The fourth edition of Puerto Vallarta by UTMB delivered a weekend of high emotion on Mexico's Pacific coast from April 16 to 18, 2026. The rescheduled event drew 1,800 runners from 45 countries and set a new high for female participation at 35 percent.
Hikuri: Belman breaks through, Currie holds the front
The flagship Hikuri 81K became the race of the weekend. Juan Belman Ortiz (Mexico, La Sportiva / Ecuadoruns) led the way out of Mascota and crossed the Malecón arch in 8:45:44, visibly moved. The Michoacán runner dedicated his victory to a recently lost friend and arrived in tears after a long night alone on the ridge.
Colombia's Cristhian Lagos (Pro Colombia) pushed him to the final descent and finished second in 8:56:25, with Luis Urbina (Mexico, Alumia) completing the men's podium in 9:02:24.
In the women's race, Canada's Mandy Currie controlled the front from the first technical descents and won in 12:01:35, earning a direct entry to the CCC 100K in Chamonix for 2027. She carried her late sister Lisa's ashes in a small turtle trinket, a memento she has taken on every major ultra since 2024.
I just wanted to have a race where I felt good from beginning to end. Mandy Currie, via Canadian Running Magazine
Those trails are gnarly; the dirt was so loose. There was a lot of carnage. Mandy Currie, on the course conditions
Behind her, Karla Picard (Mexico, The North Face) took second in 13:01:19 and Lucero Abigaith Gómez Espíndola (Mexico, Team Hoka) rounded out the podium in 13:04:12.
Nakaé 53K: Mexico dominates the mid-distance
On the Nakawé 53K, Miguel Ángel Pérez Alvarado (Mexico, Salomon México) claimed a commanding win in 5:21:33, ahead of Eder Belmont Sánchez (Mexico, 5:31:39) and France's Gabriel Boin (5:34:47). Josefina Pérez (Mexico, Salomon Aquilesmd) took the women's title in 6:35:48, followed by María del Rocío Flores Cárdenas (6:59:39) and Patricia Olivos Aguilar (7:06:44).
Haramara, Ereno and Pata Salada
On the Haramara 37K, Abraham Hernández and Nayeli De La Torre Segura took the men's and women's wins. Brayan Rodríguez Flores and María Magdalena Barba Lázaro topped the Ereno 20K leaderboards.
The Pata Salada 5K on Friday evening gave the Malecón its family opener, with Eduardo Pérez Malagón winning the men's race in 23:36 and Paulina Vargas taking the women's in 30:58.
Conditions and atmosphere
Racing in late April pushed runners deep into Mexico's dry season. Daytime temperatures climbed to 28°C with 88 percent humidity, creating a felt temperature close to 35°C. The Hikuri also stacked more than 3,900 meters of positive elevation across long, technical night sections in the Sierra Madre Occidental.
Record female participation, a large Mexican contingent on every podium and a finish line that stayed busy well into the weekend confirmed Puerto Vallarta's standing as the loudest Latin American stage of the UTMB World Series.