Ultra-Trail® World Tour 2018: The CRAZY APRIL is on!

06 Απρ 2018

 

April is going to be crazy for the Ultra-Trail® World Tour! 5 races, scheduled everywhere in the world, are open to the athletes. Between the sand, the snow, the valleys, forests, or the islands, this month will be insane! A schedule in 2 parts; the first with Marathon des Sables, 100 Miles of Istria and Patagonia Run Mountain Hardwear on April 8th weekend. The second part will take place on April 27-28th weekend with MIUT® and the comeback of Ultra-Trail® Mt Fuji.

 

MARATHON DES SABLES


The Marathon des Sables is one of the most emblematic races in the series. Moreover, it is part with UTMB® of Bonus Races. It means that the winners will win more points than the other races!


Its special 250-km format in 6 stages makes it a very particular event for the international athletes. Fom April 6th to 16th, the runners will live an amazing human experience in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Last year Rachid El Morabity won the edition before his brother and Thomas Evans. Concerning women, the Swedish Elisabet Barnes won the race. Natahalie Mauclair finished 2nd and the Brazilian Fernanda Maciel, 3rd.


This year, more than a thousand of runners will start.

 

 


There are new favourites! Andrea Huser, UTWT female champion 2017 will be on the start line. Rachid El Morabity, the defending champion, will try to win again. Gediminas Grinius, who achieved the twin race in South America will be able to use his experience in Morocco.


For this 33rd edition, the Ultra-Trail® World Tour will support 6 Athletes:Gediminas Grinius (LTU), Arnaud Lejeune (FRA), Vajin Armstrong (NZL), Majell Backhausen (AUS), Andrea Huser (SWI), Magdalena Boulet (USA)

 

100 MILES OF ISTRIA


The 100 Miles of Istria Ultratrail will take place on April 6th. The runners will have the opportunity to run in the great valleys and medieval villages of the region. The race won the best UTWT photography in 2017. Croatia deserves to be visited with amazing landscapes. 405 athletes will start from Umag. Last year, the Challenger race has seen the Italian Francesca Canepa and the American Dylan Bowman win after 160Km and 6620 m of elevation gain.

This year, the UTWT supported athletes are Robert Hajnal (ROU) and Paul Giblin (UK).

 


PATAGONIA RUN MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR


Another 100 miles but on the other side of the world with the Patagonia Run Mountain Hardwear, who is the only UTWT race in South America. It will take place this weekend and is also in the Challenger race category. With 9000 meters of elevation gain, the runners will savour the best of the Patagonia region between snow and dense vegetation. At the start in San Martin de los Andes, almost 150 athletes will start with the objective to finish 160Km. Last year, it was an Argentinian victory with Adriana Vanesa Vargas for the women and Sergio Jesus Trecaman for the males. The UTWT supported athletes will try to defy the local runners: good luck to Giulio Ornati (ITA) and Ernest Osiro (ESP).

 

 

MIUT®


Madeira-Island Ultra-Trail®, more known under the name: MIUT®, is one of the most famous stages in the Ultra-Trail® World Tour. Through the Madeira Island, the race welcomes the best athletes of the world who come to battle on a technical terrain with a strong elevation gain with 7100m. Thus, the 115Km race gathered in 2017 François D’HAENE, Andrea HUSER, Xavier THÉVENARD, Pau CAPELL, Beth PASCALL, Lisa BORZANI and many others!


This year, the MIUT® starting line will be crazy! Damian Hall, Gediminas Grinius, Caroline Chaverot, Fabien Antolinos, Juliette Blanchet and Scotty Hawker, will be on the start line. The victory is very uncertain. Moreover, Javi Dominguez (ESP) and Kellie Emerson (AUS), both supported by the Ultra-Trail® World Tour, can fight for the victory. Rendez-vous on April 28th to follow this amazing race (PRO category). The landscapes are outstanding between ocean and earth all along the Madeira island.

 

ULTRA-TRAIL® MT FUJI


Good news! Ultra-Trail® Mont Fuji is back! After missing the previous season in the circuit, the Japanese PRO race comes back on the same weekend as MIUT®. The land of the rising sun is back in the World Tour with its emblematic Mount Fuji. The course around it offers amazing points of views of the volcano. The athletes can (re)discover the Japanese culture with great people and an awesome organisation!


The UTWT will support 3 famous athletes: Pau Capell (ESP), David Laney (USA) et Mark Hammond (USA).

 

 

The Ultra-Trail® World Tour wishes good luck to all the supported athletes and the other participants for this crazy April!

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