Who and Why?
The Malnad Ultra is a volunteer-driven event conducted under the umbrella of GIREM, a not-for-profit society based out of Bengaluru. Started in 2016, we have completed eight editions thus far. Our main objective is to help grow the sport of trail running in India by offering a high-quality event that embraces the core values of trail running – simplicity, inclusiveness, kindness and respect whatever mother nature has to offer. Through our efforts, we wish to convert road runners into trail runners. More importantly, we are hoping that our efforts will help folks maintain a connection with nature.
We are committed to supporting local businesses in the Chikkamagaluru region and grateful for the support from the plantation owners, district officials and the people around.
The Malnad Region
The name Malnadu in Kannada, the local language of the region, literally translates to Male-naadu; Male – hills and Naadu – land! Therefore, the Land of Hills amidst the Western Ghats, a.k.a the Sahyadris, one of the 25 bio-diversity hotspots in the world. The mountain range stretches over 1600 Kms along the western side of the Indian penninsula starting from Gujarat in the northwest to Tamil Nadu in the south. The stretch of Western Ghats within the state of Karnataka is called Malnad.
The region is known for its bio-diversity, endless greenery and some of the most picturesque spots in India. A cursory search on the web will provide you with a glimpse of its beauty. Hundreds of coffee plantations, big and small, can be found in this region. Mullyangiri, at over 6000′ is the highest peak in the state of Karnataka and can be spotted from various points on our course.
The Sufi saint Baba Budan is said to have smuggled seven beans from Yemen to this part of India in 1670! Today, coffee provides employment for over 2 million people and India exports to over 50 coutries around the world.
The Malnad and its coffee are the inspiration behind our event and our course traverses plantations that have been growing coffee since colonial times.
India is the fifth largest coffee producer in the world. The neighbouring districts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka account for over 70% of India’s production. The two main varieties of coffee are Robusta and Arabica (image on left), and both are grown in the region. Robusta has a higher caffeine content and is more bitter in taste than Arabica. Robusta bushes are bigger and look sturdier with thicker and wider leaves when compared to Arabica. As the name suggests, Robusta can tolerate somewhat harsher conditions than Arabica, which is grown under shade at higher elevations.
Of course, a wide variety of blends are available. We recommend that you have a chat with the locals if you are interested in knowing more. Most of the local homestays sell coffee. There are several coffee stores in Chikkamgaluru town as you drive past to our event. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to pick up some fresh coffee.
Our course passes through nine privately owned coffee plantations with a history of over 150 years.
A Brief History
How We Got Started
As it often happens, The Malnad Ultra started accidently. A small group of runner friends planned a run in the Kemmanagundi area in 2015. Since this is a remote area, we approached a prominent estate owner to give us access to a guest house within the estate for the night. When he heard our plan of running some 70-80 kms on that day, he was intrigued. Within a few days we were invited to host a running event by the Coffee Day Global Group on their estates.
Our First Race
Our first event on October 8-9, 2016 attracted 195 participants. We used Kemmanagundi Resort as our base and offered three categories over 50, 80 and 110 Km. The event was supported by 18 volunteers and supported by over 20 staff members from across six estates belonging to the Coffee Day Group.
Over the Years
1st Edition(2016): Start in Kemmanagundi Resort with course traversing Rajgiri, Sampigehutti, Kurkurmatti, Lalbagh and Kathlekan estates
2nd and 3rd Edition (2017, 2018): Moved start to Lalbagh Estate, but course through Rajgiri, Sampigehutti, Kurkurmatti, Lalbagh and Kathlekan
4th Edition (2019): We moved our event to neighbouring Maskalmardi Estate due to unavoidable circumstances
2020: Did not conduct due to Covid
5th Edition (2021): We moved from Ballavara area to a base at Mudigere and offered 50 and 100 Km only due to safety reasons.
6th Edition (2022): 30, 50 and 100 Km in Yelnoor Kan and Sipani estates near Mallanduru. Joined Asia Trail Masters circuit and accepted as Qualifier for WSER
7th Edition (2023): Moved to adjacent estates surrounding Mallanduru. Added Tottlapanna Gudda to our course to offer more variety and a different set of challenges.
8th Edition (2024): Partnership with Tekion under their CSR initiative with Sports Excellence Trust. Accreditation with SheRaces
9th Edition (2025): We will continue to use our course near Mallanduru with minor changes. We have added a 50K Night edition too.
Past Results
Our event has evolved over the last nine years and we have experimented with different distances and even used different courses. We also don’t believe in the concept of course records or podium because conditions change from year to year and we celebrate every runner who shows up at our start line.
However, we have used the current course since our 7th edition in 2023. We are therefore listing the top finishing times for our current course which we will continue to use in 2025.
2024 – 8th Edition
| Category | Men | Women |
| 100 KM | 13:49:41 | 20:27:42 |
| 50 KM | 5:06:19 | 5:40:41 |
| 30 KM | 2:35:23 | 3:01:53 |
2023 – 7th Edition
| Category | Men | Women |
| 100 KM | 12:14:43 | 18:12:36 |
| 50 KM | 6:03:58 | 7:18:35 |
| 30 KM | 2:38:25 | 3:46:28 |
Detailed results from all our past editions are available on the sites of our Timing Partners for those events as detailed below.
2017 to 2023
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- Visit MyRaceIndia site
- Choose Year from dropdown
- Type “Malnad” in Event field and choose our event
- Choose Category & Gender
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2016
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- Visit Timing India site
- Choose 2016 from dropdown
- Type “Malnad” in Event field and choose our event
- Choose Category to see results
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