Build your MIUT plan
The instant browser builder stops at the marathon, so this one comes from the coach itself. Tell it your race date, your weekly mileage, and the terrain you can get to, and it writes the whole build and keeps adapting it as you log the training. Free account, no card. You are about 26 weeks out.
- Distances
- 110K
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Field
- About 3,800 places across five races, including 1,000 for the 110 km Legend
- Taper starts
- April 6, 2027
Course
The MIUT course
The 110 km Legend crosses Madeira from west to east, starting at midnight in Porto Moniz on the north coast and finishing in Machico on the east coast. Phase one climbs to Fanal at 1,150 m and crosses the Paul da Serra plateau and the UNESCO-listed laurel forest to Encumeada.
Read the full course notes
The middle of the race is the hardest: Pico Grande, the drop to Curral das Freiras and the climb to Pico Ruivo, the island's high point at 1,862 m, then the ridge to Pico do Areeiro. From Chão da Lagoa and Portela the last stage is mostly downhill on levada paths and sea-cliff trail via Boca do Risco and a final detour over Pico do Facho. In all it is 7,200 m of climbing and the same of descent, on rocky ridges, stone steps and narrow levadas, with a 32-hour limit.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 110K
- Field
- About 3,800 places across five races, including 1,000 for the 110 km Legend
- Weather on race day
- Late April in Funchal is usually mild, about 15–21 °C, but the race spans sea level to 1,862 m, so expect it to feel far colder on the peaks at night, often with wind, cloud and wet rock. Rain and fog can roll over the central massif quickly, which is why the waterproof jacket and thermal blanket are mandatory. Dress in layers you can adjust without stopping, and drink to thirst on the warm, sheltered coastal sections.
What to train for
Vertical is the whole story: 7,200 m up and 7,200 m down over 110 km, so build weekly climbing gradually toward 2,500–4,000 m in your biggest weeks.
Train the descents as much as the climbs, on steep stairs and rocky trail, and add eccentric strength (step-downs, lunges, squats) to protect your quads for the long downhill to Machico.
Do at least one long run that starts late in the evening and goes through the night with your headlamps, practising eating real food on the move. Hike long, steep climbs with poles at a pace you could hold for hours, because much of the race is power hiking.
Sample week
A sample MIUT training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Hill repeats: 10 × 2 min up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 13 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 29–32 km on trail, with as much climbing as you can find
- Sunday Key session
- Second long day, 16–19 km easy on tired legs
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the MIUT
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on April 24, 2027, your taper starts around April 6, 2027.
MIUT training questions
How long should I train for the MIUT?
Most runners give a 110k race twenty to twenty-four weeks of focused training on top of a season of consistent aerobic mileage. The coach counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the MIUT course hilly?
Hilly. The 110 km Legend crosses Madeira from west to east, starting at midnight in Porto Moniz on the north coast and finishing in Machico on the east coast.
What is the weather usually like at the MIUT?
Late April in Funchal is usually mild, about 15–21 °C, but the race spans sea level to 1,862 m, so expect it to feel far colder on the peaks at night, often with wind, cloud and wet rock. Rain and fog can roll over the central massif quickly, which is why the waterproof jacket and thermal blanket are mandatory. Dress in layers you can adjust without stopping, and drink to thirst on the warm, sheltered coastal sections.
When should I start tapering for the MIUT?
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on April 24, 2027, your taper starts around April 6, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a MIUT training plan?
For this one, yes. The instant browser builder stops at the marathon, so an ultra plan comes from the coach itself, which needs a free account. Still no card, and the plan adapts as you log the training.