Endurance racing in Andalucia

Endurance running and biking  

by Chris Chaplow

This page contains information on the main endurance running and cycling events held each year in Andalucia, including the Malaga and Seville Marathons, important triathlons, Iron Man challenges and other established events.

Marathon

There are two road running full marathons in Andalucia each year. 

Seville Marathon, the third largest in Spain, with 14,000 runners taking part. It is traditionally held on the third Sunday in February. The Seville Marathon is usually very fast due to the flat course and (often) good weather. Race record is 2 hrs 04min 43 sec. The next edition of the Zurich Marathon de Sevilla will take place on 23rd February 2025. More info and Streamed online. #ZurichMaratónSevilla24

Malaga Marathon; sixth most popular in Spain with about 3.000 runners taking part.  This traditionally takes place on the second Sunday in December. In 2025 it will take place on Sunday 15th December 2025. Previous editions were held on 14th December 2024. There is a Total Energies Half Marathon on 23rd March 2025. More info at generalimaratonmalaga.com/

In Andalucia there are also many half marathons and 10km road races. Too many to list here.

Triathlon

There are actually about 30 triathlon events every year in Andalucia, which are held between February and November, including during the hot summer months. Desafio Doñana is the flagship event organised by the regional government. This includes a 90km cycle, 1.8km swim and 30km beach run.

Others take place in locations in western and central Andalucian coastal areas.  Some, such as El Chorro, a Half Ironman, with 1.9km swim, 90 km cycle and 21km run. Others such as the Triathlon de Sevilla are less demanding with a 1.5km swim, followed by a 40km cycle, and finally a 10km run. More info on our Triathlon page >

Other endurance events in Andalucia

ULTRA SIERRA NEVADA

Ultra Sierra Nevada is an ultra marathon of 100 kilometres in distance, involving a continuous ascent along paths and tracks from the city of Granada up to the summit of Pico Veleta, followed by a descent to Pradollan, a ski resort in the Sierre Nevada mountain range. The ultra marathon, which in recent years has taken place in early April, has up to 350 contestants competing against one another to complete the course in the fastest time, but don't expect it to be over quickly, as the route includes a total ascent of 2,900m.

Ultra Sierra Nevada 2024

This year's Ultra Sierra Nevada, the tenth edition of the competition, was held on the weekend of 5th - 7th April 2024. In its entirety, the event included: the Half Marathon (25 km), the Marathon (40 km), the Trail run (62 km) and the Ultra Marathon (100 km). As the event has grown, different trail races have been added so that trail runners of all levels and profiles can take part.

Results: Ultra winner - Agustín Luján (10:11:30); Trail winner - Gvido Kalnins (06:14:56); Marathon winner - Tom Joly (04:29:11); Half Marathon winner - Ignacio Moro Gonzalez (02:26:02).

For more information visit our page on Ultra Sierra Nevada or www.ultrasierranevada.com/en/.

 

 

101KM DE LA LEGIÓN

This is a 101 km cross-country running or mountain bike race over 24 hours. It is organised by the famous Foreign Legion based in Ronda. The route passes by Ronda, Ariate, Alcala del Valle, Setenil de las Bodegas, Montejaque, Benaojan. It takes place on the first or second Saturday in May. The race starts in the Ronda Football Stadium and following the Legions heart warming chant and salute to the Comander in Chief. It finishes at the Alameda del Tajo in the centre of Ronda. In 2018 the winning mountain bike time was 3 hrs 53 mins 49 seconds and the winning running time was 8 hrs 51 mins 18 seconds. The first edition was in 1995 to celebrate the 75 anniversary of the legion and there is an event every year. The 2023 event was cancelled as the Legion were on operations in Lebenon. The 2024 event took place on the 11th and 12 May 2024. Official website (Spanish)

 

GRAN VUELTA  Valle de Genal

La Gran Vuelta Valle del Genal is a long-distance overnight trail race, inaugurated in 2013, that links the villages of the Genal valley in the Serrania de Ronda. The route is on tarmac roads and forest tracks through chestnut woods starting and finishing at a different village each year. It does not climb any peaks or follow any tricky mountain paths. It takes place over two consecutive weekends, traditionally in mid or late October. In 2024, the dates for the individual and relay overnight'ultra' road races are 8th-10th November 2024 and the 129km route will depart and finish from Agatocin. The departure is at midnight. The daytime Trail race takes place on 16th November 2024 with a 53km route from (and to) Alpandeire starting at 09.00 hrs. This is a wonderful time of year when the forest trees are losing their leaves and the chestnuts are falling.

