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A WORLD FIRST MULTI-SPORT TRAVERSE OF MADEIRA
This tiny speck of land far out in the Atlantic packs one hell of an adventure punch. The lush, dramatic mountains that plunge almost vertically into the sea are home to some of the most beautiful running/ hiking trails you’ll ever experience, plus some top-notch mountain biking and kayaking, too.
Our Madeira coas-to-coast multi-sport journey is entirely unique to Rat Race and is the culmination of 3 years of planning. You will not find this route tackled anywhere else and it is an absolute Rat Race classic. Our ‘line’ will see you traversing the entire island coast to coast – a full ‘end-to-end’ so to speak.
With an initial foot stage taking us to an extreme easterly viewpoint, we will then wind our way across the entire island by kayak, foot and bike, with an intent to include an epic summit of the high-point of the island, the ‘insta-famous’ Pico Ruivo (1862m). The summit is achieved via the world-famous ‘peak-to-peak’ trail via world-famous trails, which connect several points of interest along the spectacular interior ‘roof’ of the island.
Eventually we will switch from foot to bikes and carry out an exhilarating mountain bike stage, descending from the high plateau to reach our journey’s end on the opposite coast.
DURATION:
5 DAYS /4 NIGHTS
LOCATION:
MADEIRA, PORTUGAL
SLEEP STYLE:
HOTEL / B&B STYLE
FOOT 85km BIKE 55km KAYAK 10km
TOTAL ELEVATION: 3556m
*All figures quoted are approximate. 150 km over 3 days, including a major mountain stage which features an ascent of the high-point of the island, Pico Ruivo (1862m) plus other peaks.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
ACCOMMODATION
4 nights accommodation included
GUIDES AND SUPPORT
Rat Race Expedition leader, high quality outdoor event crew, British medical and welfare support. Water safety crew and bike mechanic.
SAFETY
Professional local and UK safety staff and medics. Rat Race experts on hand throughout. Audited and accredited to BS8848 expedition safety standard.
TRANSFER POLICY
Transfer your entry to event credit up to 12 weeks before the departure date and protect your entry with optional Refund Protect.
EXTRAS
High quality medal, rat rag and premium t-shirt for all participants. Training Plans available here
EQUIPMENT
All kayak equipment included. In-country bike hire is available at an additional cost.
TRANSFERS
Includes one group return transfer at 10am (90 minute journey) on Day 5 back to Funchal town or onwards to the airport. You should plan a return flight after 2pm if you fly out this day and wish to use this service.
DAY 1
ARRIVAL DAY
We will welcome you all to our event hotel in the early afternoon. This is only a short drive from the airport.
It is easy to arrange inexpensive local transport to our event hotel if you have been enjoying the island prior to our rendez-vous. We will get you settled into your rooms and then we will then carry out some registration and briefing activities, before enjoying a welcome meal together in the evening. It will be an early start the next day, so you may want to go easy on the famous Madeira wines tonight!
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Dinner included.
ITINERARY
WE ARE GOING TO BUY A TRACT OF STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT
RAINFOREST IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
RAISE £4000 AND GET UP TO £1990 REFUNDED
SET UP YOUR JUST GIVING PAGE HERE OR FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CHARITY PARTNERSHIP HERE
DAY TWO: RUN/HIKE/KAYAK DAY 1
Grabbing a very early breakfast at the hotel, we will get ready to rumble with a sunrise run/hike eastward across the São Lourenço peninsula. We’ll reach Madeira's most easterly point accessible by foot, from where we can expect clear views not just out across the Atlantic but also looking back over the entire island. At this juncture, you may find yourself questioning the decisions that have brought you to this point as the view from here is decidedly lumpy! At the end of the run/hike we’ll make our way down to your awaiting kayaks and begin our journey westwards.
We will travel as a group (or a series of smaller sub-groups) and you can expect to spend between 2-2.5 hrs on the water over an approximate 10km distance. We will have a support boat accompanying us and you will take your running/trekking kit with you in the boat, as once we come ashore it’s time to hit the trails.
Here we’ll pick up stunning trails with some of the best coastal views anywhere on the island and finish the day high up in the hills of the interior. We’ll then transfer into vehicles for the 30-minute journey back to our comfortable hotel for a well-earned meal and rest. ’
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel
MEALS: Breakfast, Pit Stop lunch, evening meal.
