Beasain’s mountain marathon returns in 2027: date and course

Plan your race pace

The Marimurumendi mountain marathon will return to Beasain on July 10, 2027, after a year without the event. The Bealak group has announced that it will revive the race and continue the work carried out over many years by Arrastaka Mendi Taldea and the Ehunmilak team. The available technical sheet lists a distance of 42.195 kilometres, around 2,300 metres of positive elevation gain and an 8 a.m. start from Loinazko San Martin Square.

The announcement confirms the return of a race that is part of the Goierri mountain-running calendar, but not every practical detail of the edition is settled. The 2027 entry fee, registration opening date, final course and participant limit have not been confirmed in the information available. It is therefore important to distinguish details published for the next edition from schedules, checkpoints and features belonging to previous races.

A return after the 2026 hiatus

Bealak has framed the 2027 edition as a way to keep Marimurumendi alive after races held in Beasain did not take place in 2026. The group has said it intends to continue for now with this marathon and maintain the service standards of previous years. The return is presented not simply as the restoration of a date on the sporting calendar, but as the continuation of an activity rooted in the town and its surroundings.

The announcement also recognises the work of those who made the race possible over the years. Arrastaka Mendi Taldea promoted the event in earlier stages, while Ehunmilak left a significant mark on organising mountain races in the area. Bealak is taking charge of the new chapter and says it will need volunteers, sponsors and partner organisations to support the event.

Date, start and key details

The 2027 technical sheet states that the race will take place on Saturday, July 10. The start and finish are scheduled for Loinazko San Martin Square, beside Beasain’s town hall, with the start set for 8 a.m. These details place the race on the calendar, although the available information does not yet include bib collection times or other event-day logistics.

The listed distance is 42.195 kilometres, the official marathon distance, with approximately 2,300 metres of cumulative ascent. That combination makes this very different from a city marathon: here, distance shares the spotlight with climbs, uneven ground and the time each runner needs to manage their effort. The organisers may publish revised technical details or additional instructions as race day approaches.

A demanding course across roads, tracks and trails

The course surface breakdown in the technical sheet assigns 5% to asphalt, 35% to tracks and 60% to trails. Across 42.195 kilometres, that means most of the route is on unpaved ground. The percentages help convey the nature of the event, but they are no substitute for an official map and elevation profile, which are needed to understand the route and its changes in gradient precisely.

The roughly 2,300 metres of positive elevation gain are central to understanding the challenge. That figure alone does not show how the difficulty is distributed: a long, gradual climb calls for a different pace from a series of short, steep rises, and descents can also put considerable strain on the legs and joints. The high proportion of trails and the elevation place the race firmly in mountain trail running, where maintaining a steady effort often matters more than chasing road-running paces.

What is known about the course, and what remains uncertain

Details from previous editions help explain the kind of circuit associated with the race, but they do not prove that the 2027 route will be identical. Historical information names locations such as Agorta, Pagorriaga, Kizkitza, Atxurtza and Arriaran, along with checkpoints and aid stations for an earlier edition. That edition also published a cumulative elevation figure slightly higher than the rounded estimate given for 2027. These past details provide context, not confirmation of the future route.

Until Bealak publishes an updated map and profile, the distance of each section, aid-station locations, cutoffs and maximum time limits cannot be treated as certain. The routes from 2025 or other editions should not automatically be carried over to 2027. For runners assessing the difficulty accurately, the final race documents will be more useful than a collection of old references, particularly in a race where small changes can affect elevation and race strategy.

The Goierri and Beasain setting

Beasain, in the Goierri area of Gipuzkoa, provides the local setting for an event that combines an urban start with the mountainous landscape nearby. Loinazko San Martin Square places the start and finish in the town centre, while the high proportion of trails and tracks signals a quick transition to natural surfaces. This closeness between town and mountain is part of the appeal of mountain races: the event unfolds in a lived-in landscape, rather than on an isolated course.

