Transvulcania 2014

Saturday is the famous Transvulcania. Crazy people will be running an ultramarathon around La Palma.

The main race starts at 6 am down at the lighthouse at the southern tip of the island. The runners will race up the central spine of the island to the picnic site at El Pilar, then Punta de Los Roques. The race continues anticlockwise around the Caldera rim, climbing up to the observatory at 2,426 m / 7,900 ft (where there’s only 75% of the oxygen at sea-level) which the leaders should pass at about 11 am, down to El Time, then steeply down to Puerto Tazacorte at 12:30 and finally reaching the finishing line in Los Llanos at about 1 pm. That’s 83.3 km (51.8 miles) – nearly twice a normal marathon – with lots of steep climbs, and hot sun for the second half.

See what I mean about mad? (Although I have to admit that the athletes look much better than I do in little Lycra shorts.)

Slightly less crazy people will run 26 km, starting in the same place at 6:30 am and finishing at El Pilar. The winners should arrive there at about 8:30. I couldn’t walk this far.

There will be races for kids and teenagers at El Pilar at 11 am.

It’s too late to sign up for the race, but there’ll be another next year. The website is http://www.transvulcania.com/.

I’m in no position to comment on anyone else’s sanity, but the Transvulcania makes me want to lie on the sofa and eat chocolate.

I’m off to buy chocolate.

Posted by sheila

Sheila came to La Palma with a six month contract and has stayed 24 years so far. She used to work as a software engineer at the observatory, but now she's a writer and Starlight guide.