Villars awarded 2028 European Trail Running Championships
by 27th April 2026
The 2028 European Trail Running Championships has been awarded to Villars, Switzerland.
This will be the first time the championships will be held under its new name of the European Trail Running Championships having been staged between 2022 and 2026 as the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships.
The championships will include the disciplines of mountain and trail running with a strong emphasis placed on mass participation alongside the elite races in which individual and team medals will be on offer.
The mountain running programme is composed of an uphill race along with the classic uphill and downhill race while the trail running programme features three events: the ‘Sprint Trail’ for non-elites, the ‘Euro Trail’ which is open to elites and non-elites alike and the ‘Enduro Trail’ for non-elites.
"We are delighted to award the 2028 European Trail Running Championships to Villars in Switzerland, a nation with a rich and proven heritage in hosting off-road running events, including the 2019 European Mountain Running Championships.
"Importantly, the bid’s strong emphasis on mass participation aligns closely with our strategic vision to grow trail and mountain running across all levels. This will also ensure the event will have a wide reach locally," said European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov.
The news was also welcomed by Christoph Seiler, President of Swiss Athletics. “Switzerland has a great tradition in trail and mountain running – in terms of our outstanding runners as well as in terms of excellently organised events that inspire both top athletes and recreational runners,” he said.
“Just a few weeks ago, we launched the Swiss Athletics Junior Trail Series to further promote young talent in conjunction with our numerous events. The European Trail Running Championships will give the growing trail running movement another boost.”
The successful awarding of the 2028 edition owed much to the organisational experience and expertise of local event hosts, who has been organising a popular trail run in the region for five years.
André Duvillard, President of The Villars Ultraks Association said: “We are delighted to take on this wonderful challenge, which aims to make this event much more than just a competition for the elite.
“Indeed, we want this event to be a major public gathering that brings together spectators, competitors and local residents around an innovative project. The aim is to position the 2028 European Trail Running Championship as a catalyst for the sustainable development of trail running throughout the canton of Vaud.”
The news has also been welcomed by the local economy.
“Hosting European Athletics’ official Championships fulfils our mission to bring top level sports events in Villars and spotlight us as premium sport tourism destination,” added Sergei Aschwanden, Director Villars Tourism.
“European Trail Running Championships comes at start of June bringing the energy to open the summer season with a full tourism capacity, attracting thousands of dedicated trail runners from Switzerland and across Europe.
“Villars as 365 days a year destination, through trail running offer and its natural landscape means not only diversification but also a sustainable growth for the community that lives in Villars and visits it on regular basis.
“We will create economic impact to work hand in hand with our sustainability strategy and have most optimal growth around the summer season as European trail running destination towards 2028 and beyond it.
The 2026 European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships will take place in Ljubljana-Kamnik, Slovenia between 5-7 June.