About This Race
The Ultra-Trail Mogan by UTMB 112.3K traverses the complete Moganshan mountain range in Zhejiang Province, winding through dense bamboo forests and centuries-old tea plantations. This UTMB World Series event demands sustained effort across technical terrain, with the extended time on course allowing runners to experience the landscape's transformation from day to night. The distance requires experience with both navigation and self-sufficiency in mountain environments. Moganshan has served as a mountain retreat since the late 19th century, when foreign diplomats and merchants built villas among its peaks to escape Shanghai's summer heat. Today's course follows paths that connect historic villages and working tea farms, offering runners a moving perspective on a region where agricultural tradition persists alongside modern trail infrastructure. The race's spring timing coincides with the tea harvest season, when terraced hillsides show their brightest green. As part of the UTMB World Series, this race attracts an international field while maintaining strong local participation. The course's technical nature and sustained distance place it among the more demanding offerings in the series' Asia-Pacific calendar. Runners should prepare for variable footing conditions and the possibility of wet weather, both common in this humid subtropical climate during April.
The 112.3-kilometer route navigates the full breadth of the Moganshan range, moving between dense bamboo groves, tea plantation terraces, and mixed forest sections. Technical footing is common throughout, with rooted singletrack, stone staircases dating to the region's villa-building era, and sections of wet rock that require careful attention. The course connects multiple valley systems, creating a profile of sustained climbing and descending rather than a single peak-and-return format.
Aid stations are positioned at strategic intervals, with the extended distance requiring runners to manage nutrition and hydration across changing elevations and terrain types. Night running capabilities are essential, as all but the fastest runners will finish after dark. The course markings follow UTMB standards, though runners should be prepared for navigation in low-light conditions and when visibility drops due to fog, which is common in these mountains.
Location
Practical Info
April in Moganshan brings mild temperatures (10-20°C/50-68°F) but high humidity and frequent rain. Fog is common, particularly at higher elevations and during night hours.
Moganshan offers a range of lodging from budget guesthouses to renovated historic villas. The town of Moganshan and surrounding villages provide the most convenient access to race facilities, though capacity is limited and early booking is recommended for race weekend.
Best For
Notable Features
This race brings the UTMB World Series format to Moganshan, a mountain region with a unique position in Chinese history as a retreat for foreign residents during the treaty port era. The course moves through working landscapes where tea cultivation has continued for generations, offering runners a perspective on agricultural tradition rarely seen in modern trail races. The bamboo forests that characterize much of the route create an enclosed, almost architectural running experience quite different from the open alpine terrain of many international ultra events.