The departure of the 94 participants is scheduled for Thursday at 4.30 p.m. at Alcoutim pier, next to the Guadiana river, ending at Cabo de São Vicente, Sagres, in a time limit of 72 hours, that is, Sunday at 4.30 p.m.

Director of the race, Bruno Rodrigues, told Lusa, it is three days of race and ‘sleep deprivation’.

The notion that the Algarve is flat is misleading since the athletes go up and down constantly and there are some climbs that although short, are quite steep. The biggest climb is between Silves and Monchique, after 180km.

With more and more experienced athletes enrolling in the race, the organisation expects that this year there will be more finishers. Usually only a third manage to do so.

Of the 94 runners enrolled, most are Portuguese, there are 10 female athletes and runners from Spain, France, Poland, England, Scotland, Brazil and Uruguay.

The number of athletes is limited to 100, so that they can be well looked after and well-received. Bruno Rodrigues added that this fact has attracted the athletes to the Algarve.

There is the possibility of participating solo or in teams which, this year they are limited to four runners, each one doing two or three stages. Teams start an hour later and creating a kind of chase pack.

ALUT is the longest marathon in Portugal, almost entirely on the Via Algarviana, a long-distance pedestrian route between Alcoutim, Castro Marim, Tavira, São Brás de Alportel, Loulé, Silves, Monchique, Lagos and Vila do Bispo.