185 kilometres, eight distances and an entire island transformed into a race venue: the Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls is much more than a race. It is an intense, exciting and deeply local way to discover Menorca, even without wearing a race bib.
There are many ways to explore Menorca. You can do it by car, hopping from cove to cove; by boat, following the blue line of the coast; by walking unhurriedly along one of its trails; or, if your body and mind are ready, by running around the whole island.
That is exactly what the Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls offers, one of the most unique sporting events in the Mediterranean: a race that does not simply cross a beautiful landscape, but turns the entire island into a route, a challenge and a shared experience.
For one weekend, Menorca changes pace. The trails fill with runners, villages become meeting points, families and companions study maps, schedules and refreshment stations, and the Camí de Cavalls — that ancient path that circles the island — once again shows why it is much more than a route: it is a way of understanding Menorca.
The race is always held in May and offers eight distances, from the great 185 km loop to the 11 km Starter race, as well as the relay format.
The Camí de Cavalls: a line that embraces Menorca
To understand the race, you first have to understand the path.
The Camí de Cavalls is the historic trail that circles Menorca, following its coastline. Today it is signposted as the GR-223 and covers approximately 185 kilometres, divided into stages that allow you to explore the island on foot, by bicycle along some sections or, as happens during the Trail Menorca, by running.
Its name refers to an old defensive function: for centuries, this path made it possible to watch over the coast and connect towers, coves, ravines, fields and settlements. Over time, it has become one of the island’s great symbols, a kind of thread stitching together very different landscapes: white-sand beaches, cliffs, forests, wetlands, lighthouses, rocky sections, rural tracks and small coastal villages.
Menorca was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993, in recognition of the diversity of its ecosystems and the balance between human activity, landscape and conservation. In this context, the Camí de Cavalls acts almost as a moving reading of the island: it allows you to cross it without ever moving too far away from the sea, but also without losing sight of its agricultural interior, its dry-stone walls and its deeply rural character.
The Trail Menorca takes this circular route and turns it into a highly intense sporting experience.
Eight distances to live the legend
Although the flagship race is the 185 km event, the Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls is not only for ultrarunners. One of its great attractions is that it offers distances for very different profiles: experienced runners, trail enthusiasts, relay teams and even those who want to try this type of race for the first time in a more accessible format.
The185 km race starts and finishes in Ciutadella and completes a full loop of Menorca.The accumulated elevation gain is around 3,500 metres and there are usually two starts, the first at 8:30 a.m. and the second at 3:30 p.m. The maximum time is 40 hours for the first start and 33.5 hours for the second.
Alongside it, the programme includes the TMCN 100 km, focused on the north coast; the TMCS 85 km, along the south coast; the 58 km, 44 km, 27 km and 11 km races, as well as the 185 km Relay format, designed for teams that want to share the full loop around the island.
This variety completely changes the nature of the event. The Trail Menorca is not only a race for an elite group capable of resisting sleep, heat, wind and fatigue. It is also an open sporting celebration, where every runner can find their own challenge. For some, finishing the 185 km is an almost epic adventure. For others, completing the 27 or 44 km is an intense way to discover a stretch of coastline. And for those who choose the 11 km Starter distance, it can be their first contact with trail running in a setting that is hard to beat.
What makes this race unique
There are mountain races with more elevation gain. There are ultras that are more alpine, more technical or more extreme in terms of altitude. But few have something as powerful as this: an entire island as the route.
The Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls is special because it never moves away from the Mediterranean imagery. The runner advances with the sea as a constant reference point, but the terrain changes without warning. One section may follow a comfortable, open track; the next, a stony trail; then comes a beach, a pine forest, a ravine, a short but demanding climb, a stretch exposed to the wind or a technical passage where the rhythm breaks.
The difficulty is not only in the kilometres. It lies in the accumulation. In the contrast between the beauty of the landscape and the demands of the terrain. In running by day and by night. In managing food, sleep, the solitude of certain sections and the emotion of reaching the points where volunteers, companions and spectators are waiting.
The organisers themselves describe the 185 km race as a full loop of the island for experienced runners, with more than 3,000 metres of elevation gain and an advanced level. But even for those who are not competing, there is something magnetic about watching it from the outside: headlamps moving through the night, arrivals at refreshment stations, hugs in the villages, silences on the toughest sections, the mixture of exhaustion and euphoria.
