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Ultra Trail Serra da Freita

Ultra Trail Serra da Freita takes place on Sat, Jun 26, 2027 in Arouca, Portugal. The main route is 100 km.

Date
Sat, Jun 26, 2027
Start
Arouca 🇵🇹
Distance
100 km
Climbing
6,900 m
Level
Open to all
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The Ultra Trail Serra da Freita is Portugal's oldest trail running event, traversing rugged and technical mountain trails across the municipalities of Arouca, Vale de Cambra, and São Pedro do Sul.

Official event page

What this race demands

Ultra Trail Serra da Freita requires exceptional climbing efficiency and sustained muscular durability to manage 6900 meters of elevation gain over a 100 km mountain route.

Climbing volume

The extreme ratio of elevation gain to distance demands continuous uphill capability, requiring athletes to efficiently hike and run steep mountain gradients for hours.

Descent durability

Traversing rugged and technical mountain trails over 100 km places high eccentric loading on the lower limbs, requiring resilient quadriceps and joints to absorb repeated impacts.

Endurance pacing

As a 100 km ultramarathon completed in the summer heat of late June, the event demands strict adherence to an aerobic pacing strategy to prevent early systemic fatigue.

Given the extended duration of a 100 km mountain ultramarathon, athletes should consume 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour to maintain energy availability.

Estimated finish times

Competitive (sub-3h marathon ability)12:00–14:00
Intermediate (3:00–3:30 marathon ability)14:00–17:00
First-timer / Finisher17:00–21:00

Estimates by level, not promises. Your own number depends on your fitness on the day.

Your road to race day

Race day at Ultra Trail Serra da Freita is 44 weeks away. This is how a coach divides that time. The first phase starts now.

  1. 01Base32 weeks · Aug 23, 2026 Apr 3, 2027

    Aerobic foundation: mostly steady endurance work that grows the aerobic engine and the durability the later phases stand on.

  2. 02Build6 weeks · Apr 4, 2027 May 15, 2027

    Progressive overload: training load climbs in waves, with harder weeks stacked on the base and planned recovery weeks that let the gains land.

  3. 03Peak3 weeks · May 16, 2027 Jun 5, 2027

    The hardest weeks of the plan: race-specific intensity at nearly full training load, sharpening exactly what this race asks for.

  4. 04Taper2 weeks · Jun 6, 2027 Jun 19, 2027

    Volume drops while intensity stays: short, sharp efforts keep the legs awake as fatigue drains away.

  5. 05Race week1 week · Jun 20, 2027 Jun 26, 2027

    Openers, rest and logistics. The work is done; the job now is arriving fresh.

Get this plan built around your own fitness

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