Ultra X Madeira

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

The advertised two-stage 110 km category follows Machico–São Vicente and São Vicente–Machico. The guide’s narrative and cutoff table give different total distances; see the edition note.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• A 5:00 AM start on the Machico waterfront at Forum Machico
• Levada paths and forest trail through Madeira’s mountainous interior
• An overnight camp at Estádio dos Juncos in São Vicente on the north coast
• Ocean-cliff viewpoints on the Sunday return to Machico

Ultra X grades the course 5 out of 6 for difficulty and 4 out of 5 for technicality. The 2026 guide puts about 7,765 m (25,500 ft) of climbing into roughly 113 km, close to 70 m of gain for every kilometer, on steep climbs, technical descents, levada paths beside the island’s irrigation channels, forest trail, coastal viewpoints and links through villages. Some sections cross private farmland with stiles and gates that must be closed behind you. The course is marked with Ultra X ribbons, arrows and flags, but the GPX must be loaded on your watch and phone; where the markings differ from the file, follow the markings. The 2023 launch route left the Machico waterfront past Pico do Facho, crossed the mountains near Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo and the UNESCO-listed Laurisilva forest to São Vicente, then came back along the north coast on the old Caminho Real through Santana, on rocky trail, stone steps and hard-packed mud, with tunnel sections that need a headlamp.

Ultra X gives race-weekend temperatures of about 9°C (48°F) at night to 21°C (70°F) by day. Its kit list asks campers for a warm jacket and a sleeping bag rated for nights of 4–10°C (39–50°F) at São Vicente, and waterproof trousers and gloves become mandatory if the organizer calls for bad-weather kit, a decision made a week before the race. Day 1 starts in darkness at 5:00 AM and its camp cutoff is 11:00 PM, so most two-stage runners need a headlamp at both ends of the day. The organizer can reroute sections at short notice for weather and aims to announce changes at least 24 hours before the start.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Ultra X announced Madeira in March 2023 and held the first edition on November 18–19 that year, so the 2026 race on October 31 and November 1 is the fourth. The format splits a mountain ultra in two: Saturday crosses the island’s mountains from Machico to an overnight camp at São Vicente on the north coast, and Sunday returns to Machico. It is a UTMB World Series index race, and Ultra X presents its European Slam awards at the Madeira finish to runners who have also completed its Finland and Slovenia ultras. Lithuanian veteran Gediminas Grinius set the fastest two-day time, 12:57:14, in 2024. For 2026 the organizer added a non-stop 110 km and a 60 km on the same course, and the weekend sold out.

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

• Men: Gediminas Grinius (Lithuania), 12:57:14 for both stages, 2024
• Women: Ina Schapiro (Australia), 17:01:27 for both stages, 2024

Preparing for a Race Like Ultra X Madeira

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

• Mountain runners who want a 100 km-class island course split by a night’s rest
• Runners using a two-day race as a step toward a non-stop 100 km or a longer stage race
• Ultra X runners chasing the European Slam with Finland and Slovenia

Planning Notes

• Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• Distance creep: by the cutoff table, Day 1 is 63 km and Day 2 is 54.5 km, more than the advertised 60/50 split
• Climbing of nearly 70 m per kilometer, with Day 1 running from a dark 5:00 AM start to an 11:00 PM cutoff
• Departure cutoffs at every checkpoint; a two-stage runner who misses one on Day 1 is driven to camp, and any onward travel is at your own cost
• Mandatory kit is checked before you get a bib and spot-checked on course; the list includes 1.5 liters of water capacity, a hooded waterproof jacket, a survival bag, 800 kcal of emergency food, a phone loaded with the GPX and a printed insurance policy

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Browse the multiday stage-race calendar
• Open the Stage Race format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Print a pace band for your goal time
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist