Courtney Dauwalter had a season opener planned. Storm Therese had a different idea.
The Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB — a 110km mountain race on the Canary Islands — was cancelled Wednesday after Spain’s meteorological agency issued severe weather warnings for the region. Torrential rain, strong winds, and the activation of the island’s full emergency plan left organisers with no real choice. Mountain trails are closed, emergency services are mobilised, and runners have been emailed about what happens to their registrations.
“The safety of our runners, volunteers, and teams is always our top priority,” the race organisers said in a statement. “This is the most responsible decision.”
Hard to argue with that.
Dauwalter Pivots to Chianti
Rather than take a weekend off, Dauwalter has already been added to the start list for the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles by UTMB — a 120km race through the Tuscan hills this weekend. If you’re going to have your plans derailed, Tuscany is not a bad consolation prize.
The race was always meant to be a warm-up ahead of the Cocodona 256 in May, a 256-mile sufferfest through Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. The distance has just changed slightly, from volcanic Canary Island trails to rolling Italian countryside.
Her entry immediately reshuffles the women’s field. Norway’s Yngvild Kaspersen had been sitting at the top with a UTMB index of 796 — Dauwalter’s 837 leapfrogs her. Also in the mix: American Rachel Entrekin (772), who is defending her Cocodona title this spring and will get an early look at Dauwalter ahead of that race; and British runner Gemma Hillier-Moses, who won the 73km at Chianti last year and the Arc of Attrition 50 in January.
Western States Golden Tickets are on the line at Chianti, so the stakes are real — even if, frustratingly, the race won’t be broadcast live. UTMB had planned Tenerife to kick off their 10-race coverage schedule, and no stream has been arranged as a replacement.
So you’ll just have to wait for the results.
