Puerto Vallarta was chosen as an official qualifying venue for an emblematic international sporting event, the UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, a famous destination ultra marathon running race) World Series, which will bring the world’s best long-distance trail runners to the Banderas Bay area from October 28 to 30.
Trail running is a sport that consists of running along mountain trails, tracks, traces or secondary roads, through mountains, hills and mountains, crossing streams and rivers, with large climbs and steep descents. Both the nature of the terrain and the unevenness of the route, in addition to the distance, are two fundamental characteristics of a mountain race course.
The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc ultra marathon is famous because it is a huge challenge, held in the trail running mecca of Chamonix, France along a well-known hiking route which circumnavigates a huge mountain.
Due to the size of the challenge and the number of people wanting to run the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, in order to qualify, runners must complete a certain number of challenging ‘qualifying races’ to accumulate sufficient points and experience before being able to apply for a place via UTMB’s lottery system.
Runners from all over the world will be coming to Puerto Vallarta to add the necessary points to be able to access the 2023 UTMB Mont-Blanc draw, now known as the UTMB World Series Finals, which will take place in France, Italy and Switzerland.
The inclusion of Puerto Vallarta in this event is very important because it is the first time in history that a city in Mexico will be part of such an iconic meeting for the international community of ultra marathoners.
Puerto Vallarta will be the only venue in Latin America and, together with the United States (Western States 100- Mile Endurance Run), will host the only official UTMB World Series events on the American continent.
A large part of the distances cover the Sierra Madre Occidental and each of the routes will start in different areas of Puerto Vallarta, however, the goal will be the beaches of this destination.
“At UTMB Group we are delighted to welcome ‘Puerto Vallarta Mexico by UTMB’ to our global UTMB World Series family. Runners from all over the world will have the opportunity to experience an event with multiple types of landscapes, from impressive jungles to agave plantations passing through colonial towns and ending in the beautiful Bay of Banderas. It will be an event connected to its own region, legacy and ancestral traditions and will contribute to the unique essence of the brand and the growth of the sport of trail running in Mexico, as well as the opportunity for the event’s global community to discover another culture,” he said. Catherine Poletti, president of the UTMB Group.
“We are very excited that this important international sporting event has chosen Puerto Vallarta as its official venue, being the only destination in Latin America where this race will take place, bringing together the most outstanding runners from different countries. This event will undoubtedly offer excellent benefits to the entire value chain of the port’s tourism industry and will provide an exceptional image of the green pearl of the Mexican Pacific before the world,” said Luis Villaseñor Nolasco, general director of the Tourism Trust.
Registration for Puerto Vallarta México by UTMB is now open for all runners, who can choose to participate between two distances: 100 miles (160.93 km), 100 km or 55 km. To register for the race, click HERE.