Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB®
Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB® – TENERIFE BLUETRAIL 47k
PINOLERE → Puerto De La Cruz
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Tenerife Bluetrail 47k by UTMB is the mid-distance option on Tenerife's flagship trail weekend, a point-to-point run from the inland village of Pinolere (760 m) down to the Atlantic at Puerto de la Cruz (6 m). Across 47 km it climbs 2280 m and tops out at 1687 m, a profile that stacks a big early ascent against a long, sustained plunge to the coast. The race is structured around one dominant summit, Picachos at 1686 m, reached at 18.1 km, followed by an enormous descent that loses more than 1600 m of altitude on the way to the sea. It is a course that asks two very different questions of a runner: can you climb strongly to the high point in the first third, and can your legs survive the pounding of the descent that follows? With cut-offs running from late morning into the evening, it is a full mountain day that ends with your feet in the coastal town of Puerto de la Cruz.
The course: Pinolere to Puerto de la Cruz
The 47k runs from Pinolere at 760 m to Puerto de la Cruz at sea level, taking in six checkpoints on the way: La Caldera at 6.4 km (1114 m), Picachos at 18.1 km (1686 m), Base del Asomadero at 29.4 km (474 m), Tigaiga at 37 km (285 m), Marítim at 42.9 km (49 m) and the finish at 46.6 km (6 m). The shape is straightforward to read but hard to run: up first, then down hard. From the start the trail climbs almost continuously, gaining more than 900 m to La Caldera and then pushing on to the course high point at Picachos, 1686 m at 18.1 km. From there the route reverses character completely, shedding altitude all the way to the coast, from 1686 m at Picachos to 474 m at Asomadero, 285 m at Tigaiga, and down to sea level through Marítim. Expect the higher pine-forest and volcanic slopes of Tenerife up top, transitioning to warmer, lower terrain as you close on Puerto de la Cruz.
Where the race is decided: the climb to Picachos and the drop that follows
The single decisive feature is Picachos at 18.1 km, the 1686 m high point that caps a long climb of roughly 926 m from the Pinolere start. Getting there under control, rather than emptying the tank on the ascent, sets up everything that comes after. Runners who over-push the climb often pay for it on the descent, where there is nowhere to hide. That descent is the race's defining challenge. From Picachos the course drops around 1200 m in just over 11 km to Base del Asomadero at 474 m, a brutally steep and sustained loss on volcanic footing, before continuing down through Tigaiga (285 m) to the sea. This is where the 47k is truly won or lost: quads that are still functional at Asomadero can carry real speed through Tigaiga and Marítim to the line, while blown legs turn the final descent into a survival march. Braking economy and foot placement matter far more here than fitness alone.
Pacing and fueling around the cut-offs
The cut-off schedule shapes the day: La Caldera at Sat 10:35, Picachos at Sat 13:20, Base del Asomadero at Sat 15:30, Tigaiga at Sat 18:30, and the finish at Puerto de la Cruz at Sat 20:30. The tight early checkpoints, La Caldera before 10:35 and Picachos by 13:20, mean you cannot afford to be slow on the opening climb; buffer built early on the ascent is buffer you will want for the descent. Aid is spaced roughly 6 to 12 km apart, with the longest carry between La Caldera (6.4 km) and Picachos (18.1 km) high on the mountain. Fuel hard on the early climb while your stomach is settled and the effort is aerobic, then use Asomadero and Tigaiga to rehydrate for the warm, low-altitude run-in. Because the back half is dominated by descending, calorie absorption gets harder as the pounding accumulates, so front-load nutrition on the climb rather than relying on eating during the steepest drops. Plan fluids for the warmer coastal checkpoints below 300 m, where heat and effort combine.
Conditions to expect
As a start-high, finish-at-sea-level course, the 47k spans a wide range of conditions. Around the Picachos high point at 1686 m the air is cooler and more exposed, while the lower checkpoints, Tigaiga at 285 m and Marítim at 49 m, sit in warmer, more humid coastal air. The day runs from a morning start through to a Sat 20:30 finish, so most runners will handle the descent in daylight, but slower finishers should still carry a headlamp for the closing stretch into Puerto de la Cruz. Underfoot, expect the loose, rocky volcanic terrain characteristic of Tenerife's northern slopes, particularly demanding on the long descent from Picachos to Asomadero. The combination of steep gradient, technical footing and accumulating fatigue makes the middle-to-late descent the most hazardous part of the course. Prepare for temperature swings between the high point and the coast, protect your quads with disciplined descending, and treat the volcanic surface with respect when your legs begin to tire on the way down to the sea.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 760 m · —
6.4 km · 1114 m · Sat 10:35
18.1 km · 1686 m · Sat 13:20
29.4 km · 474 m · Sat 15:30
37 km · 285 m · Sat 18:30
42.9 km · 49 m · —
46.6 km · 6 m · Sat 20:30
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