Ultra BOLIVIA Race 2026 Results & Winners

Results: 2026

2026 selected results as published by the linked source
Category	Name	Result
Men	Olivier Wijtenburg (Netherlands)	28h 10min 38s
Women	Marta Comalat Canet (Spain)	31h 32min 5s

22 runners finished.

Source: Canal Aventure — Ultra Bolivia Race 2026 results (PDF). Checked October 3, 2026.

Next edition: September 18, 2028. The organizer advertises the next Ultra BOLIVIA Race for September 18–24, 2028. The results below are from 2026.

Event Overview

A seven-stage, food-self-sufficient race across Bolivia's high Altiplano and salt-flat landscapes, held at elevations of roughly 3,600–4,100 m.

Listed edition overview
Date	Sep 21-27, 2026
Location	Altiplano and Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Format	Stage Race
Terrain	Desert
Region	South America
Distance / duration	220 km over 7 stages
Elevation gain	About 2,400 m (organizer’s total; its stage figures add up to 2,360 m)
Elevation loss	2,410 m by the organizer’s stage figures
Field size	The field is small. The organizer says places are limited but publishes no cap. In 2026, 22 of the 24 entrants started and all 22 finished every stage inside the time limit. In 2024, 17 of 18 starters did so, and the 18th was ranked by distance after covering 58 km. In 2022, 7 of 8 starters finished on time, one more was ranked on 143 km, and five entrants did not start. In 2021, 13 of 14 finished on time and one was ranked on 189 km.
Highlights	High Altitude, Seven Stages

Ultra Bolivia Race stages

Stage distances, climb and descent from the organizer’s 2028 program, with the route outline from its course description and the 2026 winner’s time for each stage.

Ultra Bolivia Race stages
Stage	2028 date	Distance	Climb / descent	Route (organizer’s outline)	2026 winner’s time
Stage 1	Mon, Sept 18	33 km	+500 m / −500 m	From Salinas to the Salar de Coipasa	4:10:00
Stage 2	Tue, Sept 19	28 km	+200 m / −200 m	To the Alcaya archaeological site, at about 4,100 m	3:24:57
Stage 3	Wed, Sept 20	33 km	+850 m / −850 m	Altiplano villages with views of Tunupa volcano	4:42:30
Stage 4	Thu, Sept 21	29 km	+520 m / −520 m	Altiplano villages with views of Tunupa volcano	3:53:40
Stage 5	Fri, Sept 22	30 km	+130 m / −200 m	Salar de Uyuni section	3:18:19
Stage 6	Sat, Sept 23	42 km	+100 m / −100 m	Salar de Uyuni section, with Isla del Pescado and Isla Incahuasi	5:53:01
Stage 7	Sun, Sept 24	25 km	+60 m / −40 m	Finish and awards on the Salar de Uyuni	2:48:11

Each stage has a 10-hour limit. The stage distances add up to 220 km, and the climbs to 2,360 m against the organizer’s headline 2,400 m. The organizer describes the route by day for the first four stages and says the rest of the race crosses the Salar de Uyuni, so the stage 5–7 outlines are approximate. In 2021, 2022 and 2024, Stage 2 was 27 km and Stage 7 was 26 km. The 2026 winner’s times are Olivier Wijtenburg’s, which were the fastest on every stage (shared on Stages 1, 3 and 6).

Sources: Official Ultra BOLIVIA Race page (2028 program and route); Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2026 results (PDF); Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2024 results (PDF).

Ultra Bolivia Race winners, 2021–2026

First man and first woman at each edition since 2021, with overall times over 220 km and seven stages, from the organizer’s results.

Ultra Bolivia Race winners, 2021–2026
Year	Men	Women	Finished on time
2026	Olivier Wijtenburg (Netherlands), 28:10:38	Marta Comalat Canet (Spain), 31:32:05	22 of 22 starters
2024	Alexander Scherz (Switzerland), 27:03:40	Tomomi Bitoh (Japan), 29:05:17	17 of 18 starters
2022	Javier Marina (Spain), 31:18:38	Nontu Mgabhi (South Africa), 39:09:08	7 of 8 starters
2021	Iulian Rotariu (Romania), 23:32:30	Nicole Keller (Germany), 47:02:00	13 of 14 starters

Runners who missed a stage limit but continued are ranked by distance and are not counted as finishing on time. In 2026 Johann (Joe) Eyolfson (Canada, 28:48:36) and Stéphane Pagani (Switzerland, 30:15:34) completed the men’s podium, and Isabelle Sauve (Canada, 33:21:52) and Tanja Schönenborn (Germany, 33:40:55) the women’s. In 2024 Rémi Deloche (France, 27:33:19) and Takeshi Hashimoto (Japan, 28:30:17) were second and third. The 2022 results do not mark women; Nontu Mgabhi, fourth overall, was the first woman. Tommy Chen (Taiwan) won the first edition in 2014; the organizer has not published results for 2014–2018 online.

