RacesCanary Islands
Transvulcania
Demand
4 out of 5
How much it asks
Worth
5 out of 5
Worth the flight + fee
La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Scorecard · is it worth it?
Worth the flight if the mountains match what you want.
The card
Transvulcania is the island 50-miler that is allowed to be worth 5. Demand is 4: about 73 kilometers across La Palma, sea to the Caldera de Taburiente rim around Roque de los Muchachos and down again, on the order of 4,350 meters of climb, volcanic rock, heat on the descents, a point-to-point that does not let you learn a loop. It is not 5 because it is not a 100 and because altitude is Atlantic 2,400 meters rather than a 14er. It is not a 3 because this distance, on this surface, is a mountain race that has been eating road-trained people for years.
Worth is 5 because the volcano is the product. There is no mainland substitute for this line. People fly to the Canaries for it, and they should if they wanted this sport. The asterisk is ownership: Transvulcania is a UTMB World Series event. Stones, Index, a commercial weekend. Value is a 3. We listed the overlay. We did not hide it, and we did not drop worth because the logo is loud. Promoters cannot buy the caldera. They can make the entry a circuit problem. They have. Organization confidence is high.
The next date is not yet posted by the RD. If you wanted Madeira, MIUT is the other Atlantic island card in this batch, longer and a 5/5. If you wanted Réunion, that is an icon and a different ocean. If you wanted Chamonix, look at CCC. Transvulcania is the volcanic 50-miler. Destination, worth 5, demand 4. A Golden Ticket it is not. A mountain it is.
Who it is for
Mountain-trail runners who want a volcanic 73 km that climbs like a longer race, and who will take an island flight to get a caldera in the middle of the day.
Who should skip
Anyone who wanted a runnable island 50, or anyone who will be unhappy on volcanic rock in the sun after a 2,400 m rim.
Weekend
Official handbook facts
- Start
- 06:00
- Tracker
- Open
Transvulcania Ultramarathon official kilometric points / start · retrieved 2026-09-06 (repo record)
Field
Last editions · 50M scored distance
Field evidence: who showed up, who finished, how long. DNF is that evidence, not a difficulty score. Public results, scored distance only.
2026
- Starters
- 1,073
- Finishers
- 934
- DNF
- 13%
- Win
- 6:32:24
- Median
- 12:45:53
2025
- Starters
- 1,000
- Finishers
- 794
- DNF
- 21%
- Win
- 6:55:36
- Median
- 12:27:07
2024
- Starters
- 909
- Finishers
- 765
- DNF
- 16%
- Win
- 7:03:10
- Median
- 12:57:12
LiveTrail race stats for starters/finishers/DNF. Median from finish classement times.
Overall field only. Not a pro or sponsored subset.
Climate
Typical May at the start area · historical race-week weather
- Typical high
- 69°F (21°C)
- Typical low
- 55°F (13°C)
- Typical precip
- 0.90 in (23 mm) / May
- Days with rain
- 16% of days
- High point
- 7,959 ft (2,426 m)
2015–2024 May means at the start / massif. · Open-Meteo ERA5 / climate · retrieved 2026-09-06 (repo record)
Map
Dimensions
Ten 1–5 scores with a one-line why. Organization has a separate confidence tag.
Supporting dimensions · organization confidence high
About 73 km, sea to caldera to sea. A mountain 50-miler that behaves like a longer race.
On the order of 4,350 m of climb in that distance. Density is the demand.
Volcanic rock, steep, technical descents. Not a runnable island 50.
May on La Palma: sun, wind, heat on the descents, cold on the rim. Atlantic volcanic weather.
Roque de los Muchachos around 2,400 m. Alpine enough, not Colorado-thin.
Island flight, stones if you play the circuit, a point-to-point shuttle problem.
A historic skyrunning/ultra field on a volcanic island. Circuit-owned now, still a destination start list.
UTMB World Series machine on a famous line. Competent, commercial.
Circuit tax for a unique island. Worth 5 is the volcano, not the logo.
Caldera de Taburiente, black rock, Atlantic. There is no mainland substitute.
| Dimension | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
Distance & format How much does the advertised distance and format actually ask? | 4 out of 5 | About 73 km, sea to caldera to sea. A mountain 50-miler that behaves like a longer race. |
Vertical How serious is the climbing, not just the mile marker? | 4 out of 5 | On the order of 4,350 m of climb in that distance. Density is the demand. |
Technicality Hands, poles, route-finding, or just a long dirt road? | 4 out of 5 | Volcanic rock, steep, technical descents. Not a runnable island 50. |
Climate Heat, monsoon, ice, or a friendly summer afternoon? | 4 out of 5 | May on La Palma: sun, wind, heat on the descents, cold on the rim. Atlantic volcanic weather. |
Altitude Does the air change the race, or is it a talking point? | 3 out of 5 | Roque de los Muchachos around 2,400 m. Alpine enough, not Colorado-thin. |
Logistics How hard is the weekend around the race: travel, crew, lodging, rules? | 4 out of 5 | Island flight, stones if you play the circuit, a point-to-point shuttle problem. |
Prestige & field Does the start list and history change what the weekend feels like? | 4 out of 5 | A historic skyrunning/ultra field on a volcanic island. Circuit-owned now, still a destination start list. |
Organization From public evidence, does the event look competently run? | 4 out of 5 | UTMB World Series machine on a famous line. Competent, commercial. |
Value Entry fee, travel tax, and lottery friction versus what you get on course. | 3 out of 5 | Circuit tax for a unique island. Worth 5 is the volcano, not the logo. |
Adventure & scenery Would you fly for the place even if nobody kept score? | 5 out of 5 | Caldera de Taburiente, black rock, Atlantic. There is no mainland substitute. |