Running packFull required-kit capacity
RequiredRace
01
0km
Distance
Single course · Paro → Thimphu
02
0m
Total Climb
D+ gain · D− 2,554 m descent
03
0m
Highest Point
Start 2,300 · Finish 2,700 m
04
0h
Time Limit
04:00 → 19:00 local
05
0
Runners
KTR Bhutan 2026 is a UTMB Index race in the 50K category. Your finish is scored and counts toward your UTMB Index.
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Progress
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Sections
- 1 Circle of Life 0–14 km
- 2 Temptation 14–22 km
- 3 Karma 22–28 km
- 4 Nirvana 28–41.8 km
Download GPX
Official course route · Paro start to Thimphu finish
Fetching live conditions…
| Point | Distance | Altitude | Cut-off | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| START | 0 km | 2,300 m | 04:00 | Paro · under the stars |
| CP 1 | 11 km | 2,980 m | – | Village checkpoint |
| W1 | 14.1 km | 3,530 m | – | Water point · end of the Circle of Life section |
| CP 2 | 22.4 km | 2,770 m | 10:00 | Foot of the Vertical Challenge |
| W2 | 24.6 km | 3,190 m | 11:00 | Water point with a cut-off |
| CP 3 | 28.8 km | 3,650 m | 13:00 | Last checkpoint before the high point · full gear check after 12:30 |
| MAX | 31.5 km | 4,000 m | – | The course high point |
| FINISH | 41.8 km | 2,700 m | 19:00 | Thimphu · Buddha Dordenma |
W1 and W2 are water points: water, first aid, timing and radio. At CP3, every runner arriving after 12:30 is checked for headlamp and survival blanket.
Time Gates
15-hour window · 04:00 → 19:00
04:00
Start
6h
10:00
CP 2
1h
11:00
W2
2h
13:00
CP 3
6h
19:00
Finish
If You Stop
Withdraw or miss a cut-off at W1, CP2 or W2 and a 4x4 takes you to the DNF Hub (from W2 you first walk back to CP2). CP3 has no road: from there you walk about 6 km downhill on a marked evacuation route to the Evac Point. Every DNF runner is then taken to the Finish line in Thimphu, not to the hotel.
Altitude Notice
Above 3,000 m the air is thin. Plan to run at 60–70% of your normal pace. If you feel headache or dizziness, walk and notify staff immediately.
Section 1 · Circle of Life, Start → W1 (0–14 km)
Terrain. A dark pre-dawn start on soft forest trail through Bhutan's silent old-growth woods. The first 5 km run nearly flat, then a long, steady climb takes you through CP1 in the village (11 km) and up to the W1 water point at 3,530 m.
Runner's guide. This is where the great cycle of the race (breath in, breath out) begins, like new life waking. Breathe the cold dawn air, settle your excitement, fall into step with the runners around you, and find your own breathing rhythm. Do not overpace: the climb to W1 is longer than it looks.
Section 2 · Temptation, W1 → CP2 (14–22 km)
Terrain. From W1 the course drops about 800 m to CP2 at 2,770 m: a long, rough and technical descent that loads the quads and knees.
Runner's guide. Downhill comes the first temptation: let gravity take over and bank some time. Treat it as noise. Hold a controlled rhythm, spend nothing extra and save your legs. The race's real question is still ahead.
Section 3 · Karma, CP2 → CP3 (22–28 km)
Terrain. The “Vertical Challenge”: from CP2 at 2,770 m the trail climbs almost 900 m, past the W2 water point (24.6 km, cut-off 11:00), to CP3 at 3,650 m. It is the race's decisive stretch, and CP3 is the last point to step off.
Runner's guide. Thighs burning, breath at your throat, you meet the honest question: “why did I sign up for this?” This is where you answer for every skipped training day and settle your karma with your whole body, while thin-air fatigue peaks and CP3 waits as the last point to step off. Pay the debt one stubborn step at a time. This is the heart of the race.
