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Fairy chimneys above Göreme in evening light, with the town and a long flat-topped ridge behind
Igor Sporynin / Unsplash

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail course maps and checkpoints

Four races out of Ürgüp through the fairy chimney valleys of Cappadocia, from a Friday afternoon 14 km to a 119 km run through the night.

October 16 to 18, 2026 Ürgüp, Cappadocia, Türkiye

The Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail has run from Ürgüp since 2014, with no race in 2020. The 2026 edition is the 13th, and the race guide counts 2,961 runners from 78 countries. The organizer, Ürgüp's Argeus Travel & Events, calls it the best attended trail race in Türkiye.

Every course starts and finishes on Cumhuriyet Square in Ürgüp. The 63 km CMT loops west through İbrahimpaşa, Göreme, Uçhisar and Çavuşin. The race passes the Göreme Open Air Museum on the way. The 119 km CUT runs that same loop, comes back through Ürgüp, then heads south for a second loop past Damsa Lake to Taşkınpaşa and Karlık. The 38 km CST and the 14 km Mini are shorter routes on the western side of town.

Most of the course is on footpaths and rocky ground, overgrown in places, and leaving the marked route gets you disqualified. The CUT runs well into the night. Download the course map before the start: your phone's GPS shows where you are on the line whether or not you have a signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail course map

Every course's checkpoints on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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Cappadocia Ultra-Trail courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
CUT, 119 km118.7 km (73.8 mi)3,761 m (12,339 ft)Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 AM24 h
CMT, 63 km63 km (39.1 mi)1,946 m (6,385 ft)Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 AM12 h 30 min
CST, 38 km38.2 km (23.8 mi)1,119 m (3,671 ft)Sat, Oct 17, 10:00 AM7 h
Mini, 14 km14.9 km (9.2 mi)390 m (1,280 ft)Fri, Oct 16, 3:00 PM4 h

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail CUT, 119 km

Two loops from Ürgüp: the western valleys by day, then south past Damsa Lake overnight.

Distance
118.7 km (73.8 mi)
Climbing
3,761 m (12,339 ft)
Start
Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 AM
Time limit
24 h

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The first 62 km are the CMT course: out through Ortahisar and İbrahimpaşa, through Zemi Valley to Göreme, through Pigeon Valley to Uçhisar, back via Love Valley and Göreme to Çavuşin and Akdağ, and into Ürgüp. The longest gap of the race comes early, 16.1 km and 572 m of climbing between İbrahimpaşa and Uçhisar. CP6 in Ürgüp is the life base, with hot food, massage and a sleeping area. Your one drop bag waits there, and if you left your headlamp in it you have to take it out before you go on.

The second half goes south through Mustafapaşa to Damsa Lake, Taşkınpaşa and Karlık, then back north by Taş Ocağı to Ürgüp, with 10 to 13 km between checkpoints. The organizer expects the 2026 winner around 6 PM, and the rest have until 7 AM Sunday. The guide's cover gives 3,864 m of climbing; the checkpoint chart this page uses says 3,761 m.

checkpoints

kmWhereCutoff
0Ürgüp (start and finish)
10.9İbrahimpaşa CrewSat 9:00
27Uçhisar CrewSat 12:00
37.1Göreme (CUT and CMT) CrewSat 14:00
45.8Çavuşin CrewSat 16:30
52.2Akdağ CrewSat 18:00
62.2Ürgüp (CP6, CUT life base) Crew, Drop bagSat 19:30
74.4Damsa CrewSat 22:00
85.6Taşkınpaşa CrewSun 1:00
98.4Karlık CrewSun 3:30
108.6Taş Ocağı CrewSun 5:30
118.7Ürgüp (start and finish) Sun 7:00
Eroded valleys and pinnacles stretching away from Uçhisar, with rooftops in the foreground
nara lim / Unsplash

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail CMT, 63 km

The CUT's first loop: Göreme, Pigeon Valley, Uçhisar and Love Valley, back to Ürgüp.

Distance
63 km (39.1 mi)
Climbing
1,946 m (6,385 ft)
Start
Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 AM
Time limit
12 h 30 min

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The CMT starts with the CUT at 7 AM and runs its whole western loop, through Zemi, Pigeon and Love valleys with two passes through Göreme, then finishes in Ürgüp instead of heading south. The 16.1 km leg from İbrahimpaşa to Uçhisar, with 572 m of climbing, is the long one.

