Girona New Year’s Eve 2026 race: date, distance and key facts

Plan your race pace

Girona will see out 2026 on the run: the next edition of its traditional New Year’s Eve race is scheduled for Thursday, December 31. Sports event calendars list the race as a five-kilometer event, although the available information does not yet confirm the start time, final course, entry fee or registration opening date for this edition.

The 2025 edition offers a useful point of reference, but it should not be confused with the 2026 programme. That year featured the 20th adult race and the 15th Mini New Year’s Eve race, starting and finishing at the Girona-Fontajau Municipal Pavilion, with a 2,000-runner limit for adults and fees of 12 or 15 euros depending on the registration tier. Those details describe the previous event, not confirmed terms for next December.

Confirmed date, with details still pending

The date announced for Girona’s race is December 31, 2026, the last day of the year and a Thursday. The event retains the defining character of New Year’s Eve races: a popular run marking the close of the calendar, on an afternoon when a festive atmosphere can accommodate very different aims, from completing a few kilometers to racing for a placing.

For now, the date is the firmest detail for anyone planning ahead. The start time, exact location, participation conditions, registration process and 2026 rules are not set out in the available information. The fact that an earlier edition used a particular venue is not enough to assume that organizers will repeat the location, schedule or format.

It is also important to distinguish an event’s calendar date from registration actually being open. A race having a set day does not mean entries are already on sale or that all the details have been published. Confirmation of the date is not the same as a complete event announcement: operational details should be checked when Girona City Council publishes information for the new edition.

This distinction matters when planning travel or a family outing. In December, transport schedules, meals and year-end activities can shape the day. Until the programme is confirmed, the most reliable approach is to treat the date as set and the remaining details as pending, rather than automatically carrying previous years’ arrangements into the 2026 calendar.

A popular five-kilometer race

Sports event calendars identify the 2026 race as a 5-kilometer event. That format is accessible to different kinds of runners: regular participants may aim for a sustained pace, while occasional runners can take it on at a moderate effort. Distance alone does not determine difficulty; the route, elevation, surface and weather also matter.

For the previous edition, the city described a five-kilometer urban course starting and finishing at the Girona-Fontajau Municipal Pavilion. That provides a useful sense of the event’s usual format, but it does not confirm that the 2026 route will be identical. Urban races may change streets, turns or checkpoints for organizational, safety or traffic reasons, so the official route map for the next edition will define the actual course.

A course of this length offers a different experience from a distance race. It does not require the training volume of a half-marathon, but participants do not need to run fast to enjoy it. In a popular event, pace usually depends on fitness and crowd density, with runners chasing a personal best, groups running together and participants who prefer to alternate running and walking.

The start and finish areas account for much of the event logistics: access, a possible bag drop, meeting friends and potential road closures. Alongside the distance, it is therefore useful to check the map and access instructions when they are published. At a busy event, these details can shape the experience as much as the course itself, especially for people attending with children or using public transport.

What the 2025 edition tells us

The previous event was the 20th Cursa Sant Silvestre de Girona and the 15th Mini New Year’s Eve race. It took place on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, with the children’s races from 5 p.m. and the adult race at 6 p.m. The start and finish were at the Girona-Fontajau Municipal Pavilion, at 22-24 Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas i Joan.

Organizers set a maximum of 2,000 participants for the adult race and limited the children’s races to 300 places, for children born in 2014 or later. Entries were online only and closed when the limit was reached or on the date set by the organizers. No new entries were accepted on December 31, a condition that shows why it is unwise to leave registration until race day.

Fees for 2025 were also tiered: 12 euros for bib numbers 1 to 1,000 and 15 euros from number 1,001 up to the limit listed on the city page. The Mini New Year’s Eve race cost 4 euros. Registered participants were due to receive a goodie bag, and entries were personal and non-transferable; organizers also stated that entry fees would not be refunded.

These are specific precedents, not a fee schedule or rules in force for the next edition. Organizers may revise the number of participants, prices, eligible ages and registration process. Treating the earlier figures as historical context helps convey the event’s scale, but presenting them as confirmed for 2026 would be misleading.

