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Trail of the Kings Lake Toba Running Event to be Held on June 17-19, 2025
Trail of the Kings Lake Toba by UTMB
Introducing the Wealth of North Sumatra
Cross-Sector Strategic Cooperation
North Sumatra The Majestic Escape Campaign
World-Class Cross-Country Running Competition
Trail of the Kings Lake Toba Running Event to be Held on June 17-19, 2025
Indonesia is now officially included in the global map of world cross-country running events. Through the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement carried out on June 17, 2025, in Medan City, the North Sumatra Provincial Government and the UTMB World Series announced that the Trail of the Kings-Lake Toba by UTMB event will be part of the official UTMB World Series 2025 calendar.
This makes it the only officially licensed UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) event in Indonesia. UTMB is a prestigious trail run event that was first held in France in 2003 and is now known as one of the most prestigious cross-country running competitions in the world.
Trail of the Kings Lake Toba by UTMB
This year’s Trail of the Kings Lake Toba by UTMB will take place on October 17-19, 2025 in the iconic area of Samosir Island, Lake Toba, North Sumatra with six race categories, namely 5k, 10k, 28k, 60k, and 100k.
It is targeted that 2,200 runners from 25 countries will participate, making this event a global sport tourism event, while strengthening Indonesia’s position on the international trail running sports map.
Introducing the Wealth of North Sumatra
The Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution said that this event is not just a race, but a great momentum to introduce the wealth of North Sumatra.
“From the success of the 2024 Trail of the Kings Zero Edition, we are committed to repeating and even increasing this success on a global scale through the implementation of the Trail of the Kings-Lake Toba By UTMB,” he said.
“As one of the 54 official UTMB series in the world, this event is expected to attract more foreign tourists, encourage economic growth in North Sumatra, especially the Lake Toba area, and elevate Lake Toba as a symbol of the revival of Indonesian sport tourism on the global stage,” he continued.
Cross-Sector Strategic Cooperation
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Asia World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), Jeffrey Edwards, called Trail of the Kings as one of the running events with extraordinary potential in the UTMB World Series calendar.
“The landscape of Lake Toba provides a unique running experience, and the strong local atmosphere gives Trail of the Kings added value that other trail run events do not have. This unique landscape of Lake Toba will be a big magnet for the world trail run community,” he said.
As a form of joint commitment in organizing Trail of the Kings-Lake Toba by UTMB 2025, a cross-sector strategic cooperation was signed involving the local government, tourism authorities, international partners, and local organizers.
Three official documents were signed openly, namely the MoU between the North Sumatra Provincial Government and the Lake Toba Authority Implementing Agency (BPODT) regarding strengthening the Lake Toba destination as a leading sport tourism.
Then the Letter of Intent (LoI) between the North Sumatra Provincial Government and UTMB as part of the integration of this event into the UTMB World Series, as well as a cooperation agreement between the North Sumatra Disbudparekraf and PT Cipta Aksi Bersama (CREATION) as the implementing partner of the activity.
North Sumatra The Majestic Escape Campaign
On the same occasion, the Trail of the Kings-Lake Toba by UTMB 2025 logo and the destination identity campaign entitled “North Sumatra The Majestic Escape” were officially launched.
This campaign highlights the natural wealth of Lake Toba, the spirit of adventure, the potential for sustainable tourism, and emphasizes the active role of local communities in positioning North Sumatra as the home of world-class events.
According to the Acting Head of the North Sumatra Disbudparekraf, Dikky Anugerah, the North Sumatra The Majestic Escape campaign is the gateway to collaboration with MSMEs, local communities, and creative economy actors.
“Trail of the Kings-Lake Toba by UTMB is not just a sporting event, but a spiritual and historical journey. The name ‘Trail of The Kings’ refers to the legacy of the Batak people as pioneers of life paths in rugged terrain,” he explained.
World-class Cross-country Running Race
BPODT President Director, Jimmy Panjaitan, expressed his pride that Lake Toba is the location for a world-class cross-country running race.
“This is a great opportunity to promote tourism on Samosir Island, Lake Toba to the world. This event also has a direct impact on the community around Lake Toba. The increase in tourist visits is expected to be able to encourage economic turnover, from the transportation, culinary, accommodation, to local craft product sectors,” he said.
Not only the economy, environmental issues also receive serious attention. In last year’s Trail of the Kings, the committee planted as many trees as the number of participants as a form of commitment to nature conservation. This tradition will be repeated in this year’s edition.
Registration for the Trail of the Kings Lake Toba by UTMB 2025 is open in two waves, July 14: for UTMB Index holders and July 16: for the general public. For more information, visit: https://laketoba.utmb.world/ ***
