MIUT - Madeira Island Ultra-Trail
MIUT Legend 110 km
Porto Moniz → Machico
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The MIUT Legend 110 km is the flagship distance of the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail, a point-to-point crossing of Madeira from the wild northwest coast at Porto Moniz (18 m) all the way to Machico on the northeast shore (7 m). In those 110 kilometres the course accumulates 7,354 m of climbing and reaches a high point of 1,847 m, making it one of the most vertically punishing hundred-kilometre races in Europe. The route is not merely a loop or an out-and-back — it is a genuine traverse of the island's spine, threading through ancient laurisilva forest, exposed ridge lines and deep volcanic calderas. Every kilometre tells you exactly where you are on the island, and the variety of terrain demands that runners shift constantly between technical ascent, rooty forest trail and open alpine ridge running.
Course & Terrain Overview
The race begins at sea level in Porto Moniz and immediately pitches you into the mountains. The first major checkpoint, Fanal at 13 km and 1,165 m, is reached after a sustained climb through the UNESCO-listed laurisilva, a dense, mossy laurel forest that is frequently cloud-covered and underfoot can be slippery on roots and embedded rock. From Fanal the course drops sharply to Estanquinhos (23 km, 685 m) before climbing again steeply to Rosario at 33 km and 1,564 m — nearly back to the height of Fanal after a long descent. The mid-race section descends to Encumeada (43 km, 603 m), a low pass that splits the island north to south, then climbs into the central massif through Curral das Freiras (57 km, 583 m), a dramatic village sitting in a collapsed volcanic caldera ringed by near-vertical walls. The final third of the race runs along the high central ridge, passing over Pico Ruivo (70 km, 1,725 m) and Pico do Areeiro (76 km, 1,635 m) — the two highest peaks on Madeira — before descending through Ribeiro Frio (86 km, 1,188 m), dropping to Portela (95 km, 592 m) and making a final run down to the finish in Machico at sea level.
Decisive Climbs & Where the Race Is Won or Lost
Three sections define competitive outcomes. The opening climb to Fanal sets the tone: arriving there at night or very early morning (cut-off 03:45), runners face cool, saturated air and zero visibility in cloud — pace control here prevents the catastrophic blowup many suffer later. The climb out of Curral das Freiras at 57 km is the most demoralising stretch; after a long descent into the caldera you face an exposed wall of switchbacks with significant elevation gain to regain the ridge. Many runners arrive here already fatigued, and the 15:00 cut-off gives little margin for anyone who has faded since Encumeada. The ridge traverse between Pico Ruivo (70 km, cut-off 19:00) and Pico do Areeiro (76 km, cut-off 20:30) is the most exposed section of the course: rocky, narrow trail at altitude with a sharp 90-minute window between the two checkpoints. Any stumble, weather deterioration or navigational hesitation here costs time that cannot be recovered in the descent to Ribeiro Frio. Finishing Portela (95 km) before 02:30 is the critical gateway — those who arrive with time to spare typically finish comfortably within the Sunday 08:00 final cut-off; those who scrape through face a brutal 15 km largely in the dark.
How to Pace & Fuel the Race
With 7,354 m of climbing spread unevenly, a time-on-feet pacing strategy is far more reliable than pace per kilometre. The opening 13 km to Fanal demands hiking discipline on the climb — running it burns matches you will desperately need on the Curral das Freiras wall 44 km later. Plan your day in three blocks: Porto Moniz to Encumeada (43 km), where you bank time conservatively; Encumeada to Pico do Areeiro (33 km), where you hold the ridge window; and Pico do Areeiro to Machico (34 km), where you run everything that can be run. Use every crew point — Rosario (33 km), Encumeada (43 km), Curral das Freiras (57 km), Pico do Areeiro (76 km), Ribeiro Frio (86 km) and Portela (95 km) — to reset kit, dry feet where possible and re-stock calories. Fuelling should target consistent carbohydrate intake from the start; the laurisilva climbs at night can suppress appetite early but energy debt accumulated in the first 30 km will compound badly by the time you hit the caldera. Carry enough calories between crew points for the full section, not just a portion of it. Stomach issues on the long descent from Pico Ruivo to Ribeiro Frio are common — keep food choices conservative on the ridge.
Conditions to Expect
Madeira's weather is famously variable and the vertical range of this course — from sea level to 1,847 m — means you can pass through multiple distinct micro-climates in a single hour. The laurisilva between Porto Moniz and Fanal is almost always wet: roots, moss-covered rock and mud are the norm regardless of the season. Cloud inversion is frequent on the central plateau, meaning the ridge between Pico Ruivo and Pico do Areeiro can be baking and sunny while the valleys below are in thick cloud, or vice versa. Wind on the exposed ridge can be cold and strong even in spring, so a windproof layer and gloves should be accessible — not buried at the bottom of your pack — from Curral das Freiras onwards. Temperatures in Machico at the finish can feel almost tropical compared with the summit cold. Night running bookends the race for most competitors: the opening climbs are in darkness, and the final descent from Portela to Machico is also typically completed well before dawn on Sunday, so quality headlamp systems with spare batteries are essential equipment.
Race MIUT Legend 110 km with Crux
Get the strategy, fuelling and crew plan dialled for this exact course — built from the real route, climbs and cut-offs. Your first race is free.
Plan this race — freeCourse profile
Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 25 m · Sat 00:15
12.3 km · 1156 m · Sat 03:30
20.2 km · 305 m · Sat 05:15
29.9 km · 1580 m · Sat 09:15
43.9 km · 810 m · Sat 12:30
58.4 km · 621 m · Sat 16:30
69.4 km · 1740 m · Sat 20:30
74.5 km · 1548 m · Sat 23:00
79 km · 1496 m · Sat 23:30
90.9 km · 595 m · Sun 02:30
96 km · 320 m · Sun 05:00
108.9 km · 5 m · Sun 08:00
More races
More World Trail Majors
Similar distance (100 km–100 miles)
Racing MIUT Legend 110 km?
Get a complete race strategy — pacing, fuelling, crew plan and the crux moments — built on this exact course.
Plan your race in Crux →Strava is your training. Crux is your races.