About this race
The Atlantic Ultra Marathon is a 45 km sand race on Portugal’s Atlantic coast, linking Melides Beach with Tróia-Mar Beach. It begins in the morning and has no finish time limit, fitting its format as an endurance beach crossing rather than a standard road ultra. The same event also includes the Atlantic Race, a shorter sand run of about 15 km from Comporta Beach to the same finish at Tróia-Mar.
The full course remains on sandy terrain, with 304 meters of total elevation change and a high point of 121 meters, meaning the challenge stems from the surface as much as the distance. The route follows the coast with the Serra da Arrábida visible, and hundreds of runners participate, including athletes returning to the long race and others attempting the shorter Atlantic Race, held since 2014. The Municipality of Grândola organizes the series.