Ultrarunning
10 of the world’s best volcano running races
Local Parkrun not cutting it? Inject some adrenaline into your next challenge with the threat of lava flows and eruptions of ash.
There’s something alluring about running up a volcano. For starters, it’s not a challenge you get around the outskirts of Swindon. But also it comes with a touch of danger – if the volcano is still active, there’s the (albeit extremely slim) possibility it might erupt at any given moment.
So if a trail race with added fire sounds appealing, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best currently on offer around the world. All are based on, or in the shadow of, active volcanoes (‘dormant’ simply doesn’t cut it), and some even take place on volcanoes that are classified as erupting – lava is constantly spitting and streaming down the flanks of the mountain you’ll be running up. Pack your thickest rubber soles, plenty of water and prepare yourself for an ascent into a desolate lunar landscape with views like no other.
1. Tribe Volcanoes Half Marathon
Distance: 13.1 miles
Location: Sete Cidades, Azores
Date: 30 November 2019
Best for: Social runners
If you’re going to run around the rim of a volcano, where better than to do it on a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic? Tribe’s Run For Love Volcanoes Half ends a week of running around Azores (you can opt for the longer, six-day, 280km run around the entire island if your legs are up to it). The Sete Cidades massif is still active, but its last major eruption dates back to the 15th century, so you can feel relatively safe in the knowledge the only heat you’ll experience will be from traversing the stunning caldera and lake within it. The run itself has a festival atmosphere, complete with wild camping and a huge post-race party.
2. Volcanic Marathon
Distance: 26.2 miles
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Date: 2-7 November 2020
Best for: Those who live in the pain cave
“The race will start near Lascar Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in Chile.” So reads the introduction on the website of this marathon for maniacs. Not only is this the world’s highest-altitude desert marathon (the start line is at a staggering, oxygen-depleted 4,475m – rules require you to acclimatise before the race itself), but it also kicks off right next to ‘stratovolcano’, one of the most dangerous types of volcano in the world. Lascar’s most recent major eruption was in 1993, its most significant eruption of the past 9,000 years. From there, the moon-like desert course will take runners past 10 more volcanoes, which will no doubt help you bag a PB.
3. Volcanic Mt St Helens
A competitor taking on the gruelling 50km Volcanic Mt St Helens
© Go Beyond Racing
Distance: 50km
Location: M. St Helens, Washington, US
Date: 1 August 2020
Best for: Those who have absolutely no fear
A fully off-road 50km trail race that circumnavigates Washington’s Mt St Helens is a tempting prospect – you’ll cross boulder fields, head across raging rivers and pass through dense forests before coming to the intimidatingly named ‘blast zone’. Not for the fainthearted, St Helens is another active stratovolcano, and its last eruption was in 1980, where magma was spilled, an ash plume was ejected nine miles into the sky and 57 people were killed.
4. Iceland Volcano Marathon
Distance: 26.2 miles
Location: Iceland
Date: 25 July 2020
Best for: Game of Thrones fans
This marathon is set to launch next year in a country that sits atop two diverging tectonic plates, and where volcanoes are found all over the landscape. The race starts in the north of the island near Lake Myvatn, a huge volcanic body of water featuring bubbling hot springs and the constant whiff of sulphur in the air. From there you head towards volcano craters, run past active geysers and across black, leg-sapping, volcanic sand. At no point on this stunning run will the landscape let you forget you’re traversing the Land of Fire & Ice.
5. Volcano’s Ohi’a Lehua Half Marathon
Take on a half that starts in a literal Volcano Village
© Ohia Lehua Half
Distance: 13.1 miles
Location: Volcano Village, Hawaii
Date: 25 July 2020
Best for: Eco warriors
Beginning in a village so intertwined with eruptions they named it ‘Volcano Village’, this Hawaiian half marathon takes place in the shadow of Kilauea, a volcano listed as being the most active of the five volcanoes that comprise the island of Hawaii. It erupted non-stop between 1983 and 2018, when a final, major eruption destroyed 718 buildings and signalled the ceasefire of fire from the crater. The race itself, which launched in 2019, takes place on roads in the nearby village, and aims to raise funds to save the island’s ohia trees, which are being wiped out by disease.
6. Ring Of Fire
Competitors run through lava fields and across rope bridges during the race
© Ring Of Fire
Distance: 72km
Location: Ruapehu, New Zealand
Date: 21 March 2020
Best for: Those who want to run through sacred lands
This run takes place on another active stratovolcano – this time on New Zealand’s North Island – that’s seen recent major eruptions in 1945 and 1995. That does not stop New Zealanders though, who use the mountain as one of the North Island’s most popular ski runs. The ultramarathon route follows a trail, the Around The Mountain Track, that circumnavigates the whole mountain. Ruapehu is located in the otherworldly wilderness of Tongariro National Park, and runners will pass through dry river beds, across rope bridges, desert landscapes and rock-strewn trails on their long race to the finish.
7. Vesuvio Ultra Marathon
Loose volcanic sand makes the terrain even tougher for competitors
© Vesuvio Sky Marathon
Distance: 49km (also 25km option)
Location: Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Date: 17 May 2020
Best for: History buffs
You’re in the thick of it in this race, summitting one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. Starting in the Italian town of Ottaviano, the route takes runners into the Vesuvius National Park, where you’ll wind your way up to the rim of the volcano at 1,281m. The volcano is still active, and it’s located in a heavily populated area, so is considered extremely dangerous. The most famous of its eruptions was in 79 AD, when one of the biggest eruptions of all time destroyed all surrounding towns.
8. Guatemala Impact
Distance: 42km (also 21km & 10km options)
Location: Pacaya, Guatamala
Date: 7 March 2020
Best for: Those who like heat
Ejecting ash into the atmosphere as recently as 2014, Mount Pacaya is most definitely active – it’s almost continuously spewing ash clouds directly into the sky and lava flows over the rim. In fact, tourists flock to the area to witness some of the magma streaming down the mountain. The 42km race takes you to the rim, where you’ll see lava bubbling and feel the earth shaking under you, before you head back down to the safety of the finish.
9. Transvulcania
Multiple volcanos are on the menu at this pro-level ultra
© Transvulcania
Distance: 74km (also 42km & 21km options)
Location: La Palma, Spain
Date: 9 May 2020
Best for: Serious ultrarunners
Transvulcania, one of the major races – and hardest – on the ultramarathon circuit, attracts some of the sport’s biggest names. The race takes place on the island of La Palma, and in it you’ll tackle multiple volcanoes on a brutal 74km run, starting with Teneguia near the start line, which most recently erupted in 1971. Then, after just a few metres of elevation, you hit the rim of Cumbra Vieja (which translates as ‘Old Summit’), a volcano so powerful that scientists predict that at some point in the future, an eruption will occur that will collapse part of the island and cause a mega-tsunami around the coasts of Europe.
10. Etna Super Marathon
Distance: 43km
Location: Etna, Sicily
Date: 13 June 2020
Best for: Those who love climbing
This challenging volcano race takes you from sea level (literally on the beach) upwards for 3,000m over marathon distance to the top of Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. The first half of the route sees you ascend winding roads, lulling you into a false sense of security. Once you leave the asphalt, you hit the sandy volcanic trails, and the spectacular scenery and near-vertical climbs that come with it. It’s not only the elevation that makes this tough – it also takes place in early summer, when temperatures can be high, the air gets increasingly thinner as you climb and, of course, you’ve got 1,300°C liquid rock just metres below your feet.