DAY THREE: RUN/HIKE DAY TWO
There is no other way to put this: This is probably going to be one of the best days on the trails you may ever have. But it’s going to hurt! After a short vehicle transfer from the hotel back to where we finished yesterday, we will continue our ascent into the mountains following spectacular paths through ancient forest and alongside some of Madeira’s famous levadas, the unique system of narrow, man-made water channels that crisscrosses the island providing some exceptionally quirky routings through impressive terrain.
Our ambition will be to wind our way high up into the mountains on our journey towards the high-points of the island, Pico Ruivo (1862m) and Pico Arieiro (1818m). This iconic and extremely dramatic mountain section is quite rightly regarded as a world-famous hiking trail. The final plan on this day will be based on weather and prevailing tail conditions; but whatever the ultimate route choice ends up being, the views and the quality of the trails are all absolutely incredible.
We will clock up some serious elevation gain as we make our way up and along the ‘spine’ of the island, finally coming to our stage end in time for a well-earned rest. From here we’ll transfer by vehicle to our accommodation, a journey time of approximately 30 minutes. Enjoy a hearty meal and ensure you bag a hearty dose of zzzs tonight as the action is not over yet!
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel
MEALS:Breakfast, Pit Stop lunch, evening meal.
DAY ONE: ARRIVAL DAY
We will welcome you all to our event hotel in the early afternoon. This is only a short drive from the airport.
It is easy to arrange inexpensive local transport to our event hotel if you have been enjoying the island prior to our rendez-vous. We will get you settled into your rooms and then we will then carry out some registration and briefing activities, before enjoying a welcome meal together in the evening. It will be an early start the next day, so you may want to go easy on the famous Madeira wines tonight!
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel
MEALS: Evening meal included
DAY FOUR: BIKE DAY THREE
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Today will see us switch to 2 wheels and we will ride mountain bikes over a mix of road and trails. There shouldn’t be anything too technical but if we get to a section that you feel you can’t ride, don’t worry, you can get off and walk. Today is all about enjoying the ride downhill from the high plateau to the finish line on Madeira’s west coast.
Our final night will likely be spent in Porto Moniz where there’ll be an opportunity for a dip in the invigorating natural sea pools (or the hotel’s heated pool if you prefer!) before we settle down to a well-earned celebration meal. We will of course also be toasting a job well done, with a nice glass of Madeira perhaps.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel
MEALS: Breakfast Pit Stop lunch, celebration meal
DAY FIVE: TRAVEL DAY
Breakfast will be available at the hotel and we will then do a morning group transfer to take you back either to Funchal town (for those perhaps staying longer on the island) or the airport. Times are TBC but expect a hotel departure of around 0930/ 1000 and a journey time of 1h30m, for those of you wishing to plan departing flights later on today.
ACCOMMODATION: N/A
MEALS: Breakfast at hotel.
ACCOMMODATION
All accommodation is always offered on a shared basis. If you are taking part on your own, you will be paired with another participant of the same sex in a twin room. If you have preferences for who you share with you can indicate that on the pre-event forms we send you approx. 3 months before the departure date. Hostel accommodation will be in same sex dorms.
Single supplements may be available, to enquire about prices and availability please email events@ratrace.com
MEALS
Meals provided are outlined in the itinerary and all dietary requirements will be catered for. Evening meals will consist of one main meal and Pit Stop lunches will be a grab and go sandwich/wrap style offering. Pit Stops will be regular and these are places you can interact with the Rat Race crew and medics. You can refill your water and top up your snack stash with our goodies. We will always offer salty and sweet snacks and fruit as a minimum.
This is our planned kit list for Madeira, additional items may be added but these will be communicated to you in our EEI document (3 months prior to the event).
Running/Trekking kit
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Ultra Running rucksack/hiking backpack or other appropriate method of carrying your kit. BUY HERE
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Satellite Tracker: given to you at the event briefing. This should be put in the lid/outer pocket of your rucksack. Remember this must be returned at the end of the event.