Sources: Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2026 results (PDF); Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2024 results (PDF); Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2022 results (PDF); Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2021 results (PDF); Canal Aventure Hall of Fame.

Course & Terrain

Seven stages across the Bolivian Altiplano, including the Salar de Uyuni region.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

Salar de Coipasa on the opening stage
Alcaya archaeological site, at about 4,100 m
Altiplano villages with views of Tunupa volcano
Crossing the Salar de Uyuni past Isla del Pescado and cactus-covered Isla Incahuasi
Awards ceremony on the salt flat

The climbing is modest for 220 km: about 2,400 m in all. Stage 3 is the hilliest, with 850 m up and down, and the 42 km Stage 6 has only 100 m of climb. The difficulty is altitude: the race starts at Salinas, crosses about 4,100 m near the Alcaya archaeological site on Stage 2, passes villages below Tunupa volcano and finishes on the Salar de Uyuni at about 3,650 m. The organizer describes arid country ringed by volcanoes, some above 6,000 m. The course is marked about every 500 m, and natural landmarks serve as extra reference points. Runners get a map and road book, and a compass is compulsory. Leaving the marked route costs 2 hours plus the time gained, and running without the road book costs 3 hours. Stage starts are grouped at times the organizer sets.

The organizer gives typical September temperatures on the Altiplano of −10 to −5°C at night and +2 to +10°C during the day, and warns runners to avoid getting chilled in the big swings between them. A sleeping bag rated to −10°C comfort and a survival blanket are compulsory, as are sunscreen and sunglasses.

Format & Support (as run)

Listed qualification and support details
Qualification	No qualifying race is required. The race is open to anyone over 18 who accepts the rules. To enter, runners send a signed registration form, a copy of their passport and proof of assistance and repatriation insurance, then pay a deposit to secure a place; the balance is due 100 days before the start, and there is no registration deadline. An official medical certificate and a resting ECG, signed by a doctor and dated no more than 30 days before the start, are compulsory, and the originals are checked on site. For 2026 the fee was €2,600 for entries before December 25, 2025 and €2,900 after, without flights. For 2028 the organizer lists entry from €2,600 (as listed on October 25, 2026). Cancelling 100 days or more before the race refunds everything paid minus €600; later cancellations get nothing, and the organizer recommends cancellation insurance.
Support model	The organizer supplies water only. The 2026 rules ration it at about 2 liters before each stage, 2 or 4 liters during it and 4 liters at the finish, handed out at one or two checkpoints per stage (roughly every 15 km) and at camp. No bottles and no hot water are handed out, so runners carry two 1-liter bottles and cook with solid fuel tablets. Checkpoints record times and have medical help. A sports-medicine team with assistance vehicles follows the whole race and can stop or disqualify any runner it judges unfit. Each night the organizer sets up a bivouac with two runners to a tent.
Crew / pacers	None. The race is self-supported: there are no crews or pacers, taking extra food or water from anyone costs a 1-hour penalty, and using any transport during the race means elimination. A runner who withdraws but is fit to travel can ride with the organization from camp to camp or be driven to the finish, at their own cost for lodging and meals.
Drop bags	No drop bags or resupply. Runners start with food for all seven days, at least 2,000 kcal per day and 14,000 kcal in total, and carry it with their compulsory kit. The pack must weigh between 5 and 15 kg without water; a pack outside that range costs a 3-hour penalty, as does missing compulsory kit. Gas stoves are banned.

