossroads:
Located approximately 300 kilometres north of Medina, AlUla lies along the ancient Incense Road and later routes of pilgrimage to Makkah, and its historical significance as a trading hub is evident from the myriad of caravans that once traversed the landscape. These routes enabled the transport of Chinese silk and ceramics to the Arabian Peninsula, and Arabian frankincense amongst other precious goods, to China. The race will pass through this landscape of desert valleys, oases and monumental rock formations.
A continuation of the path:
Ultra Gobi began in 2006 along the route of Master Xuanzang, the 7th-century Tang Dynasty monk who spent 17 years travelling from China to India and Central Asia in search of Buddhist scriptures, and whose journey of cultural exchange became one of the ancient world’s most consequential encounters between civilisations. Over two decades, Ultra Gobi has welcomed more than 79,000 race entries, the majority from EMBA, MBA and executive education programmes at leading business schools, alongside corporate teams and individual ultra-distance runners. Expanding to AlUla continues the founding idea: that endurance sport can be a way of bringing people closer across borders, cultures, and backgrounds.
Six race formats:
Ultra Gobi AlUla will offer six race formats:
• 400km – self-navigated, nonstop, self-supported.
• A+ (121km, nonstop) – individual runners on a single continuous push.
• A (121km, 4-day team race) – teams of 3 to 5 athletes, scored on the Third Person Scoring Rule: the cumulative time of the third member to finish each stage, adjusted for gender and age.
• B (121km, 4-day stage race) – the same course as A at an individual pace.
• C (30km, 1-day) – a single-day desert experience open to all fitness levels.
• Youth (90km, 3-day family race) – a multi-generational format for younger participants and their families.
A long-term commitment:
This first international edition is the result of long-term commitment and careful preparation, in line with AlUla’s commitment to developing the destination as a global hub for authentic culture, rich heritage and outdoor sport. Ultra Gobi continues to work closely with AlUla on course design, logistics and safety planning.
“This step has been a long time in the making. From the Gobi Desert to AlUla, this is not a change of direction but the continuation of the same path: a path rooted in shared experience and the belief that meaningful connection matters most when the world feels far apart,” said Qu Xiangdong, Founder of the Ultra Gobi Series and President of the Xingzhi Exploring Group.
Registration for Ultra Gobi AlUla 2027 will open in the coming weeks. Detailed course information, schedules and entry requirements will be published on ultragobiseries.com.
