Cerro de la Marmota 2026: date, distances and status

Plan your race pace

The 2026 edition of the Cerro de la Marmota Popular Charity Race and Walk is listed for Nov. 29 in Colmenar Viejo, with 10- and 20-kilometer routes. However, a date published on an event platform does not resolve an important contradiction: the Pablo Ugarte Association, which organized the event for 15 years, announced that it would stop holding it. It is therefore unwise to present the 2026 event as confirmed unless the organizers issue an unequivocal statement.

The event had included races and hiking walks, with proceeds going to the fight against childhood cancer. Available information about the 2026 calendar conflicts with the association’s announcement that the event would end; an event listing also says its details have not been verified by the organizer. The key information for readers is not just the date, but the lack of official confirmation that the race will take place.

What is known about the event listed for 2026

An event aggregator lists Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026, in Colmenar Viejo, in the Community of Madrid. The same listing includes 10- and 20-kilometer running and walking options, as well as a zumba class. It also names the Pablo Ugarte Association as organizer and mentions municipal support. These are details published by an external platform, not recent confirmation directly attributable to the association.

The listing places the event on Calle de Ramón y Cajal, while information from previous editions identifies Calle Magdalena or the area around the La Magdalena Municipal Sports Center as the start. The difference could reflect logistical changes, a reference address or outdated information. The start location, schedule and services for 2026 should not be treated as settled until the organizing body or town hall publishes details for that edition.

Start times associated with previous editions are also in circulation. One description says the longer distance started at 10 a.m. and the shorter one at 11 a.m., while the town hall’s announcement for the 2025 edition placed activities from 9 a.m. That variation is another reason not to carry old schedules over to a future event. The 2026 start time is not established by the information available.

The same applies to prices, registration, aid stations and post-race food. Services for participants and a meal connected to the event were mentioned in previous years, but conditions can change between editions. The information reviewed does not provide a reliable fee or verifiable registration period for 2026, so any specific figure would be speculation.

The announced cancellation and conflicting calendars

The Pablo Ugarte Association said it would no longer organize the Cerro de la Marmota hiking event. According to information published about the announcement, the decision followed an extended period of reflection and was not prompted by a specific incident. Over 15 years, the event had grown from something close to a family gathering into an event that demanded a considerable workload from its four volunteer organizers, as well as coordination with partners and participants.

The association said outsourcing the organization was not an appropriate solution for its project. It was concerned about losing the close relationship with participants and being unable to ensure that proceeds continued to go entirely to childhood cancer research. The charity cause was central to the event’s identity, but sustaining it also depended on the time and capacity of a small team.

The last edition documented in the reference material was the 14th, held on Nov. 30, 2025. That year’s municipal announcement described 10- and 20-kilometer races and walks, starting from Calle Magdalena, and said proceeds would go to the fight against childhood cancer. The later announcement that the event would not continue conflicts with a listing that schedules it for November 2026.

That conflict between sources should not be resolved by assuming that the most recent date on a calendar amounts to confirmation. Aggregators may retain old announcements or reproduce unverified information, while a decision communicated by the responsible organization carries different weight. Based on the information available, the 2026 event should be considered unconfirmed and its future uncertain, even though a public listing still shows a specific date.

The association thanked participants, volunteers, partner organizations and local residents for their support over 15 years. The possibility that the event might return in the future is not the same as announcing a new edition. Until a specific statement reverses the decision or confirms a new organizer, there is not enough evidence to say that the 10- and 20-kilometer events will take place in 2026.

What the race was like and what its distances offered

Previous editions combined popular races and hiking walks over 10 and 20 kilometers. The format allowed people to run or walk, bringing different participants together for one day: from those aiming to complete a sporting course to groups and families looking for an outdoor activity with a charitable purpose. The 2026 listing adds a zumba class, but there is no confirmation that the program will return.

Descriptions of the routes say they mixed town streets with dirt tracks and paths in the surrounding countryside. Based on the information available, this was not a technical mountain race, but neither was it a completely flat urban event. The surface could switch between asphalt, compact dirt and sections with gravel or uneven ground, with gentle rises that interrupted a steady pace. The mix of surfaces and rolling profile were part of its character.

The 10-kilometer distance offered a shorter experience, although the terrain could require pace adjustments compared with an entirely paved race. For the 20-kilometer event, the longer duration and repeated false flats made it more important to manage effort and become accustomed to spending more time on dirt tracks. The walking option allowed participants to complete the day without turning it into a race against the clock.

Previous editions linked the start to the La Magdalena Municipal Sports Center or Calle Magdalena, in Colmenar Viejo. From there, the course connected the town center with open paths in the surrounding area. Some descriptions mention views toward the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Santillana reservoir, but the precise route could vary by edition. These historical details should not be mistaken for a confirmed 2026 course map.

