Cuna de la Legión 2027: date, places, schedules and fees

Plan your race pace

The 11th edition of the Cuna de la Legión will take place on Saturday, February 27, 2027, in Ceuta, starting and finishing at the Murallas Reales. Organizers have set a limit of 6,000 participants across five disciplines and will transfer 100 places from the 20-kilometer march to the 50-kilometer race, which will have 2,000 entries.

Registration opens on November 17, 2026, and will remain available until January 28, 2027, or until places sell out. Fees range from 10 to 40 euros, depending on the event. The race will keep a course similar to last year’s, with separate start times for cycling, the longer events, and the youth and children’s races.

A confirmed date for the 11th edition

The civic-military event will return in the final stretch of winter, with a date chosen to avoid coinciding with the end of Ramadan and the start of Holy Week. Organizers announced the event in Ceuta alongside representatives of the Autonomous City and the Tercio Duque de Alba, a Legion unit involved in preparing the race.

The calendar matters both to competitors and to visitors traveling from elsewhere. February 27, 2027, falls on a Saturday, allowing the sporting program and related activities to be concentrated on one day. The announcement was also marked by the Legion’s mourning following the death of Legionnaire Kevin Parra, which delayed the public announcement.

Six thousand entries and a change in allocation

The overall figure remains 6,000 places, but not every event will have the same quota as in the previous edition. The 50-kilometer race will receive 100 additional entries and accommodate 2,000 participants; the 20-kilometer march will have 2,900 places.

The other three events complete the allocation: 600 entries for mountain biking, 200 for the Youth Race and 300 for the Benjamin Race. The decision favors the long-distance event, which organizers consider the flagship race, without increasing the overall capacity. Keeping that limit also helps prevent participation growth from disrupting movement along the course or support at aid stations.

Five events for different participants

The program combines three longer events with two races designed for younger participants. The 50-kilometer race and 20-kilometer march offer alternatives for those tackling the course by running or walking, while the cycling event covers 55 kilometers of mountain biking. This is not one competition with different categories, but a set of events with distinct paces and demands.

The Youth Race and Benjamin Race will cover 1.5 kilometers. The first is divided into children’s, cadet and youth age groups; the second is for children ages 4 to 11 and is noncompetitive. This structure brings together a demanding endurance event and a short, more accessible race for families.

Start times and cutoffs

The first start will be the cycling event, at 10 a.m. Participants will have a maximum of five and a half hours to complete the 55 kilometers. The 50-kilometer race and 20-kilometer march will start together at 10:10 a.m. The former has a 10-hour cutoff, while the march has a four-hour limit.

The youth events will begin at 10:20 a.m., over a 1.5-kilometer course. The staggered starts help spread out the field, although the simultaneous start of the long race and the march calls for clear organization from the outset. Barriers will separate runners from those completing the 20 kilometers on foot.

A course that keeps its route

The start and finish will once again be at the Murallas Reales, an landmark that brings the beginning and end of the different events together. The route will be similar to last year’s and will be marked. Organizers will use timing chips to record participants as they pass through the competition.

The start and finish location gives the event a common focal point, but the main challenge stretches well beyond the historic setting. The 10-hour cutoff for the 50-kilometer race reflects the demands of an endurance event; in the march, the four-hour limit also requires a steady pace. The courses are not interchangeable: each event has its own distance, time limit and support needs.

Aid stations and race monitoring

The plan includes aid stations every five kilometers for marchers and every 15 kilometers for cyclists. The spacing reflects the characteristics of each event and how often participants may need to replenish fluids or food along the course.

Chip timing and course markings complete the resources planned for monitoring the race. At the start of the march, barriers between groups are intended to manage the flow of runners and walkers. These are practical measures for an event that brings together thousands of entries and, in one day, combines disciplines with very different speeds and styles of participation.

