Quito Trail Ecuador by UTMB®
Quito Trail Ecuador by UTMB® – 50K Nutria
Lloa Plaza → San Francisco
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The 50K Nutria is the middle-distance ultra of the Quito Trail Ecuador by UTMB® programme: 53 km from Lloa Plaza to San Francisco with 2,423 m of vertical gain and a high point of 3,753 m. It is the first Quito distance where the páramo — the high, treeless Andean moorland — becomes the centrepiece of the day, and where the sheer altitude turns a manageable-looking ultra into a serious mountain undertaking. Starting from the village of Lloa (3,061 m), the Nutria drops into a valley, climbs hard onto the páramo, and then traverses the high country above Quito before the familiar Cruz Loma summit and steep descent to San Francisco (2,827 m). Almost the entire route runs above 2,700 m, with long stretches beyond 3,500 m, so acclimatisation and patient pacing matter as much as raw fitness.
The course and terrain
From Lloa Plaza (3,061 m) the Nutria first drops to its lowest early point at Las Palmas, 16.9 km (2,733 m), losing more than 300 m of net height on the way in. From there it turns sharply upward, climbing to the Páramo checkpoint at 26.4 km (3,724 m) — a gain of nearly 1,000 m onto the high Andean moorland, and close to the day's 3,753 m high point. This is the defining terrain of the race: exposed, high, and demanding. Beyond the páramo the course descends to Chirincho at 34.4 km (3,304 m) and the Fan-Zone at 40.4 km (3,191 m) before the final rise to Cruz Loma at 48.2 km (3,571 m). From that last summit the route plunges roughly 745 m over the closing five kilometres to the finish at San Francisco (2,827 m). The profile is essentially a deep valley dip, one enormous climb to the páramo, a long high traverse, and a steep finishing descent.
Where the race is won and lost
The heart of the Nutria is the climb from Las Palmas (16.9 km, 2,733 m) to the Páramo (26.4 km, 3,724 m). Gaining almost 1,000 m to nearly 3,750 m in a single sustained effort — and doing it in the thin air of the Andes — is the hardest thing the course asks. Runners who descended too aggressively into Las Palmas, or who went out hard from Lloa, will pay for it on this wall. Climb it within yourself and the rest of the race stays open. The second pivot is the closing sequence over Cruz Loma. After the long high traverse through Chirincho and the Fan-Zone, the final pull to Cruz Loma at 48.2 km comes with tired legs, and then the 745 m drop to San Francisco puts every remaining descending muscle to the test. Holding back just enough on the páramo and through the mid-race high ground so you can still run the final descent is the tactical key to a strong Nutria.
Pacing and fuelling
Lloa Plaza is a crew point, so make full use of it before the start. The race then runs to cut-offs at the Fan-Zone (40.4 km) at Sat 14:00, Cruz Loma (48.2 km) at Sat 16:00 and the finish at San Francisco at Sat 17:00. The long unsupported effort out to Las Palmas and up onto the páramo comes before those checkpoints, so bank time carefully early rather than chasing the clock late. Aid spacing is generous in the second half but sparse across the crux: from Las Palmas (16.9 km) you tackle the big climb to the Páramo (26.4 km) and continue to Chirincho (34.4 km) before reaching well-supported ground at the Fan-Zone (40.4 km). Carry enough fluid and calories to cover that high, exposed block. At altitude your gut works slowly, so start fuelling early and keep it steady — small, frequent intakes beat large ones. Top up fully at Cruz Loma before the final descent, where there is no more aid to the line.
Conditions to expect
This is a high-altitude race in the truest sense. The Nutria spends long stretches above 3,500 m and tops out at 3,753 m on the páramo, with even its lowest points — Las Palmas at 2,733 m and the 2,827 m finish — sitting higher than many mountains elsewhere. The thin air slows every climb, elevates heart rate and stretches recovery, so anyone arriving without meaningful acclimatisation should expect the páramo climb in particular to feel brutal. The páramo itself is open, treeless moorland where weather changes fast and wind and cold arrive without warning, and the same exposure applies to the high traverse and Cruz Loma. Pack proper layers for the summits and the fast, chilled final descent, and be ready for conditions up top to bear little resemblance to the valley. Manage the altitude and the exposure well, and the Nutria delivers one of the most striking high-Andean days in the UTMB calendar.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 3061 m · —
16.9 km · 2733 m · —
26.4 km · 3724 m · —
34.4 km · 3304 m · —
40.4 km · 3191 m · Sat 14:00
48.2 km · 3571 m · Sat 16:00
53 km · 2827 m · Sat 17:00
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