Mallorca by UTMB®
Mallorca by UTMB® – Els Tres Mils (ETM)
SELVA → Port De Sóller
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Els Tres Mils (ETM) is the 56 km option at Mallorca by UTMB, running point-to-point from the mountain village of Selva down to the harbour at Port de Sóller. With 2317 m of positive climbing and a high point of 1206 m, it packs a genuine mountain day into a distance that many runners can cover in a long single push, threading through the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana. What defines the ETM is its shape: a long, sustained pull from near sea level up into the high limestone of the range, followed by a hard-earned plunge back to the Mediterranean. You start at Selva (193 m) and finish at Port de Sóller (4 m), but the profile in between is anything but flat. This is a race of one big climb and one big descent, and how you manage the transition between them decides your day.
The Course and Terrain
From the start in Selva at 193 m, the route climbs steadily through the foothills to the pilgrimage sanctuary at Lluc, reached at 10.8 km and 480 m. From there the ground keeps rising toward Cúber at 25.4 km (755 m), the reservoir basin that marks the transition into the high Tramuntana. The middle of the course carries you over the roof of the day at 1206 m and past Coll d'en Poma at 32.3 km (883 m) before the terrain tips downward toward the coast. The Serra de Tramuntana is classic Mediterranean mountain running: dry limestone, stone-laid mule paths, exposed ridgelines and rocky footing that rewards sure feet over raw speed. Expect long sections where the trail underfoot is loose rock or worn stone steps rather than soft dirt. The village-to-harbour arc from Cúber down through Fornalutx (40.9 km, 144 m) and Sóller (48.2 km, 10 m) drops you back to sea level, so the finish at Port de Sóller is a return to the Mediterranean you climbed away from at the start.
Where the Race Is Won or Lost
The decisive stretch is the long climb from Selva to the 1206 m high point. Over the first 32 km you gain roughly a kilometre of vertical, first gently to Lluc, then more insistently through Cúber and up to Coll d'en Poma. It is a grind rather than a wall, and the temptation is to spend too freely on the runnable early gradients before Lluc. Runners who arrive at Cúber (25.4 km) with legs still under them are the ones who hold form over the top. The second crux is the descent off Coll d'en Poma (883 m) down to Fornalutx at 144 m, a drop of around 740 m over roughly 8.6 km on the technical stone paths the Tramuntana is known for. This is where quads get shredded and where a strong climber can either extend a lead or lose one to sloppy footing. Save something for it. From Sóller the final push to Port de Sóller is short and low, so if you reach the valley floor intact the finish is yours to run home.
Pacing and Fuelling
The cut-offs give you a clear structure to pace against. Lluc closes at Sat 10:00 (10.8 km), Cúber at Sat 13:25 (25.4 km), Fornalutx at Sat 17:00 (40.9 km), Sóller at Sat 18:20 (48.2 km) and the finish at Port de Sóller at Sat 20:00. The tightest squeeze on paper is the long climbing block into Cúber, where you have to cover 14.6 km of ascending terrain between the Lluc and Cúber checkpoints, so bank time on the easier early kilometres rather than assuming you can claw it back higher up. Aid is spaced generously enough that you can run self-sufficient between stations, but the gaps are real climbing gaps: budget fluid and calories to cover the roughly 15 km push from Lluc to Cúber and again the long descent-and-flat run from Cúber through Fornalutx. Mallorca is dry and can be hot, so carry more water than the distance alone suggests and drink to the climb, not the clock. Load carbohydrate steadily on the way up so you have something left to protect your legs on the plunge to Fornalutx.
Conditions to Expect
The Tramuntana in race season is characteristically dry and sun-exposed, with limestone that radiates heat once the day warms. The high point at 1206 m is not high enough to bring alpine cold, but the exposed ridges and reservoir basin around Cúber can catch wind, and weather in these mountains can turn faster than the modest altitude implies. Plan for strong sun on the long climb and be ready for cooler, breezier conditions across the tops. Because the course finishes at the coast, the temperature and humidity profile shifts through the day: cooler and clearer up high, warmer and more humid as you descend into Sóller and the port. The stone paths become slick and unforgiving if any moisture is about, so trail shoes with real grip and a tolerance for rock are essential. Given the sea-level start and finish wrapped around a 1206 m high point, dress and pack for a full mountain day even though you begin and end within sight of the Mediterranean.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 193 m · —
10.8 km · 480 m · Sat 10:00
25.4 km · 755 m · Sat 13:25
32.3 km · 883 m · —
40.9 km · 144 m · Sat 17:00
48.2 km · 10 m · Sat 18:20
56 km · 4 m · Sat 20:00
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