And then there is Menorca. The island does not act as a backdrop, but as the protagonist. The north coast, wilder and more mineral, offers a feeling of isolation that is very different from the south, where pale-sand coves and pine forests create a brighter, more Mediterranean image. The race connects these two Menorcas and shows them in continuity, as if the runner were moving from one island to another without ever leaving the same one.
How to experience it as a spectator
You do not need to run to enjoy the Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls. In fact, experiencing it as a spectator can be a very special way to discover the island in spring, when the atmosphere is more local, temperatures are mild and Menorca is still far from the pace of summer.
The key is not to try to see everything. The race circles the island and the distances are long, so it is best to choose a few strategic points and organise your day around them.
Ciutadella is the start and finish point of the flagship 185 km race. It is therefore one of the places with the greatest atmosphere. The start has that mix of nerves, contained emotion and sporting ritual that is worth experiencing at least once. The finish, on the other hand, is pure emotion: runners completing the loop around the island, families waiting, applause, fatigue, tears and the shared feeling of having witnessed something important.
Fornells and the surrounding area of the north coast are another good place to get close to the wildest spirit of the race. Here the landscape becomes more open, windy and demanding, with a Menorca that is less kind but very powerful. For spectators, it is a good area to combine following the race with a seafood meal or a walk around the harbour.
Es Mercadal, thanks to its central position, can work as a practical base for moving around the island and reaching different points on the route. It is also one of those places where you can clearly appreciate inland Menorca: quiet streets, white houses, local life and Monte Toro as a nearby landmark.
Mahón and Es Castell allow you to connect with the races that cover the eastern section of the island. In the 2026 regulations, Es Castell appears as a key point at kilometre 100 of the 185 km race, especially relevant for managing times and cut-offs. For spectators, these towns also offer good infrastructure for accommodation, restaurants and transport.
It is also worth paying attention to the refreshment stations. The 185 km race has 14 refreshment stations plus the finish line, while the 100 km race has 8 and the 85 km race has 6. Many of these spaces become small centres of energy: volunteers, relatives, runners arriving in difficulty, others leaving renewed, backpacks, poles, cups of broth, fruit, water, quick jokes and looks that say more than any sports report.
That said, as a spectator it is essential to respect the organisers’ instructions, not to invade the trails, not to park in unauthorised areas and to remember that much of the route crosses sensitive natural spaces.
A getaway around the race
The Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls is held in early May, one of the best times to visit the island. The intensity of the summer tourist season has not yet arrived, the landscape still boasts the green of spring and temperatures are usually more pleasant for walking, cheering or simply spending the day outdoors.
To organise a getaway around the event, it is best to book accommodation in advance, especially in Ciutadella, Mahón, Es Mercadal or Fornells, which are practical areas for moving around depending on the section of the race you want to follow. The event’s own website includes a planning section with information on accommodation, transport, buses and hotel options.
If the goal is to experience the atmosphere of the race, Ciutadella is a safe bet. Its historic centre, squares and harbour make the experience go beyond sport. It allows you to attend the start, follow the movement of runners and companions, and enjoy the finish without depending too much on the car.
If you prefer a quieter and more central base, Es Mercadal is very convenient. From there, you can reach different parts of the island relatively easily and combine the event with short routes, visits to villages or a climb up Monte Toro.
For those who want to focus on the maritime side of the getaway, Fornells offers the perfect atmosphere: harbour, restaurants, walks by the water and proximity to some of the northern landscapes. It is a good place to understand that Menorca which is more open to the wind, rockier and less tame.
As for gastronomy, the race is a good excuse to sit down at the table without rushing. Menorca invites you to try local products: fish, caldereta (lobster stew), cheeses, sobrasada, ensaimadas, island wines or simple seasonal cooking. After a morning following runners or walking along a section of the Camí de Cavalls, few things can beat a meal in a harbour, on a village terrace or at a bar frequented by locals.
Beyond the race bib
What is interesting about the Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls is that it allows for many interpretations. For the ultra-distance runner, it is a physical and mental challenge. For those taking part in a medium distance, it is a way to measure themselves against the terrain and discover part of the island from within. For companions, it is a logistical adventure full of waiting, maps, encounters and emotion. For the curious traveller, it is an opportunity to see Menorca in motion.