The organisers have emphasised the value races bring to the town and the wider area, beyond their competitive dimension. An event of this scale depends on a broad network: volunteers, local businesses, organisations and participants all contribute to its safe and sustained delivery. The race’s return is also a collective effort, in a local calendar that, according to the announcement, felt the absence of events during 2026.

A marathon, but not a road race

The full marathon distance may invite comparisons with an urban race, but times and paces do not translate from one surface to another. On mountain terrain, gradients, underfoot conditions and the weather affect progress; walking on a steep climb can be an efficient choice, not a sign of failure. Technical sections call for concentration, and descents can prove more demanding than their downhill profile suggests on paper.

The 2027 technical sheet gives a distance of 42.195 kilometres and about 2,300 metres of ascent, but the available material does not publish an official cutoff time or checkpoint limits. Previous editions shared expected finish times and checkpoint schedules; those should not be treated as valid for this event. The appropriate pace will depend on the final profile and the rules announced by the organisers, as well as each runner’s experience and preparation.

Registration, places and rules: details still to come

The information reviewed does not state the 2027 entry fee or when registration will open and close. Nor does it confirm the number of available places. An earlier edition published a maximum of 350 participants, but there is not enough information to assume that the same limit will apply again. Presenting that figure as a current cap could mislead readers, just as assuming that registration is already open would.

Other standard details remain pending, including the rules, mandatory equipment, transfer policy, support services and eligibility requirements. These can change from one edition to another and need to be checked against the specific 2027 documentation. For now, the date and main sporting details are the most concrete information available; administrative arrangements need explicit confirmation from the organisers before they can be considered final.

The role of volunteers and partners

Bealak has said it will need support from volunteers, sponsors and partner organisations to maintain the service level of previous years. In a mountain marathon, that network is not merely decorative: it helps staff checkpoints, guide runners and coordinate activity along the course and in town. The distance and elevation mean that the event depends on preparation spread across several locations, not just what happens at the start and finish.

The race’s continuity will therefore depend on bringing people and resources together for a specific day. Bealak’s announcement expresses an intention to keep the project going, while limiting its current commitment to the Marimurumendi race. The 2027 edition begins a new organisational chapter, and its development will show how local collaboration can combine with the experience built by those involved in the event in the past.

How to interpret earlier editions

Historical results show that the race has attracted runners from different places and at different levels. One edition in 2017, for example, recorded 199 finishers, while information published for 2025 listed a distance close to 42 kilometres and around 2,300 metres of ascent. These figures sketch the event’s history, but they cannot predict how many runners will start in 2027 or what times they will post on a course that still needs to be confirmed.

Results from one edition are not a reliable forecast for the next. Race times depend on weather, trail conditions, course configuration and the field of participants. Comparing editions makes sense only when routes and conditions are sufficiently similar. The value of historical references is the context they provide, not their ability to replace the technical information organisers publish for the next race.

What to look out for before race day

The most useful updates will be the rules and final route, along with the registration timetable and bib-collection instructions. The elevation profile will show where the climbing is concentrated and how much technical terrain lies ahead; aid-station details will help runners assess how much self-sufficiency is required. If cutoff times are announced, they will be crucial to understanding the minimum pace needed and how checkpoints must be managed.

Weather can also change the experience of a mountain race in midsummer. Heat, humidity or rain affect clothing choices, speed and fluid needs, but the actual conditions will only become clear closer to race day. Official 2027 information should take precedence over old race sheets, especially for start times, checkpoints, places and participation rules.

Beasain brings back a mountain-running fixture

The return of the Marimurumendi in 2027 has two dimensions: a mountain marathon with demanding sporting figures and the revival of an event Bealak considers important to Beasain and its surroundings. The announced date, July 10, the 8 a.m. start and the 42.195-kilometre distance offer a clear first picture of the race. The planned terrain, with trails making up most of the route, and the approximate positive elevation explain why it should not be treated like a conventional marathon.

Key details for runners and supporters are still to come, from the exact course to registration and race rules. The new organisers have announced their intention to continue the project and acknowledged that local support will be needed. The next step is to turn that announcement into a complete, verifiable race guide, showing what the event will retain from its history and what will define this new edition.