Travessa Mallorca 2027: dates and four Tramuntana routes

Plan your race pace

The third edition of Travessa Mallorca Serra de Tramuntana has been announced for April 9 and 10, 2027, with four routes converging on Peguera, in the municipality of Calvià. The main race will start in Pollença and cover 122 kilometres, while the other events offer 72-, 45- and 23-kilometre courses through Mallorca’s mountain range and its surroundings.

The biggest challenge is the long crossing, marketed as the 120K: it combines 4,900 metres of elevation gain, an 8 p.m. start and a maximum completion time of 25 hours. A relay option for two to four runners has also been announced. The 70K, 45K and 22K events complete a programme that lets participants explore the same landscape through very different sporting commitments.

Organised by Elitechip and presented with title sponsorship from Fenie Energía, the event uses the GR-221, or Dry Stone Route, as its backbone. Its appeal goes beyond mileage: it crosses a cultural landscape recognised by UNESCO in 2011, where paths, agricultural terraces and traditional structures reveal much of the historical relationship between Mallorca and its mountain landscape.

The available information establishes the dates, general starting locations and main features of each event, but it does not replace the final race regulations. Entry fees, mandatory equipment, support locations and start times for every distance are not detailed in the supplied information. That distinction between an announcement and final conditions is particularly important for an event of this duration.

The four events share a destination, but not a starting point. Pollença will host the start of the long crossing; Port de Sóller, the 72-kilometre event; Port d’Andratx, the 45-kilometre race; and Coll de sa Gramola, the 23-kilometre route. The announced finish is at Plaça Torà in Peguera. This makes it a point-to-point race, rather than a loop that returns runners to wherever they left their belongings.

That layout has a practical consequence: logistics are part of preparation. Staying near the finish, booking accommodation close to the start or travelling between the two involves different decisions. For runners coming from the Valencian Community or elsewhere on mainland Spain, a flight or ferry ticket only gets them to Mallorca; they still need to coordinate travel within the island with their event’s specific schedule.

The difference between each commercial name and its announced route deserves attention before comparing races. The 120K covers 122 kilometres; the 70K covers 72; and the 22K covers 23. The 45-kilometre event, meanwhile, matches its name. These are not interchangeable measurements: in mountain running, even a small increase in distance can add time when it comes after many hours of accumulated fatigue.

The Pollença start offers the fullest expression of the event: a long crossing of the Serra de Tramuntana to Peguera, with overnight effort beginning in its early hours. The 4,900 metres of climbing are not a minor detail beside the 122 kilometres. Together, the two figures define the workload, as elevation gain requires runners to alternate running and walking and shapes energy management far more than an isolated pace figure.

The announced 25-hour limit works out at an average of roughly 4.9 kilometres per hour over the published distance. That calculation includes all elapsed time, not just movement: eating, refilling water, dealing with discomfort or stopping at a support point also uses minutes. It is a useful mathematical reference, but it does not describe a constant speed that can be maintained evenly across different gradients and surfaces.

The 8 p.m. start makes darkness a central part of the race, rather than a possibility reserved for later finishers. A runner may feel comfortable on a trail in daylight yet find it much more demanding within a headlamp’s beam. Their view of the terrain narrows, attention becomes more focused and ground visibility becomes as important as the ability to keep moving.

The overnight experience also changes eating and rest patterns. The body has to keep working during hours normally spent asleep, and food is not always appealing when tiredness increases. As general preparation, practising night outings and testing tolerable foods provides more useful information than relying on improvisation. It does not guarantee a finish, but it helps runners recognise some night-time challenges beforehand.

The option to complete the 122 kilometres as a relay offers a different way to take part. Announced teams can have between two and four members, although the available information does not specify exchange locations or how the sections are divided. Runners should therefore not assume that each participant will cover an equal share: the relay leg allocation depends on the conditions established by the organiser.

Alongside running, a team needs to coordinate timing and transport. A delay on one leg can change the next runner’s waiting time; an overly ambitious start can pass fatigue and delays on to the whole group. The format changes the experience of the crossing, but it does not remove the demands of the terrain. Its distinctive feature is turning a long distance into a shared effort, with interconnected sporting and logistical responsibilities.

The Mitja Travessa, labelled 70K, announces 72 kilometres from Port de Sóller and 3,000 metres of elevation change. It is shorter than the main event, but it still belongs firmly in ultrarunning territory. Reducing the distance does not make it an easy option: it still requires sustained endurance, resilience on descents and the ability to regulate effort through a day in the mountains whose duration will vary considerably between participants.

For someone already familiar with races of around 40 or 50 kilometres, moving up to 72 is not simply a slightly longer version of the same experience. As the hours pass, fatigue affects technique, regular eating becomes more important and the consequences of starting too quickly increase. The middle distance occupies its own space between a mountain marathon and the 122-kilometre crossing, without reproducing either event’s demands exactly.

The Marató Travessa Mallorca will start in Port d’Andratx and announces 45 kilometres with 1,500 metres of elevation change. Its name places the event in marathon territory, but the route is 2.805 kilometres longer than the 42.195 kilometres of a road marathon. That difference, combined with the terrain, makes direct comparisons with road times unhelpful: the surface and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in gradient also matter.

A runner used to continuous road runs may find that climbs interrupt their rhythm and descents load their legs in an unfamiliar way. The watch still measures minutes per kilometre, although that figure loses some of its usefulness when the path steepens. Over 45 kilometres, walking certain climbs can be an efficient choice, rather than necessarily a sign of poor performance.

