This February 6, 7 and 8, national and foreign athletes will run up to 160 kilometers in the mountains of the districts of La Palma, San Ignacio, Cítala and San Fernando, Chalatenango, El Salvador, as part of the Ultra Marathon El Salvador (ULTRAES), organized by Running for Life.
The seventh edition of the race will have distances of 2K, 5K, 12K, 25K, Ultra Distances 50K, 80K, 105K and 100 Miles, where participants will cover different types of terrain, with variable climates, areas where nature offers all its beauty, so it is the athlete’s obligation to take care of it and respect it.
The competition, in which they run up to 100 miles, makes it unique on a Central American scale, because no other country in the region has that long distance. In addition, it provides ITRA points and points for UTMB.
In the case of ITRA points, they are a way of classifying races based on a series of objective criteria, such as their gradient, the number of laps of a circuit, or logically, their distance, which attempt to assess its difficulty.
«The Ultra Marathon El Salvador is the most complete mountain race with international projection in the country. It was born in 2018 as an option to run long distances, with the municipalities of La Palma and San Ignacio as epicenters,” details the organizer, Elizar Rivas.
Throughout its history, UltraEs has had the participation of the best national runners in Central America, as well as athletes from various parts of the world, including Europe, Asia and North America, who in 2026 come to meet their goals in this challenge.
Rivas indicates that the competition takes place on two of the highest peaks in El Salvador: Cerro Miramundo and Pital, which at 2,730 meters above sea level is the highest peak in the country. In addition, participants pass through iconic places such as the Peña de Cayaguanca, the famous Piedra Rajada and the mythical Cerro de Chuntrum.
Those interested can visit for more details on registrations and their respective prices.
Security improvements have boosted the event
Rivas mentions that the situation of insecurity that El Salvador went through in previous years complicated the participation of athletes, both national and foreign, however, that changed with the implementation of President Nayib Bukele’s security strategy.
«Today more than ever it is much safer, so all that has helped. I think the issue of security and other policies have helped make the country more attractive. This also benefits all areas that have to do with tourism and trail running. The organization of events is closely linked to the tourism issue and I believe that is a great benefit for us as a country,” he emphasized.
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