Kaçkar by UTMB 2026: Lessons in sports tourism from the Eastern Black Sea slopes

On the morning of June 14, 2026, on the Ayder Plateau in Rize province, Turkey's Eastern Black Sea region, Minister of Sports and Youth Osman Aşkın Bak stood at the start line of Kaçkar by UTMB alongside hundreds of runners. The cold mountain air at 1,900 meters mixed with the cheers of 2,000 athletes from 60 countries. This was the second edition of the event, and from the very first moments, it revealed a completely different model from the traditional athletic competitions that sports analysts usually examine. After 23 years of following sporting events from roads to trails, I have witnessed countless reports about world records, spectacular runs, and times analyzed down to the millisecond. But Kaçkar by UTMB delivers a different message — it speaks not of numbers, but of strategy. And precisely for this reason, it deserves closer examination, because in Vietnam's sports world seeking new directions, what is happening on the Ayder Plateau could be a mirror worth contemplating. The most striking detail in the Anadolu Ajansı report was not the list of athletes or performances, but the participation structure: 2,000 people from 60 countries, all standing at the start line of a trail running event in just its second year. This is not an ordinary number — it is a strategic statement. UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), based in Chamonix, France, has built a global ecosystem called the UTMB World Series. What makes this system unique is its entry mechanism: rather than relying on time standards like traditional long-distance athletics, UTMB uses Running Stones — accumulated points that runners earn through each race, which then serve as weight in a lottery for the Chamonix finals. This is why Kaçkar by UTMB could attract 2,000 people from 60 countries without publishing elite athlete lists or personal records. The appeal does not come from analyzing who is fastest, but from the dream of standing at the start line in Chamonix. Turkey's choice of this model becomes clearer when examining the country's economic and geopolitical context. Rize province, situated in Turkey's Eastern Black Sea region, is famous for its tea plantations and humid climate — not a traditionally popular international tourist destination. Turkey is diversifying its tourism revenue sources, no longer dependent on traditional hotspots like Istanbul or Cappadocia. Athletics, specifically trail running, has been chosen as the tool. Minister Bak made a telling comparison: "We want to associate Ayder and Rize with organizations like this, similar to how Davos is associated with economic forums." This is a strategic declaration. Davos, a small town in the Swiss Alps, has transformed its economic summit into an identity, attracting thousands of business leaders, politicians, and intellectuals annually. Turkey aims to do the same with trail running — turning a sports event into a destination with positioning significance. To execute this vision, they needed a global partner, and UTMB was the choice. Johan Essl, UTMB's Race Director, was present at Ayder to ensure the event met international standards — confirming this is not an independently organized race but a franchise within the UTMB World Series ecosystem. The UTMB label transforms a highland race into an internationally attractive event. The sponsorship structure was particularly noteworthy. Turkish Airlines (the national carrier), TOGG (Turkey's domestic electric vehicle manufacturer), Turkcell (the nation's largest telecom provider), and Maxis (another telecom company) — all are national champion brands, with no international sponsors mentioned. This was an intentional strategy: rather than courting international brands, Turkey transformed the event into a platform promoting domestic enterprises. Turkish Airlines connects runners from over 100 countries to Rize; TOGG needs a stage to establish its electric vehicle credentials in the European market. This is a clear chain of aligned interests. Government agencies also played deep operational roles: the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), the Rize Governorship, and DOKA — the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency — all participated in the organizational structure. This is what I call a "nation-as-operator" model, fundamentally different from the federation-operated model seen at international athletics events. Consequently, Kaçkar by UTMB is not merely a race — it is a socio-economic project framed in sports attire. Behind impressive participation numbers and major brand involvement, a key question emerges: can this model be replicated, particularly in Vietnam? Answering this requires analyzing two critical factors: terrain capability and sports ecosystem. The Ayder Plateau and Kaçkar Mountains provide a near-perfect natural setting for trail running, with elevations from 1,300 to 2,000 meters, mountainous terrain, and Eastern Black Sea climate creating natural challenges requiring mountaineering, trail running skills, and weather management. Vietnam also has potential — from Ha Giang to Da Lat — but requires careful assessment of accessibility, infrastructure, and safety. Regarding ecosystem, this is where the biggest difference lies. The UTMB World Series is a brand with over 20 years of history, millions of global followers, and a certification system recognized by the market. When Turkey joined this ecosystem, they did not need to rebuild from scratch — only meet standards and leverage existing brand equity. Vietnam, seeking this model, would face a critical question: does it have a trail running brand strong enough to attract international participation? The current answer is no — but that does not mean it cannot happen.