Rothrock By UTMB to Debut in 2026, Expanding Centre County Trail Race Into International Event

Photo by Pablo Lopez

STATE COLLEGE, PA (by Evan Halfen) - A new international trail running event will launch in Centre County this spring, expanding the long-running Rothrock Trail Challenge into a two-day race weekend under the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc World Series banner.

Organizers announced at a press conference on Tuesday at Tussey Mountain that Rothrock by UTMB will take place Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 in Rothrock State Forest, featuring a 50-kilometer race on Saturday and a 25-kilometer race on Sunday. 

The race, which will start and finish at Tussey Mountain, marks the first time a UTMB World Series–branded trail running event will be held in the region and builds on a locally operated race that has been part of central Pennsylvania’s trail running community since 2009.

The UTMB World Series is a global trail running circuit that hosts top amateur and elite athletes at events held in mountainous destinations across multiple continents, according to a press release. Launched in 2021 through a collaboration between the UTMB Group and the IRONMAN Group, the series now includes dozens of races worldwide and provides runners a pathway to qualify for the HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc World Finals.