The shortest option is named Mitja Marató Travessa Mallorca 22, but its published distance is 23 kilometres, with 650 metres of elevation change and a start at Coll de sa Gramola. It demands less time and endurance than the other three events. Even so, it is not equivalent to a 21.0975-kilometre urban half-marathon, nor should runners assume low difficulty simply because it is the programme’s entry-level distance.

Those 23 kilometres may suit runners who already use trails and want to participate without tackling an ultra. The choice should nevertheless reflect experience on uneven ground, not just the longest distance completed on asphalt. Familiarity with changing foot placements, gradients and descents carries a significance that a road personal best does not capture in a comparison of finish times.

The elevation figures also need careful interpretation. The main race explicitly specifies 4,900 metres of ascent; for the other distances, the supplied information refers to announced or accumulated elevation without providing the full profile. A total figure does not reveal whether climbs are concentrated early, spread throughout or placed near the finish. Assessing that distribution requires the final course profile, alongside descriptions of the sections.

The GR-221 gives the race more than a recognisable route. The Dry Stone Route connects hiking with a historical way of shaping the landscape through walls, terraces and stone-built paths. For runners, these features become immediate landmarks: a bend beside a wall, an uneven step, a cultivated slope. Everyday heritage appears right at shoe level.

The Serra de Tramuntana’s inclusion on the World Heritage List recognises it as a cultural landscape. It does not mean UNESCO certifies the race organisation or endorses its safety arrangements. The designation explains the value of the territory crossed and its relationship with human activity. Keeping those two matters separate avoids confusing a heritage designation with a sporting guarantee involving different responsibilities and procedures.

The landscape also includes traditional water-management systems linked to farming and the need to manage a limited resource. The race therefore passes through an inhabited and worked environment, not an empty backdrop. Respecting paths, gates and access instructions is part of coexisting with that setting, as is the basic obligation to leave no litter along the route.

Spring makes the calendar appealing, but April does not allow anyone to promise specific weather months in advance. Mountain conditions can combine dampness, wind and temperature changes that become particularly noticeable when slowing down or stopping. Equipment preparation should account for that variability rather than turn a sunny image of Mallorca into a forecast. Time on the course and exposure matter as much as the temperature at the start.

For the overnight event, reliable lighting and a backup solution have clear value, although mandatory equipment must follow the edition’s regulations. The same applies to protective clothing, water reserves and safety items. These needs must be distinguished from an official kit list not yet detailed in the available information: a general recommendation is not a confirmed requirement.

Shoes should likewise be chosen for the conditions in which they will actually be used. A model comfortable on roads may behave differently on stone, dirt or wet surfaces; an aggressively lugged shoe is not automatically best for every distance. Fit after several hours, stability and grip deserve as much attention as weight. Wearing important new equipment on race day adds avoidable uncertainty to an already complex effort.

Food calls for the same approach: familiarity before novelty. On long routes, the goal is not merely to carry products, but to be able to eat them when tiredness or digestive discomfort arrives. Aid-station locations and available foods will shape that planning, but those details are absent from the supplied announcement. Without them, it would be irresponsible to calculate self-sufficiency between checkpoints or promise that a particular product will be provided.

The long race’s overall 25-hour limit also does not reveal any intermediate cut-offs. A race may impose checkpoint deadlines before the final finish, and those margins change how effort needs to be distributed. Until the final conditions are available, the published figure should be understood as the announced overall maximum, not a guarantee that any distribution of time allows a runner to remain in the race.

The registration information announces an August opening, but provides no entry fee and does not by itself confirm current bib availability. It also gives no details on entry limits, distance changes, refunds or relay conditions. A reliable price therefore cannot be assigned to any event. The race fee must also be separated from the travel budget, which includes transport, accommodation and local journeys.

For runners travelling from Valencia, Alicante or Castellón, the choice of distance also affects their stay. An ultra with an evening start requires thought about rest beforehand and recovery afterwards, not simply arriving on time. Scheduling the return trip immediately after a long crossing can leave little room for delays or exhaustion. Sensible planning allows time for rest after the effort without assuming transport schedules that have not yet been checked.

The shared finish at Plaça Torà brings together runners from very different routes. The announcement mentions a trophy presentation, live music and a closing celebration, although these elements should not be mistaken for a final timed programme. From a sporting perspective, the meeting point has another meaning: people starting in different places eventually gather at the same finish in Peguera, with experiences that are difficult to compare through the stopwatch alone.

Choosing between 23, 45, 72 and 122 kilometres means deciding what kind of effort can be sustained confidently. The longest event is not necessarily the most suitable choice for the fastest road runner, nor does the shortest lack sporting value. The best fit depends on recent experience, available training time and the ability to arrive with adequate preparation, without turning distance into a personal hierarchy.

The third Travessa Mallorca offers a long and demanding way to explore the mountains, with four starts and one shared destination. The dates and main figures already allow runners to place it on their 2027 calendar; the regulations and operational information will need to fill in what remains unspecified. Between Pollença and Peguera, its appeal lies in the combination of endurance and landscape that makes a crossing more than a sum of kilometres.

Este artículo contiene enlaces de afiliado: si compras a través de ellos, se genera una pequeña comisión sin coste adicional para ti. Más información.