Las Hurdes Vertical Kilometre 2027: date and route

Plan your race pace

The Las Hurdes Vertical Kilometre 2027 will take place on Saturday, 18 September, in Ladrillar, Cáceres, as the third and final race of the Spanish Vertical Cup. The Extremadura event moves forward in the calendar from the previous edition, which was held in October.

The 13th edition will be organised by the IES Gregorio Marañón Sports Association. Its 2027 route, schedule and entry conditions have yet to be published; details from the 2026 race provide an indication of the event’s character, but the new edition’s regulations may change them.

Spanish Cup final date and location

Ladrillar, in the Las Hurdes district of Cáceres province, will host the race on 18 September 2027. As the third and final event on the calendar, it will decide the Spanish Vertical Cup.

That position as the Cup final gives the event an added competitive dimension: alongside the day’s results, the overall standings will also be at stake. Categories, scoring and participation conditions will be set out in the relevant regulations.

In 2026, the race played two roles on the national calendar: it hosted the Spanish Vertical Kilometre Club Championship and the final of the fourth Spanish Cup. Hosting the club championship that season does not mean it will do so again in 2027.

The 2026 route: from Ladrillar to Cerro Rongiero

The previous edition featured a climb of 3.5 kilometres with 1,015 metres of elevation gain. The timed section started at Ladrillar’s natural swimming pool, at approximately 600 metres above sea level, and finished on Cerro Rongiero, at 1,627 metres, after ascending through the Sierra de la Grajera.

Those distance and elevation figures give an approximate average gradient of 29%, although that figure does not describe the steepness of every section. The climb includes stretches of varying gradient, so pace per kilometre cannot be compared with a flat race of the same length.

Before timing began, participants in 2026 completed a neutralised start from Ladrillar’s main square, covering around 3 kilometres to the start of the competitive section. This matters when planning the day: the distance used for the race classification did not include the entire approach.

The 2026 programme also included a Half Vertical Kilometre for cadets, covering 1.5 kilometres with 400 metres of ascent. Neither that event nor the main route’s measurements should be treated as confirmed for 2027 until the regulations are published.

Schedule and starting format

Organisers have yet to announce the 2027 schedule, including bib collection, start times and any preliminary events. For those travelling from further afield, the race start alone will not be enough to plan an arrival in Ladrillar: when and where bibs are collected will matter too.

In 2026, the neutralised start began at 9:30 a.m. and the first timed wave at 10 a.m. The race used a time-trial format with 20 waves, generally separated by two minutes, and a pause after the tenth to manage the flow of different categories.

Under that system, each athlete’s assigned time referred to the vertical kilometre start line, not the village square. The format spaces participants out on the climb, but the 2026 timetable and wave arrangements are not a schedule for the following edition.

Entries, fees and participation conditions

No entry fee, registration dates or capacity have been announced for 2027. The IES Gregorio Marañón Sports Association race page is where the event announcement can be checked once published.

For historical context, in 2026 the main race entry fee for runners without a federation licence was €25 until 15 October and €30 until 19 October. Those amounts and dates applied only to that edition; they do not establish the 2027 fee.

Before payment, the new event regulations will need to explain which categories are available, whether a licence is required for any classification and what documentation is needed. The refund and bib transfer policy also matters: an injury or cancelled trip does not automatically make an entry transferable or entitle a runner to a refund.

What running a vertical kilometre involves

In this discipline, distance alone does not measure the challenge. Runners face a sustained mountain ascent, where walking the steepest sections can be part of a competitive effort.

Elevation gain also changes pacing. A road-running benchmark says little about the time needed for a climb of this nature; gradient, ground conditions and the ability to sustain effort all count. In 2026, the neutralised section also added time and distance before the timed start.

A finish at altitude raises another logistical issue: finishing the race does not necessarily mean being back in the village. In 2022, the route included a non-competitive descent to Ladrillar afterwards. The return arrangements, aid stations and safety instructions for 2027 will need to appear in that edition’s programme.

Equipment and preparation for race day

A race that looks short on paper can require more planning than an urban event. The 2022 regulations listed mountain running shoes and items such as a waterproof jacket, headlamp, whistle and emergency blanket, with possible changes depending on the weather. That list is a historical example, not the mandatory equipment list for 2027.

The final list matters for a practical reason: taking only what would be used on a training run close to home may not satisfy race checks. The regulations and pre-race communications will establish what equipment is mandatory and how it must be carried.

Moving the event from October to September does not make summit conditions predictable. Temperature, wind and ground conditions can differ between the start and the upper slopes, making the local forecast and organisers’ instructions relevant when packing.

A race rooted in Las Hurdes

The event is tied to the IES Gregorio Marañón Sports Association and the cooperation of local institutions and residents. In 2026, families, students, teachers and volunteers from the area contributed to the operation, alongside public bodies and sporting organisations.

Its route places Ladrillar and the Sierra de la Grajera at the centre of a national competition. The 2026 edition drew 192 entrants and 18 clubs in the team championship: 11 men’s and seven women’s teams. In 2027, the Cup final will bring the national vertical racing calendar back to this part of Extremadura.

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