Cappadocia hosts Salomon Ultra-Trail from 16 to 18 October

Cappadocia hosts the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail from 16 to 18 October 2026, with the programme centred on Ürgüp near Göreme. The event is scheduled across valleys and plateaux in central Turkey, linking a major trail race with one of the country’s World Heritage landscapes.

Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail runs from 16 to 18 October

The 2026 programme places the organisation’s main activity in Ürgüp. A schedule published by the local regional press says the event is centred on Cumhuriyet Square and ?ölen Area, where runners will gather for races through Cappadocia’s natural routes. The same programme identifies 16 to 18 October 2026 as the event period.

The organiser’s programme lists an expo at Ürgüp Square on 16 October and again on 18 October. Race information and registration activity are listed at the Turgut Özal Congress Centre, while the race starts are given in Ürgüp city centre on 17 October. The official 2026 programme also lists an information centre and race headquarters during the event period.

Trail routes cross Cappadocia’s World Heritage landscape

The race takes place in a region shaped by volcanic geology and erosion. UNESCO describes a succession of ridges, valleys and pinnacles known as fairy chimneys or hoodoos across the central Anatolian plateau.

The World Heritage property includes the Göreme Valley and areas between Nev?ehir, Ürgüp and Avanos. It also contains rock-hewn churches, troglodyte villages and underground towns. This gives the October programme a specific setting: the race routes pass through the same wider landscape that UNESCO identifies for its geological and cultural value. UNESCO records the property as containing settlements and underground towns whose human history reaches back to the fourth century. Further details appear in the UNESCO World Heritage description.

Ürgüp provides the event base near Göreme

Ürgüp is one of the towns included within the wider World Heritage property. The regional calendar published by Mu?kara Haber says the 2026 programme was announced by Ürgüp Municipality and places the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail in the town on 16 to 18 October. The Ürgüp events calendar also names Cumhuriyet Square and ?ölen Area as the event’s central locations.

For visitors staying in Göreme, the practical connection is regional rather than confined to a single monument. The event base is in Ürgüp, while the routes are described as running through Cappadocia’s valleys and natural terrain. The programme therefore concerns the broader destination rather than a single church, viewpoint or underground town.

Visiting Cappadocia: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The event period runs from 16 to 18 October 2026. The expo is listed at Ürgüp Square on 16 and 18 October, with race activity scheduled in Ürgüp.
• The central locations are Cumhuriyet Square and ?ölen Area in Ürgüp. Race information and registration activity are listed at the Turgut Özal Congress Centre.
• Göreme and Ürgüp are within the wider UNESCO property, which includes valleys, rock formations, cave settlements and underground towns. Trail routes use natural terrain rather than an indoor venue.
• Turkey’s official language is Turkish and its national currency is the Turkish lira.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Cappadocia

When does the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail take place?

The event is scheduled for 16 to 18 October 2026, with the race activity based in Ürgüp.

Where is Cappadocia and how do you get there?

Cappadocia is a region of central Turkey. The event locations named for 16 to 18 October 2026 are in Ürgüp, near Göreme.

What is Cappadocia?

Cappadocia is a volcanic and eroded landscape containing rock-hewn sanctuaries, troglodyte settlements and underground towns. UNESCO lists the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia as a World Heritage property.