Mallorca solo circumnavigation
312 kilometres around the island – with nothing but a sleeping bag
- 312 km
- Distance
- once around the island
- 5
- Duration
- days, starting and finishing at Palma cathedral
- ~60 km
- Daily average
- across five stages
- ~5 kg
- Pack weight
- sleeping bag, water and the bare essentials
- above 30 °C
- Temperature
- constantly, with long stretches without a water point
The dress rehearsal for the Run2Sahara project.
After the first thoughts about my big running adventure, I wanted to find out how my body would react to several days of high running volume. So I looked for a challenge that was simple and uncompromising at the same time: circle Mallorca completely – alone, on foot and with nothing but a sleeping bag.
On 5 August 2025 I set off at the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca. From there it was once around the island.
One of the biggest challenges was not necessarily the distance but the extreme heat. Temperatures constantly above 30 degrees turned the already long stages into a real test. Time and again the route led me through remote areas where the next chance to refill water was far away.
Apart from my sleeping bag I carried only the essentials. Even so, water and kit added up to around 5 kilograms on my back – an extra load on daily stages of roughly 60 kilometres.
In the evenings I looked for a spot somewhere in nature, rolled out my sleeping bag and slept under the open sky. No hotel, no tent, no fixed plan – just keep running and see what the next day brings.
After 312 kilometres and five days the circle finally closed. I reached the cathedral of Palma again.
It was my very first solo adventure – and an experience that left a lasting impression. The beauty and variety of Mallorca impressed me, but what mattered more was the insight I took away from the journey:
My body can do more than I thought. And I was ready for the big adventure.