Hondarribia confirms the date of the 2026 Beñat Elzo race

Plan your race pace

The mountain race held in memory of Beñat Elzo will return to Hondarribia on Nov. 1, 2026. The date and town are confirmed, but information is not yet available about the start time, specific course, registration or entry fee.

Past editions have combined sport and charity, bringing together a race, a walk and a family activity while raising money for organizations connected with rare diseases. Organizers have not yet confirmed whether the same format will return in 2026 or which organization will benefit. The event’s history, however, helps explain why Hondarribia once again links Beñat’s memory with the mountains and solidarity each autumn.

A confirmed date, with several details still pending

The 2026 calendar places the next event on Sunday, Nov. 1, in Hondarribia, in Gipuzkoa. That is the specific information available about the edition: no start time, exact starting point or updated course has been provided. Registration dates, fees and entry procedures are also not yet available.

Caution matters for an event that has included different activities and charitable beneficiaries over the years. Details from previous editions help describe its character, but they are not enough to assume the next one will have the same schedule, distances or services. For now, the confirmed date allows people to mark the day; practical arrangements remain subject to a later announcement from the organizers.

It is also not yet known which organization will receive the 2026 proceeds. The event has supported different groups connected with rare diseases and other causes, so the next donation should not be assigned to a particular organization in advance. Charitable aims have been a constant, but the beneficiary can change from one edition to another.

Remembering a runner from Hondarribia

Beñat Elzo died on Nov. 1, 2013, while running on Mount Jaizkibel. He was a young athlete from Hondarribia, and his friends established an annual race to keep his memory alive. Since then, the nearby mountains have become part of the meaning of an event that is about more than recording times: it remembers a person and turns sport into a form of collective participation.

The chosen date carries particular significance. The event takes place around the anniversary of his death, a connection that explains its name and continuity. Over the years, it has brought together runners, walkers, families and people who come to support the cause, even if they do not enter the main race. The tribute does not depend only on crossing a finish line; it also involves sharing the space and supporting a common cause.

According to information published about previous editions, the event has been linked to the association promoting the Sport Mundi Foundation. Its work has shaped a local gathering with a charitable purpose, bringing sport, fundraising and awareness together. The 2026 date is confirmed, but organizational details and the program still need a specific announcement.

Several ways to take part

In previous editions, the day has offered more than a competitive event. The program has included a mountain race, a public walking route and a shorter family race. In the eighth edition, held in 2023, the main race covered 10 kilometers and the family event covered 1.5 kilometers; those figures describe that edition and are not yet a confirmed program for 2026.

The variety broadens the meaning of the day. The walk lets people take part on foot at their own pace; the main event brings together those who want to run on mixed terrain, while the family activity offers a shorter experience across generations. This combination has helped the event feel less like a competition alone and more like a gathering open to different abilities and motivations.

In a previous edition, activities started at Hondarribia’s marina: the walk was scheduled for 9 a.m., the mountain race for 11 a.m. and the family event for 12:30 p.m. Those are historical times and should not automatically be applied to the next edition. Until the 2026 program is published, there is no confirmed start time for any of the events.

What the figures from previous editions show

One edition drew 567 participants in the walk, 399 in the race — a record for that event, according to published information — and 591 in the family activity. Entry fees and donations from individuals and businesses helped generate a substantial fundraising total. The figures show the importance of collective participation, but they cannot predict attendance or revenue in 2026.

In another edition, organizers handed over 22,614.52 euros to the ATR-X Syndrome Association. The money was received by Hegoi Uranga, the father of a child affected by this rare genetic disease. Funds came from participation in the activities and donations from individuals and businesses, as part of a day whose reach goes beyond sporting results.

ATR-X syndrome can cause intellectual disability and motor and language difficulties, among other complications. It is a rare condition that requires specialized care and a multidisciplinary approach. Public awareness and support for families are part of the context for charitable initiatives like this one, but a race cannot replace research, health care or the resources people affected by the condition need.

Solidarity also extends beyond the course

Fundraising has supported different causes over the event’s history. In the seventh edition, proceeds went to ADELA Gipuzkoa, an association connected with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and support for families. In the eighth, the beneficiary was the Angelman Syndrome Association. In the edition whose donation was later reported, the check went to the organization associated with ATR-X syndrome. Supporting different beneficiaries has kept attention on a range of diseases and family experiences.

There has also been a practical dimension to managing event materials. Surplus shirts from the two editions before the donation to ATR-X were sent to Sahrawi refugee camps. A Hondarribia dentist used to travel once a year to treat dental problems among refugees and took nearly 200 shirts on two trips. On the more recent occasion, he could not transport them himself, so organizers planned to give them to an NGO for delivery.

This gesture adds another charitable element to the event, though it should not be confused with the destination of the fundraising. Unused clothing can be put to use through aid networks, while financial donations go to the cause announced for each edition. For 2026, both the beneficiary and the destination of any surplus materials remain unconfirmed. The event’s charitable work is built through different actions, not just the amount on a check.

The race returns to Hondarribia on Nov. 1

Hondarribia and the Jaizkibel area have been part of the race’s landscape since its early editions. The mountain-race format suggests paths and climbs that require more than maintaining a steady pace: the terrain can shift between firm stretches and uneven ground, where it helps to look a few meters ahead and adjust each stride. In 2023, the course was described as a mix of asphalt and tracks alongside the sea, with elevation gain toward Higer Lighthouse.

That earlier course offers a picture of the event’s sporting identity, but it does not confirm the 2026 route. A change in course can affect distance, elevation, checkpoints and safety requirements. Until organizers publish updated information, the historic route should be treated as context, not as an official description of the next race.

The setting explains part of the event’s appeal: an autumn day when the effort of running or walking meets the coastal landscape and atmosphere of a local gathering. The experience for visitors to Hondarribia will depend on the chosen activity as well as the day’s conditions. The date is confirmed; the course map, schedule and race services still need to be specified.

What remains to be announced for the 2026 edition

The available information does not say when registration will open, how much it will cost or whether different fees will apply to the race, walk and family activity. Entry limits, included services and rules for minors are also unknown. For an event with several formats, those details help people plan and should not be inferred from previous editions.

The start time, exact gathering point and final course have not been published. It is also unclear whether there will be additional activities, such as a community meal, which featured on earlier event days. The continuation of a tradition does not mean every part of it will happen each year: decisions may vary according to the organizers, beneficiary and logistical circumstances.

For now, the confirmed calendar information is straightforward: the event will take place in Hondarribia on Nov. 1, 2026. Operational and charitable details are not specified in the available information. That distinction makes it possible to report accurately without presenting announcements that have not yet been made as fact.

A local event whose meaning goes beyond the clock

Popular races are often measured in miles, elevation and finishing times, but the value of this event can also be seen around the start and finish. One person runs, another completes the route on foot, and a family takes part in a short activity; at the end, everyone can be part of a day created to remember Beñat and bring attention to different causes. Shared participation is one of the event’s defining features.

Fundraising figures from previous years show a significant community response, but their meaning is not limited to money. For associations, these events can create opportunities to share information and connect; for the public, they offer an introduction to little-known diseases and the needs of people living with them. The impact also depends on turning support into sustained help and treating those affected with respect.

On Nov. 1, 2026, Hondarribia will once again host this event in memory of a runner who died on Jaizkibel. The date has been set; the full program has yet to be made public. Until those details arrive, the race’s history makes its central purpose clear: running and walking together to preserve a memory and support charitable initiatives.