TRAIL - 55km
A circular route through the lower Genal, with the start and finish line in a different village each year (Benadalid in 2018, Cartajima in 2019, Ronda in 2023, Alpandeire 2024). The majority of the route follows the same track as the Ultra Trail, passing by the villages of Benalauría, Algatocín, Benarrabá, Gaucín, La Escribana y Venta San Juán. The participants leave at about 09.00 hrs Saturday. Winning time is about 6 hrs. Competitors have a maximum of 12 hours to complete the 55 km.

RELAY - 150 km
Teams of three runners take part, each one must run a defined quarter section of the race of about 40km. Finally, the three members of the team must complete the last section of approximately 20 km to cross the finish line together. The participants leave at about 18.00 hrs Saturday. Winning time is about 18 hrs. Competitors have a maximum time to complete the race of 32 hours.

ULTRA TRAIL - 130km
The Ultra Trail is the main race of the Gran Vuelta Valle del Genal, it is a circular route along the Genal Valley of almost 130 km with about 6.000 m total climb. The route crosses all the 15 villages of the Genal. The participants leave at about 18.00 hrs Friday. Mens winning time is about 16 hrs and Women's is 19 hours. Competitors have a maximum time to complete the race of 32 hours. There are 17 refreshment points and checkpoints.
There is also a relay team version, in which the 4 members of the team must complete the race together.

More information at www.granvueltavalledelgenal.com

Subida al Pico Veleta

Subida al Pico Veleta (the Climb to Pico Veleta) is a 50km endurance race in the Sierra Nevada mountain range including a cumulative altitude gain of 2,705m to the top of the fourth highest peak in Spain.

Subida al Pico Veleta 2024

2024' edition of Subida al Pico Veleta, the 38th in the event's history, took place on 4th August 2024, with both the competition for individuals and relay pairs on the full course starting at 07:00 hrs and the mini climb of 11km set to begin at 10:00hrs. The initial registration period for the event closed on 1st June 2024, bringing an end to the offer of a reduced registration fee. For more information visit our page on Subida al Pico Veleta or www.subidaveleta.com/.

LA DESÉRTICA

This endurance event is both for cross country runners and mountain bikers and is organised by the Almeria Legion and is open to both military personnel and civilian male and female teams. It was founded in 2019 and traditionally takes place on a Saturday in mid-October with the 2024 edition set to take place on 26th October 2024. As the name suggests, it is an arduous course over mainly desert and arid terrain. There is also a Minidesertica for minors. The running event ‘marchadores' is 73km long and the mountain bike MTB is 103km. The race starts at 09.00 in Almeria city and passes Huercal de Almeria, Baños de Sierra Alhamilla, Pechina, Atenas (800m), (Enix, Marchal de Enix, Felix 1200m- MTB only) Bodegas (Runners only), and down to the coast at Roquetas del Mar.

Benemitra Trail

The Benemérita Trail running has been held in the village of Alfacar since 2016, specifically in the Sierra de la Alfaguara. There are two different competitions, a trail of 32 km and an open of 12 km. It is a fundraising event, with all the proceeds going to the Cancerous Stem Cells Research Unit of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Granada. The 9th edition of the Benemérita Trail race will take place on 5th October 2024.

La Valiente

The La Valinete (The Valiant race) in Andex and Santeponce near Seville can be undertaken by running, by cycling or on horseback.

La Sufrida

Cicloruta Internacional Serrania de Ronda or La Sufrida (The Sufferer or The Pain), as it is aptly locally known, is without doubt one of the most important long-distance cycle races in Andalusia. The event used to be held on the first Saturday in June and consisted of a 196-kilometre "Gran Fondo" (with a 125-kilometre option) around the Ronda countryside on country roads. Since 2006, the event has been organised by a local running club. Each year it starts in a different village. In 2015 the 17th edition was started at 08.00 from the main square in El Gastor. This typical route was Zahara de la Sierra, Puerto de las Palomas, El Bosque, Puerto del Boyar, Grazalema, Los Villalones, Arriate, Ronda and Montejaque. The winning time is under 7 hours. The race will stop at 11 hours. The police will provide a safety zone for the race within a 21km/h and 25km/h window. We understand that the last edition was on 25 May 2019.

Jarapalos

The Maratón Alpino de Jarapalos (MAJ) is a mountain cross-country race that has been held for over a decade. Every year in November, several hundred athletes take part. The route, which starts in Alhaurin de la Torre and runs through the mountainous areas of Benalmádena, Mijas and Alhaurín el Grande, offers spectacular views of the Costa del Sol, the Mediterranean Sea and the North African coast. This year's edition of the event took place on 3rd February 2024 and included four different levels. Ultra (64 km), Marathon (42 km), Open (18 km) and Mini Juniors (12 km).