- Ultra Fiord will take place between April 16-18, 2015 in Chilean Patagonia, starting near the Torres del Paine National Park, and ending in the city of Puerto Natales.
- The event will feature four race distances: 30K, 70K, 100K, and 100 miles.
- Runners from 7 countries have already registered for the event one month after the registration has been opened.
The organizers that brought three editions of the Patagonian International Marathon from 2012-2014, the inaugural edition of Ultra Trail Torres del Paine in 2014, and ten successful editions of the Patagonian Expedition Race since 2004, the event deemed by BBC as “the Last Wild Race,” and by National Geographic as one of the “Ten Great Races in Amazing Places,” introduces a new, unique trail-running experience in Chilean Patagonia for 2015: Ultra Fiord. Ultra Fiord, which will take place from April 16th to April 18th in 2015, is an international trail-running event that looks to uncover the mystical and unknown world of fjords, thousands and thousands of kilometers that have accumulated throughout Chile’s extreme south by the passage of glaciers, but have been hidden from the world by the terms “seno,” “estrecho,” and “canal.”
The event, which is a semi-autonomous, non-stop race to promote both the territory’s attractions and sustainable development of the local communities, will feature four distances: 30K, 70K, 100K, and a 100-mile race. All race distances will follow the same course. The 30K race, which begins in Hotel Rio Serrano, will have a maximum ascent of 260 meters above sea level, on the way to the finish at Hosteria Balmaceda. The 70K distance, which also begins at Hotel Rio Serrano, will have a maximum elevation of 1250 meters above sea level and will finish at Estancia Perales. The 100K race also begins at the Hotel Rio Serrano, and features a maximum elevation point of 1250 meters above sea level; while the 100-mile race will start at Villa Cerro Castillo, make the ascent to and from the maximum elevation of 1250 meters above sea level, and reach the finish, also located in the city of Puerto Natales.
Registration for the event has been open for a month, beginning on November 5, 2014, and will remain open until March 7, 2015. The event has registered runners from seven different countries: Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, France, and New Zealand. The event is open to all runners eighteen years old and above with substantial running experience, with the necessary quality and quantity being determined by the organization after registration. There will be five age groups, divided between men and women, ranging in groups of ten, which are 18 – 29, 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59, and 60 and above for the four race distances.
“The creation of Ultra Fiord has been a great challenge. We wanted to create an innovative trail-running experience that differs from the usual and goes beyond adding miles,” said Stjepan Pavicic, the race director. “We needed a new, attractive, and challenging concept. Thus, the birth of Ultra Fiord, a long journey toward the magical world of fjords.”
The term “Ultra Fiord” is the result of the combination between two concepts: Ultra and Fiord. Ultra, in a sports context, is associated with challenges that go beyond usual limits, which is the factor that defines the event’s character. The other term, which defines the foundation of this Ultra Trail Running, is Fiord (Fjord), or Fiordo in Spanish, and is used to highlight the many fjords located in Chilean Patagonia.
The invitation is still open to uncover Chile’s best-kept “secret”: the mysterious, breathtaking, and unknown world of fjords in Chilean Patagonia.
Registration for Ultra Fiord may be made through the official website:
English: Registration
Spanish: Inscripción