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Light trail Running Shoes: i.e. running shoes with some grip
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Hydration Bladder or Bottle(s) with a minimum of 2 litre capacity. BUY HERE
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Snacks – Min 1000kcal per day.
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Waterproof Jacket with TAPED or WELDED SEAMS as a minimum standard. BUY HERE
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Waterproof Trousers with TAPED or WELDED SEAMS as a minimum standard. BUY HERE (see photograph)
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Hat suitable to the conditions (a Rat Rag is OK). BUY HERE
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Gloves (lightweight running gloves are OK). BUY HERE
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Bivvi Bag (NOT a blanket): Essential for unplanned stops. BUY ONE HERE
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Basic First Aid Kit containing at least:
– A conformable roller bandage.
– Assorted adhesive dressings.
– Separate sterile absorbent material
(e.g. gauze or gauze bandage) suitable for compressing bleeding wounds
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Whistle: Effective for getting attention in an emergency. BUY ONE HERE
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Fully charged mobile phone.
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Hand Sanitiser
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Reusable cup suitable for hot drinks. BUY ONE HERE
Bike kit:
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A bike (your own or rented)
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Helmet
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Biking Gloves
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Bike jersey
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Paddled shorts/bib
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Gilet or extra layer
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Biking shoes or trainers
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You can bring your own peddles to add the bike if you would like
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Water carrying capacity for a minimum of 1.5l. This can be in a backpack or on bottles in bottle cages. The rental bikes have bottle cages attached.
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BIKE SPARES: Our minimum spec for mandatory spare bike kit is outlined below. Items with an * need to be carried whilst riding: 2 x inner tubes suitable for the size of your tyre * / Tyre levers* / 1 x puncture repair kit* / Bike multitool* / Small pump*
*For rental bikes, you will be issued with a spares kit.
Kayak kit
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Sun Hat
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Wicking Top – long or short sleeved
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Sunglasses
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Quick Drying leggings
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Water shoes/sandals
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Swimming Shirts / Bikini
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Kayaking gloves - optional
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Waterproof top and bottoms
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A drybag will be useful to collate your bits n’ bobs into on the kayak day.
2026 Route map coming soon
PAY IN INSTALMENTS
SIGN UP TODAY
/ MONTH
£144.19
INTEREST FREE!
PAY IN FULL
2026 / £1990
2027 / £2100
SIGN UP TODAY
/ TOTAL PAYMENT
*All entries will are in GBP A booking fee of 2.99% will be added to all payments.
PAY MONTHLY INTEREST FREE!
ENTER NOW AND SPREAD THE COST INTEREST FREE WITH OUR INSTALMENT PLAN
We’ve created a flexible, interest-free* instalment plan so you can choose how many months to spread the cost of your adventure. Choose to pay in full or in equal monthly instalments up to 3 months before your event date.
*Once you sign up, Rat Race will set up a recurring monthly payment via Stripe. If a payment fails, you’ll receive reminders from Stripe and our team. After three failed contact attempts and no payment, your entry will be cancelled with no refund or transfer eligibility.
Please see here for full terms and conditions and our cancellation policy.
PROTECT YOUR NON-REFUNDABLE BOOKING WITH REFUND PROTECT
Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance. PLEASE NOTE this protection is with our 3rd party partner Refund Protect and NOT Rat Race. In the event you make a refund application this is administered by the Refund Protect customer service team, Rat Race are not privy to the application and cannot intervene on your behalf to influence the outcome determined by their team.
To check the full list of qualifying unforeseen circumstances that are protected please click here to view Refund Protect terms and conditions.
To add Refund Protect (administered by a 3rd party) to your Rat Race booking simply select this option when presented during the entry process. Refund Protect cannot be added retrospectively. Rat Race will then send you name and booking details to Refund Protect in order to protect your transaction with them. If you opt to pay in instalments and transfer your entry before the entry cost is full paid you will be liable to ensure the cost of Refund Protect has been fully covered. This total amount will be deducted from any Rat Race credit due through the transfer process or you will be invoiced by Rat Race for the outstanding amount as Rat Race have paid this on your behalf to Refund Protect at point of entry.
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
At Rat Race, we create extraordinary adventures for everyone people. We know we’re a premium brand and that those adventures are premium experiences. In our 20th year, we have decided that our commitment to investment in our standards, safety and quality of experience should be matched in our commitment to the transparency in showing how we spend your hard-earned cash in bringing these adventures to life.
