Quindío Trail Colombia by UTMB
Quindío Trail Colombia by UTMB – Ultra Buenavista 122K
Buenavista → Salento
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Ultra Buenavista 122K is the flagship distance of Quindío Trail Colombia by UTMB, running point-to-point from Buenavista to Salento. Over 122 km the course packs in 5923 m of climbing and tops out at 2732 m, while the start and finish sit at relatively modest elevations of 1477 m and 1991 m — meaning the route is constantly rising and falling rather than settling into one long grind. With a single cut-off at the Salento finish (Day 06:00), this is a race that rewards runners who understand where the effort really needs to go.
The Course: Buenavista to Salento
This is a point-to-point ultra, not a loop, and the numbers tell you what kind of day it is: 122 km with 5923 m of vertical gain, funneled between a start at 1477 m in Buenavista and a finish at 1991 m in Salento, with the course's high point reaching 2732 m somewhere in between. That gap between start/finish elevation and the high point means the route isn't a steady climb to a summit and back down — it's a repeated pattern of ascent and descent stacked across the full distance, which is exactly why the D+ total is so high relative to the distance. With only two official checkpoints listed — the Buenavista start and the Salento finish — runners need to treat the middle of the course as a long, self-sufficient stretch. There's no way to sugarcoat 5923 m of climbing over 122 km: it's a course that punishes anyone who arrives at halfway already spent.
Where the Race Is Actually Decided
The single biggest lesson from runners who've done well here is that the opening kilometers out of Buenavista are a trap. The early terrain feels open and fast, and it's tempting to bank time while legs are fresh — but every meter spent overcooking the first third has to be repaid later, on a course that keeps climbing toward that 2732 m high point and never really lets up. The runners who've nailed this race describe a deliberately patient, almost conservative opening half, treating it as a deposit rather than a race — then using that reserve to close hard once the terrain and fatigue start working against everyone else. Practically, that means resisting the urge to race the early climbs and descents around Buenavista, and instead running within yourself until you're clearly past the course's toughest vertical stretch near the high point. The second half — the long drop and grind into Salento — is where the accumulated D+ finally breaks the field apart, and it's where a controlled first half pays off in a strong, rather than a survived, finish.
Pacing and Fueling the Distance
Given the 5923 m D+ and the single distant cut-off at Salento (Day 06:00), this is a race to run on effort, not pace-per-kilometer. Treat the early sections conservatively — even sociably — rather than chasing splits, because the terrain later in the course punishes anyone who arrives depleted. The proven approach here is to go 'too easy' early on purpose: it feels wrong in the moment but it's what funds a strong second half instead of a defensive one. Because there's a long stretch between the two listed checkpoints, plan your fueling and hydration around self-sufficiency rather than assuming frequent aid. Break the second half into manageable blocks — mentally treating tough sections as 'two more climbs and I'm close' rather than fixating on the full remaining distance — so fatigue and heat late in the race feel managed rather than overwhelming.
Conditions to Expect
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 1474 m · —
6 km · 1649 m · —
22.6 km · 1537 m · —
36 km · 1420 m · —
47 km · 1579 m · —
59.2 km · 1565 m · —
72.8 km · 1620 m · —
83.2 km · 1809 m · —
92 km · 1818 m · —
100.9 km · 2137 m · —
106.9 km · 1957 m · —
116.1 km · 2488 m · —
122.6 km · 1991 m · Sat 18:00
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