The most demanding Ultra Trail competition in Spain has just launched its third edition, encompassing nutritional study, race circuits and permanent sports centres in the mountains.
The Alpinultras project is dedicated all year round to promoting great mountain traverses and the territories who host them. The 2018 edition launch took place yesterday in the Regional Government of Huesca, providing many new features regarding the second edition. The event was attended by Marino Pérez as director of Desafio El Cainejo, Asier Uriarte from Nafarroa Xtrem and Alex Varela of Canfranc-Canfranc, along with the director of Alpinultras Sergio Garasa, with Deputy of Finance Fernando Sánchez as host.
For the 2018 edition the three pillars of the project are in line with previous years:
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The nutritional study to ensure optimum health among participants, carried out together with Nutriexper specialists.
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The racing series with three events held first at Navarra Pyrenees, then on to Picos de Europa and final leg at Aragón Pyrenees
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The development of two permanent Alpinultras centers in mountain villages, both at Canfranc (Huesca province) and Zubiri (Navarra province).
Alpinultras races are, according to 2016-2017 data, the most demanding mountain races series in Spain: Two out of the three are acknowledged by ITRA amongst the three “most technical” in the country, according to their mountain points criteria. Also, because they are held in high mountains means that organizers at Canfranc review every entry application and only allow those whose previous background justifies it to run it. Finally, it is necessary to complete the three races in a year year to go on and be crowned as “Alpino”. Around 200 veteran ultrarunners were accepted to enter each year. Only nine people got it in the inaugural edition. Only seven did it last year.
In 2018 the challenge involves overcoming at least 219 kilometers of trails through the mountains, climbing no less than 18,000 meters, the equivalent of a double ascent from the sea to the top of Mount Everest. This third edition offers an odyssey that starts at Zubiri, among the green valleys and peaks of the Navarra Pyrenees, then it goes on to visit the ferocious “Canales” of Cain at the Picos de Europa only to close the trip after a spectacular journey over the ridges among the Aragon Pyrenees that link the Formigal, Astún and Candanchu SKI stations, up to 3.000 meters high and where last year the pelotón endured 30cm of fresh snowfall in early September.
The Alpinultras permanent Trail centres are the big long-term objective. Starting in the spring, special services will be started in Canfranc, and later Zubiri, both with the objective of operating throughout the year. Creation and beaconing of network of footpaths for walking and running; local information centre for the runner and mountaineer; non-competitive events during the year and guided excursions with the area's grassroots are some of the services that will be offered to promote all year round the mountain regions that host Alpinultras.
Alpinultras Studies: knowing ourselves better, to be able to enjoy more of the mountain. Since 2016 the Project has developed advanced studies in that field. The first one was carried out in 2016 together with the European University of Madrid on the physiology and impact of the UltraTrail. 2018 will see the start of a second phase, focused on optimal sports nutrition before, during and after each crossing, with Nutriexper team as implements.