So here it is. A pie chart of how we spend your money in bringing our events and trips to life.
RAISE AT LEAST £4000 (EXCLUDING GIFT AID) FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK AND GET £1990 OF YOUR ENTRY FEE REFUNDED!
Our longstanding partnership with Children with Cancer UK gives #ratracers the opportunity to raise much needed funds for this great cause in exchange for a refund of their entry fee. So far our #ratracers have raised over £2million for Children with Cancer UK and we would love for you to join the team to help us chase down that £3million target!
The funds you raise will be invested into vital specialist research to improve survival rates in children and young people and help more of them ring the end of treatment bell.
All you need to do is set up a Just Giving page here and start your fundraising! You will have until 1 month after the event date to hit your target and then send us the link to your page which will allow us to process your refund. Refunds will be made 2 – 3 months after the event completion date.
Refunds are not mandatory you are welcome to opt-out of receiving a refund. Should participants opt-out their refund will instead be used by Children with Cancer UK to help fund their research.
If you choose to support Children with Cancer UK and raise £5000, you will also receive:
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A Children with Cancer UK fundraising and training pack
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Regular Children with Cancer UK updates
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A dedicated point of contact at the charity
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A technical Children with Cancer UK t-shirt to wear with pride
For more information on Children with Cancer UK please visit www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk.
Alternatively please contact the Sports Team on 020 7430 7788 or email sports@childrenwithcancer.org.uk.
Children with Cancer UK is a registered national charity (no. 298405)
The nature of an adventure is that sometimes, the uncertain becomes certain! That is all part of the adventure. Whilst we will always strive to pull off ‘Plan A,’ it may well be that for any one of a number of reasons, we cannot do so and we ned to wheel put Plan B, C or D. We do line up contingencies for many eventualities of course. But it is worth knowing that the course may change if we deem it prudent for your safety or for other operational or weather-based reasons and we must always reserve the right to do so. Ultimately our skill and judgement in organising such events is part of why you are entering, so we must be able to exercise this on your behalf where we deem it necessary. If we do have to make a route change, we will strive to inform you in good time (if that is possible). Usually, these unforeseen changes simply add to the flavour of proceedings and provide for a good story to tell at day’s end!
Click ‘Enter Now’ and go through the sign-up process, you’ll then be issued with an event voucher which will automatically reserve you a place in the event you have chosen.
At Rat Race we are determined to get you on the start line even when life throws up its own obstacles! If you find yourself unable to join us on the start line of this event, you are able to transfer your entry into an event credit voucher once for use on a new entry into an event of your choice, whether that be the same event a year later or a completely new adventure! Transfers must be requested within the qualifying transfer window to be accepted and processed.
Credit vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Credit voucher are exempt from the transfer process. To find out more information and how to submit a request, view of full transfer policy HERE
At Rat Race we are determined to get you on the start line even when life throws up its own obstacles! If you find yourself unable to join us on the start line of this event, you are able to transfer your entry into an event credit voucher once for use on a new entry into an event of your choice, whether that be the same event a year later or a completely new adventure! Transfers must be requested within the qualifying transfer window to be accepted and processed.
Credit vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Credit voucher are exempt from the transfer process. To find out more information and how to submit a request, view of full transfer policy HERE
A regular mountain bike, nothing fancy, does not need to be a full-susser. Hardtail or front shocks only is fine.
Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance. PLEASE NOTE this protection is with our 3rd party partner Refund Protect and NOT Rat Race. In the event you make a refund application this is administered by the Refund Protect customer service team, Rat Race are not privy to the application and cannot intervene on your behalf to influence the outcome determined by their team. To check the full list of qualifying unforeseen circumstances that are protected please click here to view Refund Protect terms and conditions. To add Refund Protect (administered by a 3rd party) to your Rat Race booking simply select this option when presented during the entry process. Refund Protect cannot be added retrospectively. Rat Race will then send you name and booking details to Refund Protect in order to protect your transaction with them. If you opt to pay in instalments and transfer your entry before the entry cost is full paid you will be liable to ensure the cost of Refund Protect has been fully covered. This total amount will be deducted from any Rat Race credit due through the transfer process or you will be invoiced by Rat Race for the outstanding amount as Rat Race have paid this on your behalf to Refund Protect at point of entry.
