MIUT is a trail race across Madeira from coast to coast, run by the Clube de Montanha do Funchal, and 2027 is its eighteenth edition. There are five races and every one of them finishes in Machico, on the east coast. The Legend starts in Porto Moniz, on the north west tip, and climbs through the laurel forest and over Pico Ruivo and Pico do Areeiro; the Advanced, the Discover and the Marathon start further along, in São Vicente, Boaventura and Monte above Funchal; the Starter is a short coastal race from Porto da Cruz. It is a member of World Trail Majors, the circuit of long established trail races that includes the Hong Kong 100 and Transgrancanaria.
- CostFree to watch, from the finish or anywhere on the course. Running it takes an entry, and for 2026 every race except the Legend sold out, the last places going by lottery.
- WhereThe finish and the race village are at Fórum Machico, in the centre of Machico. The courses run over public trails and levadas from the north coast to the east.
- Getting thereMachico is about half an hour from Funchal on the expressway, just past the airport. No roads close for the race, but parking in the town centre is scarce on race day, so a taxi is the easier way in.
- Best timeSaturday afternoon at the finish, when the leaders of the Legend come in after crossing the whole island and the shorter races are finishing around them.
- With childrenYes at the finish, which is on a town square a short walk from Machico's beach. The mountain viewpoints are cold, exposed and a long wait for a small child.
- If it rainsThe race runs in bad weather. The organisers can reroute a course, or stop a race under an orange or red civil protection warning, and post any change on the official site.
For a spectator, MIUT is a finish line and one or two viewpoints rather than a stand to sit in. Machico is where the atmosphere is, with runners arriving across the weekend and a crowd that cheers the last finisher as loudly as the first. Up in the mountains the gap between two runners can be hours, so follow the live tracking on the official site before you drive anywhere, and time your arrival to a runner rather than to the race. If you are running, book your stay as early as your entry: the race brings runners and their supporters from all over the world to a small island in the same week.
What people ask us about MIUT
When does registration for MIUT 2027 open?
In October 2026, one race a day at 15:00 Lisbon time: the Legend on 12 October, then the Advanced, the Discover and the Marathon, and the Starter on 16 October. The Legend, the Advanced and the Discover ask for a qualifying ITRA result at the moment you register, so check your profile before the day.
How long is the MIUT Legend?
About 110 km with around 7,200 m of climbing, from Porto Moniz to Machico, with a 32 hour time limit on the most recent official figures. The organisers can adjust a course up to race week, so the race page on the official site has the final numbers for 2027.
Where is the best place to watch MIUT?
The finish in Machico, where every race ends and the race village is. For the mountains, Pico do Areeiro is on the route of the three longest races and has a road to the top, but it is cold and windy there at any hour, so take a warm layer.
Where should I stay for MIUT?
Funchal, for the widest choice of places to eat and a base for the rest of the trip. It is about half an hour from the finish in Machico, and in 2026 the runner shuttles to the start lines left from both towns.