Why This Race Matters

Canal Aventure, the Rouen-based organizer (The Track Organisation) that Jérôme Lollier founded in 2010, first took runners across the Bolivian Altiplano in June 2014. Taiwan’s Tommy Chen won that first edition, and the organizer says its field became the first to run a full marathon on the Salar de Uyuni. Its results archive and Hall of Fame also list editions in 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2026, and the next is set for September 2028. Runners carry all their food for seven stages and 220 km, every stage is run above 3,600 m, and the race ends on the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. Results also count toward Canal Aventure’s Roadsign Continental Challenge, which ranks runners across its races on five continents.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

Men: Iulian Rotariu (Romania), 23:32:30, 2021. This is the fastest time in the organizer’s published results for 2021–2026, all on 220 km in seven stages.
Women: Tomomi Bitoh (Japan), 29:05:17, 2024, the fastest women’s time in those results. She was fourth overall.
Most finishes: Giuseppe De Rosa (Italy) has finished four editions, placing 7th in 2018, 5th in 2021, 2nd in 2022 and 5th in 2024, according to the organizer’s Hall of Fame.

Preparing for a Race Like Ultra BOLIVIA Race

The stage race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

Stage race packing list: Mandatory kit, daily carry, camp bags, food and foot care.
Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
Blister prevention: Socks, taping, lubrication, shoe fit and hot spots.

Best Fit

Desert stage-race veterans who want altitude and salt flats instead of sand dunes
Runners who like a small field: between 8 and 22 starters in each edition since 2021
Runners collecting points across Canal Aventure’s continental races

Planning Notes

Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
Heat, sun, and dry air require event-specific preparation. Test sun protection and cooling, drink in response to thirst, and remember that sodium cannot make overdrinking safe.
The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.

Event FAQs

When is the next Ultra Bolivia Race?

The stages run September 18–24, 2028. Runners meet in La Paz on September 16 for the eight-hour bus ride to Salinas, check in on September 17 and leave from Uyuni airport on September 25. The race has been held every two years since 2022, and the 2026 edition ran September 21–27.

How much does the Ultra Bolivia Race cost?

The organizer lists entry for 2028 from €2,600. In 2026 the fee was €2,600 before December 25, 2025 and €2,900 after. It covers the bus from La Paz, hotel nights before and after the race, the tent bivouac, water, medical support and the finisher’s medal and shirt, but not flights. A deposit secures the place, and the balance is due 100 days before the start.

How hard is the Ultra Bolivia Race?

The stages are 25 to 42 km with modest climbing, but every one is above 3,600 m, nights fall to about −10°C, and you carry a week of food. Most starters finish: all 22 did in 2026. Winning times since 2021 range from 23:32:30 to 31:18:38, and the last runners to finish within the limits took 40 to 51 hours.

What do I have to carry in the Ultra Bolivia Race?

Food for seven days (at least 14,000 kcal), a sleeping bag rated to −10°C comfort, an insulating mat and the rest of the compulsory kit: compass, knife, mirror, whistle, survival blanket, two headlamps with spare batteries, lighter, cooking utensils, 15 solid fuel tablets, first-aid kit, salt tablets, sunscreen, sunglasses and two 1-liter bottles. The pack must weigh 5 to 15 kg without water. The organizer supplies only water and the tents.

What is the cutoff in the Ultra Bolivia Race?

Each stage has a 10-hour limit. A runner who misses it, or stops at a checkpoint, can start again the next day if the medical team agrees. They stay in the overall standings but are ranked by kilometers covered, behind everyone ranked on time. One runner finished this way in each of 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Verification & Sources

Verification scope: the listed edition's date, location, format, and available logistics were checked against the event-specific official sources below during the directory review dated October 25, 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.

Official Ultra BOLIVIA Race page — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/ultra-bolivia-race
Official 2026 race regulations — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraBOLIVIARace2026-Rules.pdf
Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2026 results (PDF) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraBoliviaRace2026-Results.pdf
Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2024 results (PDF) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraBoliviaRace2024-Results-1.pdf
Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2022 results (PDF) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraBOLIVIARace2022-Results-1.pdf
Canal Aventure: Ultra Bolivia Race 2021 results (PDF) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraBOLIVIARace2021-Results-1.pdf
Canal Aventure: dates, entry fees and terms — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/dates-entry-details
Canal Aventure: history (founding, first Ultra Bolivia Race in 2014) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/canal-aventure
Canal Aventure Hall of Fame — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/hall-of-fame
Canal Aventure home page (2026 summary, five-continent challenge) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/
Vuk’uzenzele (South African government): profile of runner Nontu Mgabhi — https://www.vukuzenzele.gov.za/running-around-world-charity
Multiday Running event directory review scope: October 25, 2026.