Civilian, military and team categories

The event will keep men’s and women’s civilian and military classifications. The 50-kilometer race will have an overall classification, age subcategories and a team event. The 20-kilometer march will also have individual categories, while the cycling event will feature its own overall, civilian and military divisions.

Teams in the long-distance race will consist of five runners. The time of the final team member to cross the finish line will determine the result, a rule that rewards finishing together rather than just the fastest participant’s performance. Mixed teams must include at least two women. The team event makes coordination an essential part of the challenge.

The cycling event and children’s races

The cycling event will cover 55 kilometers and have overall, civilian and military categories. Organizers have stressed that electric bikes are prohibited: participants using one will be automatically disqualified. The rule is intended to ensure that competitors race under the same rules and with comparable equipment.

The Youth Race includes children’s categories for under-14s, cadets for under-16s and youth for under-18s. The Benjamin Race is for children ages 4 to 11 and will not be competitive. Although both events share the 1.5-kilometer course, their age groups and distinct formats allow participation to be tailored to younger entrants.

Entry fees and registration dates

Registration opens on Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Entries will be available until January 28, 2027, unless places sell out sooner. Organizers will announce the specific opening times for each event through their official channels; the published schedule does not set one shared opening time for all registrations.

Fees are 40 euros for the 50-kilometer race and cycling, 35 euros for the 20-kilometer march, 13 euros for the Youth Race and 10 euros for the Benjamin Race. Two euros from each entry will be set aside for a charitable foundation whose identity has not yet been determined. The announced price includes the donation, although the recipient organization has not been named.

Bib pickup and planned services

Participants traveling from mainland Spain can pick up their bib on Sunday, February 21, at the Port of Algeciras, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. In Ceuta, pickup is scheduled for February 26 at the Auditorio del Revellín. Bibs will also be available on race day at the port in Ceuta, from the arrival of the first boat until 9 a.m.

The race pack will include a commemorative shirt for the 11th edition. Participants who finish their event will also receive a finisher sweatshirt, and trophies will be awarded to top finishers in different categories and to the oldest participants completing the 50 kilometers. Organizers also plan to provide a bag drop at the Murallas Reales, individual accident insurance for registered participants and collective third-party liability coverage.

A race connected to the city

The Cuna de la Legión is part of Ceuta’s sporting and tourism calendar and the Legion Race Circuit, alongside La Africana in Melilla, La Desértica in Almería and the 101 Kilometers of Ronda. The event is organized by the Club Deportivo Tercio Duque de Alba, with support from the Autonomous City and the Ceuta General Command.

Its significance goes beyond sporting results. The arrival of participants and companions generates activity over the weekend and gives visitors a chance to discover the city. At the announcement, officials recalled that the previous edition had an estimated economic impact of about 2.7 million euros, a figure attributed to the Department of Commerce, Tourism, Employment and Sport and indicative of the event’s local reach.

What is known and what remains to be announced

The date, entry limits, fees, events and main start times have been set. Still to come are the name of the foundation that will receive two euros from each entry and the exact registration opening time for each event. Organizers say they will share those details through their official channels when available.

It is also useful to distinguish confirmed details from unresolved logistics. Bib pickup is planned in Algeciras, at the Auditorio del Revellín and at the port of Ceuta, but a hotel ship has not been confirmed for this edition. For travelers, advance details on transport and bib collection will be as important as choosing an event.

An endurance event with limited capacity

Moving 100 places to the 50-kilometer race signals the event’s emphasis on its signature distance, while the 6,000-participant cap keeps the event’s scale under control. Balancing demand and capacity is part of the planning: unlimited expansion could affect the route, aid stations and participants’ experience.

With its start and finish at the Murallas Reales, five events and a first start at 10 a.m., the 2027 edition retains its familiar structure while adjusting the allocation of entries. For runners, marchers, cyclists and families, the essential details are now clear: Ceuta will host the event on February 27, with registration opening in November and a limited number of places spread across different levels of challenge.