The event’s value was not explained by the route alone. The association organized it to raise funds for childhood cancer research, and that purpose gave meaning to the participation of runners, walkers and supporters. In 2025, the town hall said proceeds would go entirely to the cause. The announced suspension puts an end, at least for now, to a format that combined community sport and charitable support.

Terrain, preparation and equipment if the event returns

Until a new edition is confirmed, specific training for November 2026 would be premature. Still, the characteristics of previous routes help explain what the event could demand if it returned in a similar format. For the 10 kilometers, a base of continuous running and some experience on paths would be useful; for the 20, sustained endurance and familiarity with dirt would matter more. Pace should be adjusted to effort, not just time per kilometer.

Training exclusively on smooth asphalt does not fully reproduce the small corrections required on a track. Compact dirt, loose gravel and surface changes require stable footing and attention to the ground. It is also useful to practice on routes with gentle climbs and descents, where maintaining exactly the same pace can take more energy than running on a flat surface.

In general training, gradual progression matters more than piling on demanding sessions. Easy runs help build endurance, while longer outings help the body adapt to time on its feet. Basic strength work can complement running, particularly to maintain stability as the legs tire. Training load should reflect each runner’s experience, health and available time, without turning a race reference into a reason to overtrain.

Equipment also depends on the actual course conditions and the weather. On firm mixed surfaces, road-running shoes with a suitable outsole may be enough; if wet or slippery tracks predominate, a light trail shoe could offer more grip. There is no universal choice: comfort, fit and previous experience on dirt matter more than trying a new model on race day.

Colmenar Viejo can have cold mornings in late November, and wind or rain may change the feel of the temperature and the condition of the paths. This is a seasonal reference, not a forecast for Nov. 29, 2026. Technical layers, thin gloves if needed and socks already tested in training are usually more sensible than improvising on race day. Mud and moisture can only be assessed using a forecast close to the date.

For the longer distance, hydration and fueling should be tested beforehand on outings of a similar duration. There is no need to add unfamiliar gels or drinks simply because they appear in general advice. Walking participants may have different pacing and needs from runners, so equipment should also reflect the expected duration. Without official 2026 information, it is not possible to confirm how many aid stations there would be or what they would provide.

The charitable purpose behind 15 years of history

The Pablo Ugarte Association turned the event into an initiative sustained by volunteers and local support. For 15 years, runners and walkers took part in a day whose proceeds supported childhood cancer research. The event’s continuity therefore relied both on the enthusiasm of participants and on an organizing structure able to manage permits, safety, routes, registration and participant services.

That work is often hidden behind the most visible moments of a race: the start and the finish. Organizing a community event, however, requires months of coordination and responsibilities that increase as participation grows. In this case, the association said the event’s size had increased the workload for a team of four volunteers. The decision to stop also reflects the practical limits of sustaining a charity initiative without expanding its structure.

The decision not to outsource the event reflected a concern about preserving its close-knit character and the destination of the funds. It was not simply a matter of keeping a date on the calendar, but of protecting the way the organization, charitable cause and participants were connected. For many attendees, running or walking in Colmenar Viejo meant supporting research and sharing a day with people committed to the same goal.

The announced suspension does not erase the funds raised or the impact of previous editions. Nor does it mean the association has abandoned its work against childhood cancer: the available information concerns the end of this specific event. The race’s legacy is linked to the money raised and the network of volunteers and supporters that made it possible, not just its annual place on the sporting calendar.

What needs to be checked before treating it as confirmed

The essential missing information is direct confirmation that the organizers have reactivated the event or that another organization has formally taken responsibility for holding it. A date on an external platform, even alongside distances and an address, does not resolve the issue if the listing says the organizer has not been verified. Confirmation should identify who is organizing the race and whether it is going ahead.

It would also be necessary to check whether the 10- and 20-kilometer distances remain, whether the walking option continues and exactly where the start and finish are located. Historical schedules are not enough to plan travel, and they do not establish whether there will be side events, bag storage, aid stations or food for participants. The price and registration terms require the same caution.

If the event returns, the announcement should explain how the proceeds will be handled and which organization will receive them. That detail matters because the charitable purpose was central to previous editions. A complete event announcement needs more than a date and distance: it should clearly explain the organizer, course and charitable destination of the funds.

For now, the most faithful reading of the available information is that a date has been published for Nov. 29, 2026, but the Pablo Ugarte Association also announced that it would stop organizing the event. The last documented edition took place in 2025. Together, those facts make it impossible to describe the event as a confirmed race and require a distinction between a calendar listing and an official announcement.

For 15 years, the event brought physical activity and solidarity together on the paths around Colmenar Viejo. A possible return would depend on a new announcement and on an organizational structure capable of sustaining it without losing the purpose that defined it. Until then, the central news is the announced suspension and uncertainty around 2026, not an opening for registration that has not been verified.