Torrencial Chile by UTMB
Torrencial Chile by UTMB – COLLICO 21K
Collico
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The COLLICO 21K is the short-course entry to Torrencial Chile by UTMB, a 20 km route based around Collico with 708 m of climbing and a modest high point of 325 m. Starting from near sea level, it is a low-altitude trail race whose difficulty comes not from height but from a single sustained climb early on and the long descent that follows. With only a couple of checkpoints along the way, this is a straightforward course to read: get up to the high ground, then bring it home. It suits runners looking for a punchy half-marathon-distance introduction to the Torrencial trails without committing to the longer distances.
The course and terrain
The race begins low, at just 14 m, and spends its first half climbing. The Collico checkpoint at 11.5 km sits at 322 m, close to the course high point of 325 m, so the opening two thirds of the route are effectively one long, rolling ascent that gains more than 300 m net. Because the total climb of 708 m is more than double that net gain, expect the climb to come in undulating steps rather than one clean gradient. From Collico the course tips downhill and runs 8 km back down to the finish at 19.6 km and 24 m, giving back nearly all the elevation it took to earn. In short, this is a climb-then-descend shape: front-loaded effort to the high point, then a long controlled drop to the line near where you started.
Where the race is won and lost
With the elevation concentrated into a single main climb, the race is decided by how you manage that ascent to Collico. Push too hard on the way up and the rolling nature of the climb, with its repeated short rises adding up to 708 m of total gain, will leave you flat for the descent. Ride it too cautiously and you cede time you cannot easily win back on the downhill. The descent from Collico (322 m) to the finish (24 m) is the other half of the equation. It is long enough, roughly 8 km, that quad strength and downhill control decide who holds their pace to the line and who fades. Runners who arrive at the high point with legs still willing to run downhill fast are the ones who finish strong.
How to pace and fuel it
The course carries two cut-offs: Collico at 11.5 km must be reached by Sat 13:40, and the finish closes at Sat 16:00. That leaves a defined window to cover the 8 km descent after the climb, so the priority is simply to reach Collico with margin and legs intact. For most runners the ascent is the time-limiting section, so treat the Collico cut-off as your key checkpoint and manage effort to clear it comfortably. Because the distance is short, fuelling is simple but not optional: take on water and some calories on the way up, where the work is hardest, and use the Collico checkpoint to top up before the long descent. Carry enough fluid to cover the full climb, since that is the stretch where you will need it most.
Conditions to expect
This is a low-elevation course throughout, running between roughly 14 m and 325 m, so altitude plays no part in the challenge. What matters is the terrain and the single sustained climb, which concentrates the effort into the first half of the race. With the cut-offs falling across the middle of a Saturday, plan for the descent to come during the warmer part of the day and hydrate accordingly on the climb. Because the grounding data covers only the start, the Collico high point and the finish, treat the between-checkpoint terrain as unknown and pace conservatively on first acquaintance. Arriving at Collico under control, then descending with confidence, is the reliable way to a solid finish on this course.
Race Torrencial Chile by UTMB – COLLICO 21K 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 (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 14 m · —
11.5 km · 322 m · Sat 13:40
19.6 km · 24 m · Sat 16:00
More races
More UTMB World Series
More in Chile
Similar distance (20–50 km)
Racing Torrencial Chile by UTMB – COLLICO 21K?
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.