Ultra Madeira

ULTRA MADEIRA is a simple concept: Cross the Island quickly by unifying both its eastern and western ends, passing through the mountain massifs as a challenge for lovers of the sport. The race will start at Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse (290m), a local heritage site, whose light will guide the athletes to the Forest Park of Fonte do Bispo (10.3km) where the first checkpoint is located at the beginning of the Paul da Serra plateau. Following a mix of roads, singletracks, and dirt roads, runners will then reach the Bica da Cana shelter house (28km) at the other end of the plateau. From there, they will descend to Encumeada, passing through a luxurious laurel forest (Unesco Heritage) along the PR17, part of the Nature 2000 Network. There, runners will find 900 downhill steps (the trademark of the path) at the Rocha do Passinho.The next checkpoint is at the Pico Ruivo (47.41km), the highest peak of the island (1861m). With good weather, runners will have the opportunity to see stunning views of Nun's Valley and Serra D'Água in the south and the São Vicente valley to the north. They will also come across caves carved by hand, used for protection in the past when the trail was used daily to connect the north and south of the island (São Vicente to Funchal).After the Pico Ruivo checkpoint, the runners will continue along the PR1 towards the 3rd highest peak of Madeira, Pico do Areeiro (1818m), one of the most challenging trails with a mix of tunnels, "via ferrata" steps, rock steps, viewpoints, and floating trails. After reaching the Pico Areeiro checkpoint (51.8km), they will enter the eastern mountain massif and make their way to the Poço da Neve, where ice was kept in the past and brought to Funchal for use in the hospital and hotels. The next checkpoint is at Poiso (58.6km), followed by Portela (67.4km), Casa das Funduras shelter (73km), and Levada do Caniçal (water channel for irrigation). Finally, the last checkpoint is located at the entrance to Pico do Facho (80.8km) before the final descent to the fisherman's village of Caniçal. Along the way, runners will find beautiful dirt roads and singletracks, with views of the blue Atlantic Ocean to their right. At the end of the descent, a hand-made stone bridge signals the approach of the finish line. After a final run along the promenade, runners will reach the Whale Museum (85.1km) to complete their journey! Remember to take only footprints with you.