Trail of the Kings - Lake Toba by UTMB
Trail of the Kings - Lake Toba by UTMB – Ultimate Expedition 60K
Waterfront City Pangururan
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Ultimate Expedition 60K is the middle-distance test at Trail of the Kings - Lake Toba by UTMB, run on Samosir, the island that sits inside Indonesia's vast volcanic Lake Toba. Starting and finishing at Waterfront City Pangururan, the loop covers 64 km with 2870 m of climbing, topping out at 1961 m. It is a race defined by one enormous early ascent onto a sacred volcanic peak, followed by a long, rolling second half that keeps grinding at tired legs. With a 06:00 Saturday start and a final cut-off of 02:00 on Sunday, runners have a 20-hour window to complete the loop. That generous limit reflects the terrain: steep volcanic ground, heat, and humidity make this course slower than its distance and vertical numbers suggest on paper. Come prepared to climb hard early and then stay patient for a long time.
The course: a loop around the roof of Samosir
The route leaves Waterfront City Pangururan at 908 m and climbs almost immediately, reaching Sitao-Tao at 8.6 km (1239 m) before pushing on to Pusuk Buhit at 13 km, the high point of the course near 1952 m. From that summit the trail drops steeply to the Geopark Information Center at 19.9 km (1240 m) and continues down to SMAN 1 Sianjur Mula Mula at 25.9 km (1110 m). The back half of the loop rolls across lower ground: Ginolat at 33.9 km (1052 m), a dip to Bonan Dolok at 46 km (908 m), a rise to Bukit Burung at 56.7 km (1004 m), and the final run back to the finish at 64 km (905 m). In shape, this is a front-loaded course. Roughly the first 13 km delivers the single biggest sustained climb, and everything after the summit is either descending or undulating between about 900 m and 1200 m. That means the elevation profile rewards runners who can hold something back on the opening ascent and still move well over the many smaller bumps of the second half, where the metres add up quietly toward the 2870 m total.
Where it is won or lost: the Pusuk Buhit climb
The decisive stretch comes in the opening 13 km. From the 908 m start, the course gains more than 1000 m to the Pusuk Buhit high point at 1952 m, a relentless volcanic ascent that arrives while runners are still fresh but can wreck a race if attacked too hard. Pusuk Buhit is a landmark peak, and the climb to it is the day's signature effort. Pace it conservatively: the summit is barely a fifth of the way into the distance. The second crux is the long descent off the summit to the Geopark Information Center at 19.9 km, losing over 700 m in under 7 km. Steep, technical downhill on tired quads early in a race is a classic way to blow up your legs for the final 40 km. Runners who protect their quads here and then settle into a steady rhythm across the rolling terrain from Ginolat onward tend to finish strong, while those who bombed the descent often struggle over the closing climbs to Bukit Burung.
Pacing and fuelling to the cut-offs
There are two hard checkpoints to plan around. Ginolat at 33.9 km closes at 18:00 on Saturday, giving 12 hours to cover just over half the distance, and the finish at 64 km closes at 02:00 on Sunday. The Ginolat limit is the one to respect: it sits right after the toughest terrain, so banking time on the runnable lower sections before it matters more than the clock might imply. Aim to reach Ginolat with a comfortable buffer rather than arriving on the limit with 30 km still to run. Fuelling should be built around the aid points at Sitao-Tao, the Geopark Information Center, Sianjur Mula Mula, Ginolat, Bonan Dolok and Bukit Burung. The gaps are moderate but the heat is not, so carry enough fluid and calories to cover the roughly 12 km between Sianjur Mula Mula and Ginolat and the 12 km from Ginolat to Bonan Dolok. Prioritise steady drinking and electrolytes throughout; in this climate, dehydration will slow you more than the climbs will.
Conditions to expect
This is equatorial Sumatra at altitude around a caldera lake, so heat and humidity are the dominant environmental factors from the 06:00 start through the heat of the day. Even at 900 to 1900 m the sun is strong and the air is heavy, which is a large part of why the cut-offs are set as generously as they are. Plan sun protection, expect to sweat heavily, and treat heat management as a core part of your strategy rather than an afterthought. Because the finish cut-off runs to 02:00 on Sunday, most runners will spend a meaningful portion of the second half in the dark. A reliable headlamp and spare batteries are essential for the rolling section from Bonan Dolok over Bukit Burung to the finish. The volcanic ground can be steep and loose on both the climbs and descents, so footing that felt secure in daylight demands more care at night; ease your effort slightly after dark and keep your light aimed well ahead.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 908 m · Sat 06:00
8.6 km · 1239 m · —
13 km · 1952 m · —
19.9 km · 1240 m · —
25.9 km · 1110 m · —
33.9 km · 1052 m · Sat 18:00
46 km · 908 m · —
56.7 km · 1004 m · —
64 km · 905 m · Sun 02:00
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