92 athletes are preparing to cover, starting on the 28th of November, the 300 kilometers of the 3rd edition of ALUT – Algarviana Ultra Trail, the trail running event that starts in Alcoutim and ends in Cabo de São Vicente (Sagres).
Following this, this is the longest continuous race in Portugal, covering the Via Algarviana, until 1 December.
According to the organization, the competition, which crosses the Algarve from one end to the other and has 6680 meters of positive slope over the 300 kilometres, «has 92 registered athletes (out of a maximum limit of 100), of which 20 constitute the five teams of four elements (which will start the race 30 minutes after the athletes who compete individually)».
Of the 92 competitors, 10 are female athletes (nine of them solo) and although the majority of entries are Portuguese (68), ALUT will feature athletes from countries such as Spain (11), France (5), Poland (3) , England (2), Scotland (1), Brazil (1) or Uruguay (1).
Who will also be back to participate in ALUT is an old acquaintance of the most inland and genuine Algarve paths.
João Oliveira, an ultramarathon runner for the Chaves Run Team – Associação Desportiva Dragões de Chaves, returns to the Algarve to defend his titles in the two previous editions of the competition. In 2018, it took only 41 hours and 40 minutes (1h24 less than the previous year) to reach the end of a test that has 72 hours as the time limit for its completion.
«ALUT was designed for the month of November to meet two of its main objectives: the promotion of the territory and the sporting and competitive objective. It is a month in which the entire Northern Hemisphere is in adverse weather conditions and we want to show that here, in the Algarve, in the middle of the low season, all the conditions for sport are met», says Germano Magalhães, from Algarve Trail Running (ATR) , responsible for organizing the event.
«However, this time is also of great uncertainty with regard to meteorology, because we can never know in advance if we will have a test with heat, very cold or rain, for example. This adds difficulty to the athletes in what is the preparation and also the race management», he adds.
In addition to the competitive aspect, ALUT returns for this third edition with the aim of consolidating the event but also continuing to promote the Algarve as a destination, particularly inland, less well known and more genuine, stimulating the region's territorial cohesion.
«There is an Algarve that still remains to be discovered and the best way to discover a place is to explore it. This was and continues to be the main motto of ALUT, to make known an Algarve far from the beaches, along the Via Algarviana, covering 300 kilometers», explains Bruno Rodrigues, director of the competition and one of its mentors.
"The genuine and pure way in which the different populations crossed by the course receive the athletes is the greatest reward and the way to make, together with the different landscapes crossed, this event very special", adds the official.
João Fernandes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), also considers that «Nature, Sport, Culture and the traditions of the towns and villages in the mountains are important axes for the promotion of Tourism in the Algarve and, due to their characteristics, and by being anchored in all these axes, ALUT is without a doubt a very relevant event for the region».
“This competition will contribute to the projection of a territory rich in experiences, whatever the time of year, and, above all, it will promote the tourist development of the interior of the region”, he adds.
Germano Magalhães, from ATR, therefore invites everyone, athletes or not, to take part in this competition, which is also a unique experience.
“ALUT cannot be explained, just sit down. There is no way to describe it in texts or images, there is only one chance to feel ALUT: it is to be there. It's feeling what athletes feel on the course. It's more than a test, it's an experience. A unique experience for athletes, volunteers and the general public», he concludes.
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