Mallorca, new stop on the UTMB® World Series circuit
The UTMB® World Series circuit has a new date on the calendar. From November 1 to 3, 2024 the Balearic island of Mallorca will host the first edition of Mallorca by UTMB®. An event that will feature four distances in the categories 100M, 100K, 50K and 20K, which will cross the Serra de Tramuntana Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dates for priority registration for runners with UTMB® Index, and the opening of general registration, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The event was presented in the early afternoon at Raixa, an estate declared an Asset of Cultural Interest for its high historical and artistic value, located next to the Serra de Tramuntana, and was attended by Jaume Bazà, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the Balearic Government, Pedro Mas Berges, Insular Director of Tourism for Governance and Sustainability, mayors of the different towns on the island, representatives of the hotel and catering federation, athletics and mountain federations, the Serra de Tramuntana Consortium, and other friends of the sector.
The competition concept and course designs are the work of a team of local runners coordinated by Mallorcan Tófol Castanyer, winner of the CCC in 2012 and second in the 2014 edition of the Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc.
“One may have the preconceived idea that on an island as fortunate as Mallorca, in addition to many tourists, we have almost everything. But from the point of view of a mountain runner we were missing something very special: the ultratrail that represents us. Next November the UTMB® World Series will arrive in Mallorca, obviously with the idea of expanding and increasing the potential of the brand, but also with the clear objective of integrating and achieving in a short time that Mallorca by UTMB® is the race of the Mallorcan runners and, perhaps in this way, fill the gap left by the Ultra Serra Tramuntana. The involvement of local clubs and entities in the control and management of the races; the economic advantages for athletes with Balearic federation cards, whether mountain or athletics; the promotional races for children; or the reinvestment of part of the income in educational projects or environmental improvement projects in the Serra de Tramuntana are clear examples of one of the main objectives of the race: that in a short time it becomes the Ultra we all deserve,” said Tòfol Castanyer, a member of C. A. Soller, the club responsible for the technical control and safety of Mallorca by UTMB®.
Mallorca by UTMB® is a race that runs through a unique environment, vertiginous cliffs, oak and pine forests, and steep peaks from which to admire the grandeur of the Mediterranean Sea. An island with countless treasures.
“Mallorca by UTMB® is an example of the Government's commitment to promote the Balearic Islands as a sports tourism destination. By supporting major events and competitions like this one, which we are sure is here to stay, we want to bet on collaboration with private organizers and promote sports that are practiced outside the high season so that they become valuable resources for deseasonalization,” said Jaume Bauzà.
In addition, Mallorca by UTMB® will give people living in the Balearic Islands the opportunity to obtain Running Stones without having to travel far, bringing the UTMB® World Series Finals, the UTMB® (100M), the CCC (100K), and the OCC (50K) to the archipelago. On the other hand, the first three classified in the general classification of each distance, in the women's and men's categories, will obtain direct access to Chamonix in the corresponding category.
Four races in the heart of the Mediterranean
Mallorca by UTMB® will consist of four distances.
With 140 kilometers and approximately 5,800 meters of positive elevation gain, the 100M category race will be a race only suitable for the brave. It will start on Friday, November 1 at 11:30 p.m. from the town of Sóller and will ascend to the Serra de Tramuntana, where runners will be able to enjoy an incomparable landscape, to return to sea level and reach the finish line at the Port of Sóller.
The route of the 100K also starts in the town of Sóller and finishes in the town of Pollença. About 66 kilometers with 5,000 meters of positive elevation gain. An adventure that will begin on Friday 1 at 6:00 in the morning.
42 kilometers and 2,600 meters of positive elevation gain between pines, heather and mountains. The 50K distance will be an authentic experience through nature. It will start from Sóller on Saturday November 2 at 7 am, and will have a maximum duration of 10 hours, with arrival at the Port of Sóller. The shortest distance of Mallorca by UTMB®, the 20K, which will start on Sunday 3 at 9:00 am and has about 26 kilometers, changes its starting point to leave from the beautiful town of Valldemosa, a historic village of Mallorca, and also ends at Puerto de Sóller. Approximately 1,000 meters of positive and 1,300 meters of negative slope to live a magical experience between the green of the Serra de Tramuntana and the blue of the Mediterranean.
“Mallorca by UTMB® will be the third event of the UTMB® World Series in Spain. Our goal is that this event marks a significant milestone in the field of trail running and sports tourism on the island. Mallorca has a large community of trail runners, so our intention is to bring them the UTMB® World Series experience and facilitate their access to the UTMB® World Series Finals, in Chamonix, without having to make long journeys,” said Xavier Pocino, CEO of UTMB® Iberia.
The routes, distances and locations are provisional, pending the approval of the competent public authorities, so they may vary between now and the opening of registration.
Naturaleza en estado puro
Con una superficie de 3.603 km², Mallorca es la isla más grande de las Baleares. Aunque es muy conocida en todo el mundo por sus playas, sus calas, y la belleza de sus aguas, Mallorca alberga un gran tesoro, la Serra de Tramuntana, con suaves senderos y relieves montañosos. El Paraje Natural de la Serra de la Tramuntana constituye uno de los máximos exponentes de la perfecta integración de la huella humana con la naturaleza ofreciendo como resultado una interesantísima mezcla de cultura, patrimonio y naturaleza. Un gran atractivo del que disfrutar a lo largo de cada kilómetro.
La Serra de Tramuntana fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco en la categoría de Paisaje Cultural el 29 de junio de 2011. Es el reconocimiento de la comunidad internacional a la simbiosis casi perfecta entre la acción del hombre y la naturaleza, llevada a cabo durante siglos, que ha dado como resultado una
monumental obra humana en la que se funden cultura, tradiciones, estética e identidad.
Todas las distancias de Mallorca by UTMB® atraviesan este paisaje único, en el que destaca el trabajo de la población local que, a lo largo de los años, ha contribuido a dar forma a esta espectacular zona. Un paisaje rural y cultural lleno de muros de piedra seca, olivos centenarios, pueblos y aldeas.
Gran parte de las carreras discurren por el GR 221 Ruta de Pedra en Sec, un sendero de gran recorrido, estructurado en diferentes etapas.
Cuatro distancias, tres días, y un evento, Mallorca by UTMB®, que nace para acercar la belleza de una isla, Mallorca, a cualquier rincón del mundo.
