In the year 2015, Ultra Fiord® was the first trail-running event with a distance of 100-Miles in Southern Patagonia, Chile. During its short history, the event has brought together runners from more than 30 countries, all of whom has traveled to the Patagonia’s extreme south to fulfill this dream of running in one of the planet’s most pristine places. A few notable runners that have passed through these Ultra Fiord territories are Jeff Browning (USA), Xavier Thevenard (France), Benoit Girondel (France), Philipp Reiter (Germany), Kirssy Moehl (USA), Ragna Debats (Netherlands), Nikki Kimball (USA), Pere Aurell (Spain), Genís Zapater (Spain), Fernando Nazário (Brazil), Manu Vilaseca (Brazil) and Piotr Hercog (Poland), among others.
The base city is Puerto Natales, located 250 km to the north of Punta Arenas, the capital of the region. Geographically, the event takes place in the extreme south of the American continent, at 51° south latitude, in a privileged location of Western Patagonia, located to the east of the Great Southern Ice Field and in the surroundings of Torres del Paine National Park, Providence of Última Esperanza (Last Hope), Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region.
Sine its origin, Ultra Fiord surprised the trail running world with its trails in one of the most remote and wild zones throughout Patagonia. A few of the most iconic images have been of the high-mountain passes, the glacier crossings, the pristine forests, and the views towards and fjords and mountains in Torres del Paine National Park. The event’s character is marked by the extreme weather conditions in southern Patagonia, which at times can be very hostile.
In its first five editions the event took place in the month of April (Autumn) and featured distances ranging from 30km to 100 Miles. However, in the new race model, which will launch in February 2022 (Summer), the longer distances have been shortened, but the event’s most emblematic geographical area will remain intact. In this new format, there will be four available race options: 16K, 30K, 42K & 55K. In Ultra Fiord, the levels of difficulty don’t only depend on the distance and altimetry, as the conditions of the surrounding terrain are the most relevant factors, in addition to including as a variable the weather conditions on race day. All race options require prior experience and involve going through a selection process in order to complete registration.
Ultra Fiord is a unique and unforgettable experience, but at the moment of deciding whether to participate, it is very important to consider that this event has been designed for mountain runners with experience. The race routes penetrate mountainous areas that are both in the wild and without vehicle access. In addition, the climate is restless, and can even sometimes become hostile. Therefore, before making the decision to register, we invite you to review all of the available information on this page and even invite you to write us expressing any and all concerns. Even though you must pass a selection process to register for the race, the most important aspect of registration is that you have the security that you are preparing for this challenge!