Section 4 · Nirvana, CP3 → Finish (28–41.8 km)
Terrain. One last climb takes you to the 4,000 m high point at about 31.5 km. From there a long, steep, technical downhill of some 1,300 m and sweeping straightaways run down toward the capital, Thimphu.
Runner's guide. This road is reserved for those who beat every temptation. You may feel a runner's high that rises above the pain, and a deep calm with it. But the altitude drops fast: guard against knee injury and falls, and stride on toward the great Buddha Dordenma at the finish, your moment of release.
Bag Drop
Name-tagged luggage to the lobby. Transferred to your finish-line hotel.
Start
Shuttle from hotel to start line. Gun at 04:00 sharp.
Finish
Buddha Dordenma. Shuttle bus standing by to Yarkay Thimphu.
Awards & Dinner
Hotel ballroom · finisher's dinner with the full field.
This kit is not about helping you run the race faster; it is a minimum promise to protect your life out in the wild until the rescue team arrives.
No gear, no start
Random checks happen at any CP, and every runner reaching CP3 after 12:30 is checked for headlamp and survival blanket. Missing a critical item (hydration, jacket, headlamps, blanket, phone) is an immediate DSQ; other items carry a 15-minute or 1-hour time penalty.
DSQ if missing
Time penalty: 1 hr or 15 min
Required to start
Recommended, not mandatory
01Pack & Hydration
Hydration system1 L minimum
DSQTwo headlamps+ 2 spare batteries · only one: 1 hr
DSQPersonal cup ≥ 15 clNo disposables at CPs
15 minReusable bowl + sporkNo disposables at CPs
15 min02Clothing
Waterproof jacket10,000 Schmerber+, fixed hood · seam-sealed recommended
DSQThermal base layer≥ 180 g, non-cotton
1 hrBeanie or neck gaiterWarm hat
15 min03Safety & Emergency
Survival blanket1.40 × 2.10 m or larger
DSQSmartphoneBhutan roaming, charged, race app / GPX
DSQEmergency foodMin 800 kcal
1 hrSelf-adhesive bandage100 × 6 cm
15 minWhistlePack-installed accepted
15 min04Recommended
Waterproof pantsSeam-sealed if you bring them
Waterproof glovesWarm, insulated
Penalties
Immediate DSQ: smartphone, hydration system (1 L), survival blanket, waterproof jacket, or two headlamps. 1 hour: emergency food, thermal base layer, or carrying only one headlamp. 15 minutes: beanie or neck gaiter, bandage, whistle, personal cup, or reusable bowl and spork. Penalty time is added to your race time. Waterproof pants and gloves are recommended, not mandatory. Full kit is inspected at the Day 1 reception (15:30); random checks follow at CPs. CP3 after 12:30: every runner is checked for headlamp and survival blanket, and missing either means disqualification on the spot and exit via the evacuation route.
Altitude
Acute mountain sickness possible above 3,000 m. Slow your pace. Hydrate at every CP.
Weather
Pre-dawn near freezing. Wind chill on the peak. Layer up before you feel cold.
Terrain
Steep singletrack and exposed ridgelines. Protect the downhill knees.
Self-sufficiency
Carry your own emergency food and fluid. CPs are spaced far apart.
KTR Bhutan 2026 respects your self-reliance, but in partnership with the Bhutanese government and military, it builds a thorough medical and safety net so no runner is ever isolated at altitude.
Military at Every CP
Bhutanese troops are stationed at every checkpoint to support safe passage across the high mountain terrain.
Altitude Doctors
Physicians trained in altitude sickness and mountain emergency medicine are posted at key points, monitoring the field in real time.
Oxygen at Every CP
Emergency oxygen cans and masks are stocked at all CPs along the high-altitude course for immediate first response.
Daily Medical Screening
From arrival on Day 1 to the end of the event, every participant undergoes a mandatory daily health check: temperature, blood pressure, and blood-oxygen (SpO₂). Consent is required. If staff judge your readings to be in the altitude-sickness risk range, your start or continuation may be restricted for safety.