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33 · Puebla, Mexico

Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo

Run the Cerro Rojo 17K loop from the zócalo of Tlatlauquitepec: 5 km up to 2,325 m, a wet forest descent to 1,704 m, and a climb home, on the organizer's own GPX.

Trail runningUltramarathonLoop
14.7 kmDistanceHardSite gradeTlatlauquitepecNearest base

Site grade

HardFeatured

Short but not gentle: 620 m between the loop's high and low points, the first climb finished within 5 km of the start, a 1,900 m start elevation, and ground the organizer describes as technical, humid and muddy most of the year. The 55K and 50 Millas are a different animal, with a drop to 709 m and four river crossings reported for the older 50K.

The experience

The 17K climbs 436 m in its first five kilometres to 2,325 m, holds a ridge, then drops 620 m through humid forest before climbing back to the plaza at 1,912 m. The 36K, 55K and 50 Millas share that first climb and go further north and lower.

Tlatlauquitepec means red hill in Nahuatl; the hill is Cerro Cabezón, the limestone block over the town, and the race is named for it. Frogs Trail México has run the event since 2016 and brought back the 50-mile distance for the 11th edition in April 2026.

Tlatlauquitepec is a Pueblo Mágico in the Sierra Norte de Puebla and the seat of a municipality whose named hills include El Cabezón, Las Ánimas and Punta la Bandera. Cerro Cabezón carries a Cristo Rey statue, a suspension bridge and three ziplines in the community of Tepehican, 15 minutes from the centre. The race runs under the Frogs Trail México 'Pueblos Mágicos' series.

Where the sources disagreeAs of 16 September 2026 the 2026 edition has run (24 to 25 April 2026) and the organizer's calendar lists the next one only as 'Cerro Rojo, abril 2027' with no date; the 2027 registration page still shows the 2026 convocatoria and the 2026 GPX files. The domain ultratrailcerrorojo.com does not resolve; the race lives at frogstrailmexico.com.mx and dashport.run. The organizer's GPX puts the course high point 2.4 km north-west of Cerro Cabezón as mapped on OpenStreetMap, so the widely repeated claim that the race summits Cerro Cabezón in its first 5 km does not match the file. Outside race weekend there are no aid stations, no course marking and no published cutoffs; carry the GPX, the organizer requires it even on race day.

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Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartZócalo of Tlatlauquitepec (Centro)FinishZócalo of Tlatlauquitepec (Centro)DirectionWest out of town, up to the 2,325 m high point at km 5, north and east down to the 1,704 m low point at km 11, then back south into the zócalo
  1. 01Zócalo of Tlatlauquitepec
  2. 02Dip to 1
  3. 03852 m at km 1
  4. 04High point 2
  5. 05325 m at km 5
  6. 06Ridge above 2
  7. 07200 m to km 7
  8. 08Low point 1
  9. 09704 m at km 11
  10. 10Climb back to 1
  11. 11908 m at km 13
  12. 12Zócalo of Tlatlauquitepec

Route sections

01 · The Zócalo DropZócalo to the foot of the climb, km 0 to 2
The loop leaves the plaza downhill, losing 60 m in the first kilometre before the ground turns up. Every distance shares this exit, which is why the 55K starts at 5:00 am and the 17K and 36K at 6:30.02 · Five Kilometres UpKm 2 to the high point, km 5
From 1,889 m at km 2 to 2,325 m at km 5: 436 m of climbing in three kilometres, done before the sun clears the ridge. The night descent race starts from this point on Friday evening and runs the reverse.03 · The Long SideHigh point to the low point, km 5 to 11
Two kilometres of ridge above 2,200 m, then a 500 m descent through cloud forest to 1,704 m. This is the stretch that is mud most of the year; the organizer's own race notes say humid, muddy soil and surprise drizzle.04 · Home UphillLow point to the zócalo, km 11 to 14.7
The loop finishes with a 200 m climb back to town level at km 13 and a last flat kilometre into the plaza where kits were collected the night before.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

Cloud forest climate at 1,700 to 2,325 m: humid air, mud most of the year and drizzle without warning, in the organizer's own words. The 36K and up require a thermal blanket and windbreaker in the mandatory kit. No station normals for the area could be retrieved from the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, so this record gives no temperature or rainfall figures.

Season & timing

Managed seasonNone. The loop is public paths and lanes with no managed season.Best windowRace week in late April if you want marking and aid. Otherwise the drier months before the summer rains; confirm with the organizer's Facebook page before travelling.Race timingUltra Trail Cerro Rojo 2026: kit pickup Friday 24 April 15:00 to 22:00; 50 Millas 12:00 and 5K night descent 19:00 Friday; 55K 5:00 am, 36K and 17K 6:30 am, 10K TrailDog 7:00 am, Trail Kids 8:00 am Saturday 25 April. Next edition listed as April 2027, date not yet published.SurfaceTown cobbles and pavement out of the zócalo, then forest single-track, farm paths and dirt lanes through cloud forest; mud most of the yearDirectionWest out of town, up to the 2,325 m high point at km 5, north and east down to the 1,704 m low point at km 11, then back south into the zócalo

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

Leaving the arcaded zócalo before dawn

02

The high point at km 5 with the town 400 m below

03

Ridge running above 2,200 m in cloud

04

Mud on the long descent

05

The last flat kilometre back into the plaza

FIRST FIVE

2,325 m

High point of the loop, reached 5 km after the zócalo

The organizer's 2026 GPX starts at 1,912 m in the plaza and tops out at 2,325 m at km 5.1. Every distance from 17K to 50 Millas shares that opening climb; the 5K night descent runs it backwards by headlamp.

Access & logistics

AccessFrom Puebla, Línea Vía buses leave CAPU for Tlatlauquitepec hourly from 08:25 to 16:25 plus 18:25, about 4 hours, $246 MXN one way, arriving at the Vía terminal in town. From Mexico City the press quotes a little over three and a half hours by road. The zócalo is the start.PermitsNone for the loop. Race entry through the organizer's Dashport page.Bookings2027 entry on Dashport: 50 Millas $2,000, 55K $1,850, 36K $1,300, 17K $1,100, 10K TrailDog $1,000, 5K night descent $650, Trail Kids $200 MXN at the opening price tier. Kits are collected the Friday before, never on race day. Distance changes only downward, name changes by email, both before the deadline in the convocatoria.WaterNone on the loop outside the race. The organizer's mandatory kit for the 17K is a pack or belt, whistle, charged phone, mini first-aid kit and the route on watch or phone; from 36K up add a 1.5 litre minimum pack, thermal blanket and windbreaker; 55K and 50 Millas add a headlamp.FoodNothing on the loop. Tlatlauquitepec has restaurants and hotels around the zócalo and a Thursday market.DurationNo official time for the loop outside the race. The organizer publishes start times (17K at 6:30 am) but no cutoffs in its 2026 convocatoria.

Key hazards

  • ▲Mud and wet rock on the descent
  • ▲Fog on the ridge
  • ▲River crossings on the 55K and 50 Millas, reported waist-deep in past editions
  • ▲No water or aid outside the race
  • ▲Night running for the 50 Millas, which starts at noon Friday
  • ▲Cold at 2,300 m before dawn

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. Carry the GPX, water for the whole loop and a layer for the ridge, and tell someone your plan.

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-033 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: Amado Demesa · CC BY-SA 2.0