International trail running event coming to Happy Valley. What to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UTMB will host Rothrock races May 16–17, 2026, featuring 54K and 26.9K courses.
- Registration opens Dec 9 (priority) and Dec 11; standard fees $115–$200.
- UTMB commits $40,000+ in community grants, boosts tourism and offers Alps qualification.
A prestigious, international trail running event is coming to Happy Valley in May. And with it will come trail improvements, a bigger spotlight — and an opportunity to qualify for a championship race in the Alps.
UTMB World Series, which annually hosts more than 50 trail-running events around the world, announced Tuesday morning that its newest race would take place May 16-17, 2026, in Rothrock State Forest near Tussey Mountain. Rothrock is one of only eight spots in the U.S. to host a race next year; other picturesque destinations include those in Argentina, Thailand and New Zealand.
One of UTMB’s senior directors, a graduate from the University of Arizona, acknowledged the only thing he used to know about central Pennsylvania was Penn State football. But, on his first visit, he realized Happy Valley’s beauty felt right at home among UTMB’s more exotic stops.
“When I flew in and saw the mountains, I was like ‘Whoa — I didn’t expect this,’” said Paul Huddle, senior director of global trail running operations. “I don’t know what I did expect. But I didn’t expect that. ... My mind was blown. I thought, how is it possible that somebody who absolutely loves the outdoors, wild spaces and trails missed this? You guys have been holding out.”
He added: “I get the privilege of going to some really beautiful and amazing places, and this is definitely one of them.”
Huddle and other UTMB officials were joined by officials from the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA) — partner of tourism bureau Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) — along with two local race organizers. They spoke Tuesday during a press conference inside Boalsburg’s Tussey Mountain Ski & Recreation.
About the Rothrock race(s)
Technically, there are two races for Rothrock by UTMB — a 54.1-kilometer race on May 16 and a 26.9-kilometer race on May 17. As many as 550 runners can take part each day.
The 25K course will see runners gain nearly 1,200 meters of elevation. According to the online course guide, this course will showcase “some of the most scenic trails in Rothrock State Park” with fern-filled corridors, rhododendron tunnels and stream crossings.
Likewise, runners on the 50K course will also see plenty of natural beauty. With more than 1,700 meters of elevation, the online course guide explains that participants will witness “sweeping views of the surrounding mountain ranges” in addition to crossing several rustic log bridges.
Priority registration opens 11 a.m. Dec. 9, while general registration opens 11 a.m. Dec. 11. The cost, which includes processing fees, is $115 for the shorter race and $200 for the longer one.
Participants can also purchase a special “Charity Bib” at registration for an additional fee that will go toward local charities. The 50K charity bib is $559, while the 25K bib is $354.50.
The website notes that, “Prices may increase at anytime.”
Benefit to Centre County
The shorter Rothrock by UTMB race will essentially replace the Rothrock Trail Challenge, a longtime staple that usually took place in May. But those two race directors, Meira Minard and Scott Sheeder, are taking an active role in this race and basically “sold it for free” to UTMB.
Why? Well, both co-directors believed it was a no-brainer.
They told the CDT that they topped out at about 100-200 participants every year. (UTMB can more than quadruple that.) And when UTMB learned the reason Minard and Sheeder organized it every year — to raise money for Tussey Mountain’s ski patrol — the trail organization promised to continue that.
In addition, the organization also committed Tuesday to giving more than $40,000 to the greater Rothrock community over the next three years. Those funds will be given in the form of community grants and awarded to local nonprofits that share similar outdoor-related goals, such as beautifying trails.
“We need more people to know what we’ve got so that more people care about it, so that more people invest in it and so that we can keep having fun in the forest,” Sheeder told the CDT, adding UTMB has the ability to grant Rothrock that kind of attention.
Added Minard: “We just want to share this. We want other people to experience it.”
One of the race’s partners, HVSEA, also pointed out that this weekend in May often had low-occupancy among Centre County hotels. And one of the goals here is to boost tourism and create a small positive economic impact during the football/tourism offseason.
Getting to the title race ... in the Alps
Plenty of people decide to participate in these races just like they do Ironman. Many just enjoy the experience, taking in nature and sharing it with others.
But others are more competitive. And UTMB, which is partly owned by Ironman, boasts some interesting motivation for the top finishers — namely, championship races in the Alps.
UTMB stands for Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, the former name of the world-famous ultramarathon that takes place in the Alps and was rebranded in 2023 as the UTMB World Series Finals. More than 45,000 runners sign up to compete every year in the series of races, but only about 10,000 get the honor.
There are a few ways to qualify for the race that runs through France, Italy and Switzerland. The harder way: Place within the top three overall in the men’s or women’s division in certain races, such as the 50-kilometer race at Rothrock by UTMB. (The winners of the 25K race do not automatically qualify.)
The easier way: Participants earn “stones” with every UTMB race they do, and those “stones” can basically be exchanged for a chance at the random lottery. That’s right — you can either earn your way in, or just get lucky.
The 50K race at UTMB by Rothrock is worth two stones, while the shorter race is one stone. According to Huddle, participants can only move up one classification. (If you took part in a 25K race and won the lottery, you can choose to run in a 50K race. But not a 100K race.)
The UTMB World Series Finals will take place from Aug. 24-30, 2026, in Chamonix, France.
Looking to the future
UTMB agreed to a three-year contract with local organizers. So, while the event is not yet guaranteed after 2028, UTMB officials said that doesn’t mean it’s going anywhere.
“We’re here for three years, but our hope is to be here for 20 years,” UTMB’s Paul Huddle said. “... So that’s our goal. That weekend in May is going to be Rothrock Weekend, and everyone is going to know it — not just regionally, but nationally and globally.”
UTMB has carefully expanded into the U.S. market. In 2022, it had just two races in the U.S. That increased to four in 2023, six in 2024 and then eight in 2026.
Other stops in the U.S. next year so far include California (Auburn), California (Olympic Valley), Colorado (Fruita), Utah (Sandy) and Virginia (Natural Chimneys Park).
“This is more than a race,” said Eric Engelbarts, executive director of HVSEA. “It’s a celebration of community, landscape and partnership, and it represents the ongoing evolution of our region as a premier destination for sports, recreation and outdoor adventure.”
The event came together after roughly two years of discussions.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 5:17 AM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to UTMB as a nonprofit. It is a for-profit organization.