The finish closes at 7:30 PM, after sunset, so expect to use the headlamp and waterproof jacket the kit list asks for. The organizer publishes 2,030 m of climbing; the checkpoint chart says 1,946 m.

checkpoints

kmWhereCutoff
0Ürgüp (start and finish)
10.9İbrahimpaşa CrewSat 9:00
27Uçhisar CrewSat 12:00
37.1Göreme (CUT and CMT) CrewSat 14:00
45.8Çavuşin CrewSat 16:30
52.2Akdağ CrewSat 18:00
63Ürgüp (start and finish) Sat 19:30
A rock castle rising above a village of pale stone houses
Younho Choo / Unsplash

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail CST, 38 km

İbrahimpaşa, Zemi Valley and Göreme, then home through Red Valley.

Distance
38.2 km (23.8 mi)
Climbing
1,119 m (3,671 ft)
Start
Sat, Oct 17, 10:00 AM
Time limit
7 h

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The CST starts three hours after the long races, at 10 AM, and follows them out through Ortahisar and İbrahimpaşa into Zemi Valley. Its Göreme checkpoint is a different spot from the CUT and CMT one. From there it's 15.1 km and 429 m of climbing back to Ürgüp by Red Valley, the longest leg, with a finish cutoff of 5 PM.

checkpoints

kmWhereCutoff
0Ürgüp (start and finish)
10.9İbrahimpaşa CrewSat 12:00
23.1Göreme (CST) CrewSat 14:30
38.2Ürgüp (start and finish) Sat 17:00

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail Mini, 14 km

A Friday afternoon loop from Ürgüp through Ortahisar.

Distance
14.9 km (9.2 mi)
Climbing
390 m (1,280 ft)
Start
Fri, Oct 16, 3:00 PM
Time limit
4 h

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The Mini runs on the Friday at 3 PM, a day before the long races: a loop from Ürgüp to the checkpoint at Ortahisar, 8.8 km in, and 6.1 km back, with 4 hours to finish. The organizer pitches it at beginners. It's open from age 16, and you can run it on a signed waiver if you have no licence or medical certificate. Published figures for its climbing run from 308 m to 390 m; the chart says 390 m.

checkpoints

kmWhereCutoff
0Ürgüp (start and finish)
8.8Ortahisar (Mini) CrewFri 17:00
14.9Ürgüp (start and finish) Fri 19:00
Pale rock spires and scrub on a hillside near Ürgüp under a blue sky
Kaan Melhemci / Unsplash

Registration

Entry is first come, first served on the race website, with caps of 750 for the CUT, 1,000 for the CMT, 1,500 for the CST and 500 for the Mini. For 2026 it opened on December 15, 2025, with fees that rose over four price periods: €145 to €165 for the CUT, €135 to €155 for the CMT, €115 to €135 for the CST and €80 to €110 for the Mini. Registration closed on October 5.

You need to be 18 (16 for the Mini) and bring a medical certificate no more than 12 months old, or a valid licence from an athletics, cycling, orienteering, mountaineering or triathlon federation. Entries can't be transferred. Fees were refundable until October 1. If an injury stops you, a doctor's report moves your entry to the next edition. Team relay versions of the three long races, the Team Games, are entered by one team member, who sends the others a link.

Getting to Ürgüp

Old stone houses stacked against a rock outcrop in Ürgüp, with bare hills behind
Atahan Güç / Unsplash

Two airports serve Cappadocia: Nevşehir Kapadokya (NAV) and Kayseri Erkilet (ASR), both with direct flights from Istanbul's two airports, Izmir and Antalya. The organizer runs an airport shuttle for every flight, booked ahead from your account on the race site. Kamil Koç and Nevşehir Seyahat run buses to Ürgüp from the big cities, and by car it's about 4 hours from Ankara or 9 from Istanbul.

The race village is in the center of Ürgüp. Race packs are handed out at the Turgut Özal center from Thursday afternoon, and the organizer's race site lists free car parks near the village as well as the town's paid ones.

