Butterfly festival 50K invites Canadians to spread their wings in Mexico

Organizers of a Mexican 50K trail race aimed at protecting monarch butterflies are reaching out to Canadian trail runners seeking to take their fall adventures a bit further afield this year.

Monarch Ultra, a project created to support North America’s at-risk monarch butterfly population through long-distance running events, is putting a call out to international runners to join them for the 50K race in Zitácuaro, Mexico, on Nov. 26.

The city of Zitácuaro, located in the northeast corner of Michoacán state, sits at the base of the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Reserve, where millions of monarchs spend their winters. The butterflies, like other species of pollinators, have come under threat in recent decades due to a loss of supportive vegetation along their migration route, which spans thousands of kilometres between Canada and Mexico.

In addition to financially supporting tree-planting in the biosphere’s forest sanctuaries, the race is aimed at raising awareness and appreciation of the monarch population, as well as celebrating local culture. The run is being held as part of the three-day International Monarch Butterfly Festival from Nov. 24 to 26, which showcases Indigenous ceremonies, traditional dances, live music, local culinary treasures and films.

Starting and ending in Zitácuaro, the race will take runners through colonial streets, farming landscapes and mountain trails. An uphill road and trail race with an elevation gain of about 1,886 metres to the monarch butterfly sanctuary will offer a challenge for most runners, say organizers, but will also provide spectacular views of the forest and Sierra Madre Mountains. You can find race details and registration information here.

For Canadian participants wanting a good warmup before tackling the 50K in Mexico, or for anyone near Peterborough, Ont., interested in stretching their legs in support of the monarch butterflies, Monarch Ultra will be hosting its inaugural 10K Monarch Butterfly Festival and Race on Oct. 15. Proceeds from that race, which begins at 10 a.m. race at Millennium Park, will also support tree-planting efforts in Michoacán state. A 1K kids’ race will kick things off at 9:30, followed by a festival featuring music, dancing and other performances. You can find out more here.

Montreal runner following 4,500-km monarch butterfly migration path to Mexico

Peterborough was the starting point of 2019’s Monarch Ultra Relay, a 47-day journey that saw 44 runners cover 4,300 km along the monarch butterflies’ migratory path to the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Reserve. Monarch Ultra followed that event in 2021 with an 21-day, 1,800-km relay that started in Peterborough, looped down through southern Ontario, and ended in Barrie.