Fontajau and the logistics of a December afternoon

In 2025, the meeting point was the Girona-Fontajau Municipal Pavilion, in the northern part of the city. The address published then, 22-24 Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas i Joan, helps locate that edition but does not confirm the 2026 venue. The final location will matter not only for reaching the start but also for organizing spectator access and anticipating possible traffic restrictions.

A race on the last day of the year calls for planning the whole outing, not just the minutes spent running. Girona’s winter weather may mean low temperatures by late afternoon; wearing layers that can be removed before the start and having dry clothes for afterward are sensible options, adjusted to the forecast. No fixed temperature can be predicted this far in advance, and conditions may change even over the course of a single day.

Transport and allowing enough time to arrive deserve attention, too. Road restrictions around an urban event may affect streets near the course, and special year-end timetables may change usual travel options. Once the mobility plan is published, it will be easier to decide whether to walk, use public transport or drive, and where to meet people who are not running.

For families, details about the Mini New Year’s Eve race will be crucial. The previous edition offered separate children’s races with limited places, but the 2026 event’s format, age groups and start times are not yet confirmed. At an event involving children, checking the pick-up point, supervision arrangements and specific instructions is just as important as knowing how far they will run.

Registration, fees and rules: do not carry old details forward

Information published for 2025 said that entries were handled online only and that no participants would be accepted on race day. It also stated that registration meant accepting the rules and that a bib could not be transferred to another person. These are common conditions for capped events, but whether they continue depends on the rules organizers publish for 2026.

For now, no entry fee for the new edition has been confirmed in the available information. The amount could change by registration tier, category or the services included, so last year’s prices should be treated only as a historical reference. The same applies to the entry cap: 2,000 adult places and 300 children’s places belonged to the 2025 edition and do not prove that capacity will remain the same.

When registration opens, the rules should clarify practical matters such as minimum age, conditions for minors, bib use, timing if applicable, and the policy on changes or refunds. Reading those terms before paying helps avoid mistaking a reserved place for a transferable or refundable entry. It also makes clear whether the event is a timed race, a community run or a combination of both.

City information will be the main reference for confirming those terms. Third-party calendars may list the date or distance in advance, but they do not replace official details on registration, course and services. Until the 2026 rules are published, it is not possible to say which conditions will apply or whether the adult and children’s formats will repeat the previous edition.

Where it fits in the year-end calendar

New Year’s Eve races occupy a distinctive place in the popular running calendar: they arrive as many sporting seasons wind down and offer a short goal on a date marked by gatherings and celebrations. In Girona, the listed five-kilometer format makes it possible for participants with different motivations to take part, though the event’s specific profile will depend on the categories and rules eventually confirmed.

For regular runners, a December 5K can serve as a short race or a shared training run, depending on personal goals and the organizers’ format. Beginners may see it as a chance to get used to a crowded start and managing effort in a group. In either case, pace should match fitness and how the runner feels that day, not the speed of other participants.

The year-end date also changes the practical experience. Clothing, hydration and warm-up should be adjusted to the actual temperature, while a crowded start makes it wise to line up according to the intended pace and follow organizers’ instructions. Over a short distance, going out too fast can turn an enjoyable celebration into an unnecessarily uncomfortable effort.

A festive atmosphere does not remove the safety rules or practical needs of an organized race. Following the marked course, listening to event staff and avoiding sudden moves on busy streets helps protect runners and everyone sharing the space. For now, the best preparation is to note the confirmed date and wait for specific details before making plans that depend on them.

The final details will come with the city announcement

Girona’s next New Year’s Eve race has a confirmed date: December 31, 2026. Sports calendars list a five-kilometer distance, while the start time, course, venue, registration and fee still await detailed confirmation. Keeping known information separate from open questions is essential for accuracy and avoids presenting 2025 conditions as if they already applied to the following year.

The previous edition offers a concrete picture of the local tradition: a five-kilometer adult race, children’s mini-races, Fontajau as the start and finish, entry caps and online registration. However, each event announcement may bring changes. The 2026 city information will need to establish whether those elements remain, how starts are scheduled and what requirements participants must meet.

With the date marked on the calendar, the next information milestone will be publication of the city programme. That is where the route map, times, prices and registration details should become clear. Until then, Girona has set aside the last day of the year for another popular event, but the details that turn that date into a complete plan have yet to be announced.