STATEMENT MALLORCA BY UTMB®

Dear runners of the M5000 and SDT,

Now that the event is over, and after carefully analyzing everything that happened, it is time to calmly explain what transpired.

As you know, the celebration of Mallorca by UTMB® has been under constant threat due to the presence of a DANA (cold drop) that severely impacted the weather conditions on the island. On Thursday, an orange alert was declared by the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet), and the G1 situation of the InunBal Plan by the Government of the Balearic Islands was activated. All the forecasts made by our meteorologist also confirmed that Friday, the 1st, was not safe for being on the mountain.

As mountaineers, we must prioritize prudence above all else, placing the safety of the runners, the supporters following you through the mountain, and the volunteer and safety teams, who spend many hours traversing the trails of the race, at the forefront.

Therefore, the organization of Mallorca by UTMB®, in coordination with the local authorities, made the decision to suspend the M5000, M5000 Relay, and SDT races.

On Friday, the rains and storms battered the Serra de Tramuntana, with over 100 liters per square meter recorded in many areas. It was evident that the decision to suspend the M5000 was the correct one.

Many of you may wonder why we couldn't offer an alternative route or reschedule the race. On Friday, there was no alternative route available. It wasn't a matter of altitude; there was no safe path. It wasn't just a problem of rain, but the morphology of the island of Mallorca caused significant flooding in ravines, some reaching up to one meter high.

Organizing a race of over 60 km requires very important logistical work and coordination of many people and teams. It was impossible to move this logistics to Saturday, and it was not feasible to manage two races simultaneously. For example, we did not have enough security teams.

Furthermore, I want to explain that, due to the location of these races in the Natural Area of the Serra de Tramuntana, a protected area due to its environmental value, it was not possible to redirect runners to other distances or modify the route safely without violating existing environmental regulations. The Serra de Tramuntana is subject to strict regulations to protect its ecosystem and biodiversity, which limits the possibility of making changes to the established routes. Any modification would have required additional permits, which, in the context of the weather alert, was neither feasible nor safe for participants or the natural environment.

Logically, it was also impossible to start the SDT on Friday night.

As Friday passed, and after evaluating the changing weather conditions, the forecast began to improve, and we were confirmed that the orange alert would be deactivated on Saturday at 8 AM, which meant we would move to a green status (not even yellow, but directly green). With these new forecasts and some adjustments, it seemed possible to proceed with the SDT. It was then that we decided to restructure the 100-mile distance.

After a thorough review, we decided to modify both the route and the start time. Thus, the SDT became a 90 km race, and we moved the start time to 6:00 AM. With this change, runners would still face a demanding race but one that was safer. We had to send our teams to review and monitor the trails under intense rain and in the dark. We worked tirelessly to reorganize everything. But when we realized that we could be putting our mountain teams at risk overnight, we made the painful decision to cancel the SDT. The mountain has its own rhythm and its own rules. Despite all our efforts and our hope that the conditions would improve enough, the weather situation remained extremely volatile, with a new storm front sweeping the island on Friday night. It was impossible to activate a plan B in this situation.

As the Race Director, I never prioritize any parameter over the safety of our teams and the runners participating in our events. Even though it hurts, because you have invested time and money, and we have spent two years working on it. We fought until the end, exploring all possible alternatives, but nature showed us that this was not the time to run. Although we understand that this decision is frustrating, I am convinced it was the only correct one.

This fight until the end is what sometimes leads us to delay decision-making until the very last minute, stretching timelines and therefore communication. Our goal is for those who register for our events to fulfill their dreams and cross the finish line. Apologies if at any point you felt there was a lack of communication.

We know that the cancellation of both races has been difficult to accept, and I want to clarify an important point. According to the race rules, in cases of force majeure or extreme weather conditions, we are not obligated to offer compensation since these circumstances are beyond our control. However, after evaluating all the variables, and considering the loyalty and effort of all of you, we have decided to make an exception. Runners from the M5000, Relay, and SDT will receive special conditions for the 2025 edition, with a 50% discount on the current registration price in the same distance category or a shorter category. It will not be necessary to run the same distance as this year.

In the coming month, you will receive more detailed information about this. We want to continue supporting you and hope you will be able to enjoy this experience in the future, when the conditions are right for running with complete safety.

Before I say goodbye, I want to deeply thank all the team members, the island staff, volunteers, clubs, emergency services, and collaborators who have been working tirelessly in these conditions. You can’t imagine how hard they fought and tried to save the situation, even going beyond what we could have asked of them. They are the soul of Mallorca by UTMB®. Thanks to them, despite the discouraged spirits, we were able to save the races on Saturday and Sunday. Thank you for your dedication and commitment. I can’t find words to express what I feel for you.

Now we must continue working for the next edition and, of course, improve in many aspects. The mountain always gives us lessons, and we will learn from this experience. Safety and respect for nature will always be at the core of our work. Thank you for your understanding and for staying with us. I am at your disposal. See you soon, stronger than ever!

Xavier Pocino Race Director of Mallorca by UTMB®