The 2026 Asia-Pacific Trail Running Championships will bring 333 athletes from 27 countries and regions to Wuyishan, China, for three days of championship activity from 25–27 November.
The second edition of the continental championships has almost doubled in size since the inaugural event in Ulju, South Korea, in 2024, which featured 171 athletes from 20 countries and regions. Five of the six individual champions from 2024 are due to return, alongside 30 athletes who finished inside the top ten.
The programme begins with the opening ceremony and Parade of Nations at Yueying Wuyi Square on 25 November. The Long Trail race, covering approximately 80km, follows on 26 November. The Short Trail, at around 40km, and the U23 Trail, at approximately 15km, take place on 27 November, followed by the medal presentations and closing ceremony.
National team titles will be decided in each race using the combined times of each team’s three fastest finishers. Japan return as holders of the Overall Championship Cup after scoring 864 points in Ulju, ahead of the Philippines on 805 and Hong Kong, China on 795.
Hong Kong, China will field the largest team with 40 athletes, followed by hosts China with 37, Chinese Taipei with 35, the Philippines with 24 and South Korea with 22. Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh and Syria will compete for the first time.
The field includes 146 women and 187 men. A total of 149 athletes are entered for the Short Trail, 125 for the Long Trail and 59 for the U23 race, almost three times the 20 U23 starters recorded at the 2024 championships.
The championships will be staged in Wuyishan, Fujian Province, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its peaks, tea terraces and river gorges. They will run alongside the Grand Wuyi Trail Race, giving recreational runners the opportunity to race on the same mountain trails during championship week.
