Quito Trail Ecuador by UTMB®
Quito Trail Ecuador by UTMB® – 20K Quinde
Lloa Plaza → San Francisco
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The 20K Quinde is the shortest race in the Quito Trail Ecuador by UTMB® programme, running 20 km from Lloa Plaza to San Francisco with 785 m of vertical gain and a high point of 3,576 m. It is a short distance on paper, but every metre of it sits at serious altitude — the lowest point on the whole route is the 2,827 m finish — so it plays far tougher than its numbers suggest. The course is point-to-point, starting in the village of Lloa at 3,061 m, climbing steadily up the flank of the mountains above Quito to Cruz Loma, then dropping sharply to San Francisco. For runners acclimatised to the thin air it rewards a strong hill climb and confident descending; for anyone arriving from lower ground, it is a demanding introduction to running near 3,600 m.
The course and terrain
From the start line at Lloa Plaza (3,061 m) the route works its way upward through the Fan-Zone at 7.2 km (3,192 m) — only a gentle 131 m of net gain over the opening stretch — before the ground tilts up in earnest toward Cruz Loma at 15.1 km (3,571 m). That upper section is the meat of the day: the trail gains close to 380 m over roughly eight kilometres to reach the high point of 3,576 m. Everything here happens in rarefied air, and the terrain sits well above the tree line for much of the climb. Once over the top the character of the race flips completely. From Cruz Loma the course drops to the Mirador de Humboldt at 16.9 km (3,249 m) and then plunges to the finish at San Francisco (2,827 m). That final descent sheds 744 m in the last five kilometres — a steep, sustained downhill that punishes quads and demands good footing right to the line.
Where the race is won and lost
There are two decisive moments. The first is the pull from the Fan-Zone (7.2 km, 3,192 m) up to Cruz Loma (15.1 km, 3,571 m). It is not enormous by ultra standards, but climbing 379 m to nearly 3,600 m saps anyone who has gone out too hard on the flatter opening kilometres. Managing effort — and breathing — on this climb is what separates a controlled run from a walk of survival near the summit. The second is the descent off Cruz Loma to the finish. Losing 744 m over the closing five kilometres, through the Mirador de Humboldt and down to San Francisco, is where time is genuinely made or given away. Runners with strong, relaxed downhill legs can claw back big chunks here; those already cooked by the altitude on the climb will find the steep drop hammers tired quads. Save something for it.
Pacing and fuelling
The Quinde has a tight, simple timetable: a cut-off at Cruz Loma (15.1 km) of Sat 11:30 and a finish cut-off at San Francisco of Sat 12:30. With only an hour allotted for the final descent, you cannot afford to arrive at Cruz Loma on empty — reach the summit with enough in the tank to run the downhill cleanly rather than pick your way down it. Aid comes at the Fan-Zone (7.2 km) and again at Cruz Loma (15.1 km), so plan to be self-sufficient on fluid and calories across the two longest gaps — the roughly 7 km to the Fan-Zone and the 8 km climb beyond it to the summit. At altitude, appetite and absorption both suffer, so favour steady, easy-to-stomach carbohydrate and drink consistently rather than waiting until you feel thirsty. The Mirador de Humboldt sits between Cruz Loma and the line but the smart plan is to have topped off before you begin the final plunge.
Conditions to expect
Altitude is the headline. The entire route runs between 2,827 m and 3,576 m, so even the 'low' points are higher than most European or North American trail summits. Oxygen is markedly thinner than at sea level, which slows climbing paces, raises heart rate and lengthens recovery between efforts. If you are travelling to race, arriving with time to acclimatise in Quito — or coming in already used to elevation — makes an enormous difference to how the climb to Cruz Loma feels. Exposed high ground above the tree line also means the weather can turn quickly near the top, so a packable layer for the summit and the fast, wind-chilled descent is sensible even on a warm morning in the valley. The combination of thin air on the way up and a long, quad-loading drop on the way down defines the Quinde: respect both and the short distance becomes a genuinely satisfying mountain race.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 3061 m · —
7.2 km · 3192 m · —
15.1 km · 3571 m · Sat 11:30
16.9 km · 3249 m · —
20 km · 2827 m · Sat 12:30
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