We’ve put together a fantastic new instalment plan that allows you to choose how many months you want to spread the cost of this brilliant adventure over. You can pay it off all in one go or spread it over as many months as you like, totally interest free. There is no credit check required to use this facility. When you sign up to the instalment plan Rat Race will then set up a reoccurring payment and your card will be debited on the same date each month. If there is an error with your payment you will receive reminders from Stripe, our payment provider, and also the Rat Race customer service team. After 3 attempts to contact you if the outstanding balance remains unpaid we will assume you wish to cancel your entry and will withdraw you from the event and you will not be eligible to enter our transfer process and no monies will be refunded.
Yes. You need a decent travel policy covering you for general travel and which covers participation in outdoor sports. You will also need what is called an Evacuation Insurance Policy, which is for if we need to send you back to the closest city for urgent medical attention via a helicopter or similar. We also recommend you have this in place as soon as you enter this event and that if you book flights, we highly recommend booking a flexible option for any last-minute changes you might need to make or to ensure you have maximum flexibility if you cannot attend for any reason.
Travel insurance is compulsory for our events, so please make sure your insurance policy covers the activities you will be participating in. There are a number of specialist providers available including Mann Broadbent.
GPX routes will be provided one week ahead of the event, or you can hire one of our GPX watches/Garmin Edge bike devices with the routes pre-loaded for the duration of the challenge. Don’t worry – you won’t get lost. But if you do – support is never far away.
We will use a mixture of UK Rat Race crew, British medics, foot sweeps and local guides. Extractions are not possible at all points and you may need to hike to get to an extraction point if you need to retire.
Once you’ve signed up, you will receive a confirmation email. After that, you will be kept in the loop closer to the event when we will send out our Essential Event Information approximately 12 weeks ahead of the event, detailing the full itinerary, what you need to bring and other important information relating to the specific event you have signed up for. We will also host webinars which you will be invited to (again, closer to the event), where you will have the opportunity to ask questions. There will be a final email one month ahead of the event, just to check you’ve completed all the important forms and are ready for the event ahead.
If you have chosen to pay in instalments, we will also get in touch with you if any of your payments have been missed.
Rat Race have been audited and accredited to the prestigious BS8848 expedition safety standard. We have firm emergency protocols and response systems in place whilst out on our adventures. Our main priority above all else is to keep you and our staff safe. Before we leave for each trip a comprehensive in-country risk and threat assessment has been conducted by the Head of Expeditions. All protocols are put in place relating to those assessments. We make sure that the staff involved have the highest level of first aid training; a higher level of medical cover is also put in place if needed; all instructors have qualifications and/ or competencies to match the adventure we will undertake. In the event of an emergency, Rat Race staff and appointed contractors have comprehensive knowledge of procedures which will rapidly be put in place. If needed, our staff will provide first aid and then further medical assistance and evacuation if needed in line with a published Medical Procedures Plan. We have medical back-up and Clinical Directorship provided by a specialist events medical company and we have further emergency response support services provided by competent contracted partner. All our cover is available 24/7 while operations are underway. We use our knowledge and emergency procedures to provide the best possible care in our often remote and austere environments. Before leaving on a trip, we will advise on the insurance cover you are required to have in place for the trip; we will ask for a copy of these insurance details before the departure date.
Race entry includes a glorious finishers medal and bespoke event Rat Race tee. We will request your tshirt size and this will be the size you will be given at Registration.
The short answer is no. The price for this event is for everything outlined on the website and it is very difficult for us to split this out. Our accommodation is based on group rates and is on a shared basis. All of our event logistics, support and organisation has been designed to have all the participants in the same locations to allow transfers, briefings etc to run smoothly and to let you bond with your fellow #ratracers!
We have designed this challenge so that you may travel at your own pace and in general you will have 12 hours to complete each day allowing a completion pace of 3mph. There will also be some cut-offs within each day, but in the true Rat Race tradition these will be generous and we will always look to help you to achieve your goals in finishing this challenge, vs having to pull out.
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