Supporters and crews

Outside help is allowed only in the designated areas of the checkpoints, and a supporter can run with you for 200 m either side of one. To get in, your supporter needs an accreditation from the race center.

The supporter shuttle is free and leaves from the race village in Ürgüp. Register at the race office: buses seat 27 and take one supporter per runner. The shuttle doesn't go to Akdağ, Taş Ocağı or Ortahisar. For the CUT a loop runs out to Karlık through the night, and the last bus leaves each checkpoint within 15 minutes of its cutoff.

Weather and what to carry

Pale rock spires and scrub on a hillside near Ürgüp under a blue sky
Kaan Melhemci / Unsplash

October in nearby Nevşehir averages highs of 19°C and lows of 7°C, by the Turkish State Meteorological Service's 1991 to 2020 normals, with about 29 mm of rain over 7 days. The organizer calls the month mild and not humid, and keeps the right to shorten, reroute or stop the race for fog or storms.

For the CUT and CMT the mandatory kit includes 1 liter of water (no single-use plastic bottles), a phone with roaming on and the emergency number saved, a 6,000 mAh power bank, a headlamp with spare batteries, a waterproof jacket, a hat, an emergency blanket, an elastic bandage, a whistle and a cup. The checkpoints have no plastic cups. The CST drops the headlamp, jacket, power bank and hat. The Mini also drops the blanket and bandage, and asks for half a liter of water. If you start with poles, carry them to the finish, or take a one hour penalty.

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail checkpoints and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Ürgüp (start and finish)

    1,080 m (3,543 ft)

    38.63105, 34.90958

  • İbrahimpaşa

    1,286 m (4,219 ft)

    38.59879, 34.84496

  • Uçhisar

    1,340 m (4,396 ft)

    38.62990, 34.80613

  • Göreme (CUT and CMT)

    1,220 m (4,003 ft)

    38.63706, 34.85324

  • Göreme (CST)

    1,100 m (3,609 ft)

    38.64325, 34.83625

  • Çavuşin

    1,037 m (3,402 ft)

    38.66814, 34.84185

  • Akdağ

    1,134 m (3,720 ft)

    38.66418, 34.88935

  • Ürgüp (CP6, CUT life base)

    1,092 m (3,583 ft)

    38.62902, 34.90316

  • Damsa

    1,194 m (3,917 ft)

    38.55758, 34.91907

  • Taşkınpaşa

    1,318 m (4,324 ft)

    38.49617, 34.94881

  • Karlık

    1,282 m (4,206 ft)

    38.56010, 34.98654

  • Taş Ocağı

    1,250 m (4,101 ft)

    38.61045, 34.96181

  • Ortahisar (Mini)

    1,208 m (3,963 ft)

    38.62073, 34.86481

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail FAQ

When is the Cappadocia Ultra-Trail 2026?

October 16 to 18, 2026. The Mini starts Friday the 16th at 3 PM, the CUT and CMT on Saturday the 17th at 7 AM, and the CST at 10 AM that day. The CUT closes at 7 AM Sunday, and the awards are on Ürgüp Square at 11 AM.

Is the Cappadocia Ultra-Trail a Western States qualifier?

Yes. Western States lists the 119 km CUT as a qualifier with a 23 hour standard, for the 2027 lottery from the 2026 race and for the 2028 lottery from the 2027 race. The race guide says 20 hours, but Western States sets the standard, so go by its list.

How many ITRA points is the Cappadocia Ultra-Trail?

The CUT is worth 5 ITRA points, the CMT 3 and the CST 2. The Mini has none. Your ITRA score also decides how far forward you start.

Can my crew meet me on the course?

Only at the checkpoints, in the areas set aside for it, and they need a supporter accreditation from the race center. The free shuttle from Ürgüp reaches most checkpoints but not Akdağ, Taş Ocağı or Ortahisar.

Is there a drop bag at the Cappadocia Ultra-Trail?

CUT runners can leave one bag, in the cloth bag the organizer provides, and get it at CP6 in Ürgüp, around 62 km. Re-deposit it before you go on. For the other races, bags go back to the finish only.

Do I need a medical certificate for the Cappadocia Ultra-Trail?

Yes, or a valid sports federation licence, checked before you get your bib. The certificate must be no more than 12 months old. Mini runners without either can sign a waiver instead.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.