Matterhorn Ultraks

Matterhorn Ultraks is a trail-running series held in Zermatt, with all races commencing from Obere Matten in the village. The event takes place over a late-summer weekend, offering distances from a 2.6 km children’s race to the 49 km Sky course, catering to young runners, first-time participants, relay teams, and seasoned mountain racers. The shortest adult option is Vertinight, a 4.9 km evening climb with 691 m of ascent, while the Active race covers 19 km and 1,150 m of climbing. The more challenging courses increase in difficulty: Mountain is 32 km with 2,000 m of elevation gain, Extreme is 26 km with 3,066 m, and Sky is 49 km with 3,600 m. The routes begin and conclude in Zermatt, with the Matterhorn serving as a continuous backdrop. The Active course crosses outer villages, countryside, an alpine section above the tree line, and the Riffelalp resort. The Mountain route incorporates rougher alpine terrain and crosses a suspension bridge over Gletscher Gorge. The Sky course presents the greatest challenge, starting with a demanding ascent toward the Gornergrat viewpoint, followed by several more climbs, and finishing with a lengthy descent back into Zermatt. Many of the main races typically reach capacity, aligning with the event's nature: it is a mountain-running weekend with options for families and recreational trail runners, though its featured races are steep, technical, and distinctly Swiss Alps in character.