ULTRAMARATHON DE BOAVISTA

Every year, in December, extreme sportsmen, mostly Italian and Cape Verdean, gather for a 150 km non-stop course. The Ultramarathon has become a very important sporting event in Cape Verde. This is a competition where competitors tour the island, and run (or walk) under an average heat of 27°C, with a small variation between day and night. The course is completely desert (rock or sand). Competitors have 40 hours to cover 150 km: 40 hours of self-sufficiency, with a backpack, sleeping bag, sufficient food and water. They are also equipped with a road-book, a geographical map where checkpoints are indicated. For this competition, it is very important to have a very good training. Despite the high cost of registration (about 450 €), the prospect of human challenge and surpassing oneself attracts more and more competitors. The Boa Vista Ultramarathon is organised in a very oiled way: professional logistics, supervision of the course, a team of doctors who follow the competitors throughout the competition (the doctor can decide whether the competitor is able to continue the race or not). In recent years, 75 km and 42 km routes have also been proposed. Notice to athletes!