Weather warnings force Tenerife cancellation – as Dauwalter is added to Chianti start list

This weekend’s Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB has been cancelled because of severe weather warnings for the Canary Islands – and its star attraction Courtney Dauwalter looks to have re-routed to the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles by UTMB.

The American ultrarunning superstar has rewritten the record books during her legendary career and the 110km event in Tenerife had been scheduled to be her seasonal debut ahead of a return to the 256-mile Cocodona in May.

However parts of Spain and the Canary Islands are forecast to get torrential rain and strong winds over the coming days due to Storm Therese, which had placed the race in doubt.

All outdoor activities suspended

And an official statement has now been issued, which reads: “The Tenerife Island Council has activated the Island Emergency Plan (PEIN) following severe weather warnings issued by AEMET and the official state of alert declared by the Government of the Canary Islands.

“In line with instructions from the relevant authorities, we are required to cancel all races and scheduled activities of the Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB.

“This decision includes the suspension of all outdoor activities, the closure of mountain trails, and the full mobilization of emergency services across the island.

“The safety of our runners, volunteers, and teams is always our top priority. After carefully reviewing all possible scenarios with the authorities, this is the most responsible decision.

“All runners have received an email with further information, including full details on how their registration will be handled.

“Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support in a situation beyond our control.”

Golden Tickets up for grabs

And Dauwalter has now appeared at the top of the entries for the 120km feature race in Tuscany – the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles.

The highest-ranked female runner at the start of the week in terms of their UTMB index was Norway’s Yngvild Kaspersen on 796.

But Dauwalter leapfrogs her with her 837 rating and her presence sets up a fascinating clash with fellow American Rachel Entrekin (772) who will be looking to defend her Cocodona title in a couple of months.

Also there is Brit Gemma Hillier-Moses, winner of the 73km event at Chianti last year and the Arc of Attrition 50 in January.

The official Instagram page for the Chianti race posted a thoughtful response to the news of Dauwalter’s switch, saying: “Courtney Dauwalter will be on the start line for Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB this weekend. However, before sharing more, we want to acknowledge the situation in Spain. Unfortunately, due to extreme weather conditions, Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB will not take place this weekend. We know how incredibly difficult these decisions are to make, and our hearts go out to the local organization and all the runners who can’t make it to the start line. We are thinking of the entire community in Tenerife.

“In light of this last-minute change, Courtney Dauwalter has decided to join us. We are honored to welcome the Queen to our race and look forward to seeing her take on the trails here.”

Chianti is a Golden Ticket race for Western States but unfortunately it isn’t scheduled to be broadcast, with UTMB instead having planned to have Tenerife kick off their 10-race live coverage.