Marxa Nocturna de la Vall del Tenes 2026: date, price and route

Plan your race pace

The 18th Vall del Tenes Night Hike will once again fill the paths of Lliçà de Vall with moving light on Saturday, June 13, 2026, starting at 9:30 p.m. from Plaça de l’Ajuntament. It is not a competition, but a popular nighttime walk along nearby trails and tracks, designed to explore the forest as the sun sets and the landscape changes pace.

The event keeps the format of previous editions: a route of around 11 kilometers, with an approximate elevation gain of 200 meters, a price of 7.50 euros, and registration closing on June 11. To take part, you need to bring a reflective vest, a headlamp or flashlight, and a personal cup, three simple details that make all the difference in an event of this kind.

A nighttime walk with its own identity

La Vall del Tenes has terrain that seems pleasant at first glance and even more appealing at dusk. The hike makes use of that dual reading: by day it would be just another outing; by night, the same landscape becomes more intimate, quieter, and also more demanding in terms of attention. Each participant’s light draws a small tunnel across the vegetation, while the group advances in a line, like a caterpillar of headlamps through woods and paths.

The popular nature of the event is part of its appeal. There is no stopwatch, no classification, and none of the logic of a traditional race. What stands out is the shared route, the atmosphere at the start in the square, and that blend of gentle exercise, leisure, and togetherness that has made so many local events a hallmark of the area. In this case, the nighttime start adds an almost cinematic layer: the hum of conversations softens, shadows grow heavier, and every step feels more deliberate.

The organization is run by the Centre d’Iniciatives de Muntanya, an organization closely linked to the Lliçà de Vall area. Its role is evident in the logic of the route and in the safety reminders: follow the marked itinerary, do not tamper with the signage, report if you leave the hike, and respect wildlife and the natural environment. They are basic rules, yes, but on a nighttime walk they take on greater importance because the terrain, although accessible, leaves less room for improvisation.

Date, start, route, and price for the 2026 edition

The available information places the event on June 13, 2026, with bib pickup between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and a start set for 9:30 p.m.. The meeting point is Plaça de l’Ajuntament de Lliçà de Vall, in the province of Barcelona. The finish checkpoint will close at 1:00 a.m., a generous window that fits the recreational nature of the event.

The official route is described as a nighttime walk along forest roads and trails, with a distance of about 11 kilometers and an approximate elevation gain of 200 meters. In the previous edition, the route was around 10 kilometers, so the 11-kilometer figure confirms a moderately difficult course, one that depends more on steady pacing than speed. For most participants, the key will not be running, but managing effort and light.

The registration fee is 7.50 euros and includes a glow bracelet and refreshments. Children under 8 years old may take part for free, although they must be registered and accompanied by an adult. That detail is not minor: the hike is presented as an activity open to a range of ages, but with a minimum level of control that keeps it organized and preserves the family-friendly atmosphere.

What a real nighttime hike requires

Night hikes have different logistics from daytime outings, and this event makes that clear from the outset. The reflective vest is not a decorative accessory; it helps the group stand out visually in sections where vegetation, low light, and the distance between participants can make them harder to see. The headlamp or flashlight, meanwhile, does more than light the ground: it also reduces stumbles, helps read the terrain, and makes it easier to identify markers and changes in direction.

The personal cup responds to another reality that is increasingly common at popular events: the need to reduce waste. In a hike with refreshments, bringing your own cup avoids the buildup of single-use cups and also speeds up passage through hydration points. It may seem like a small detail, but at outdoor events it is one of those habits that makes the experience better organized for everyone.

There is also an environmental aspect that deserves attention. The organizers ask participants to respect the surroundings, not to litter, and to keep noise to a reasonable minimum. On a June night, with wildlife active and a forest that needs no more noise than necessary, that recommendation makes perfect sense. It is not just a matter of sports etiquette; it is a way of preserving shared use of the natural space.

A family-friendly format that is gaining value on the local calendar

The Marxa Nocturna de la Vall del Tenes is not aiming to impress with numbers or difficulty. Its value lies elsewhere: bringing running and physical activity closer through an accessible, social, and very local format. In a calendar saturated with demanding races, technical trail events, and high-pressure competitive runs, this kind of night hike occupies its own space, almost as a form of cultural resilience. It continues to exist because it connects with a gentler way of moving through the territory.

The fact that it is open to all ages reinforces that idea. It is not about seeing who arrives first or measuring heart rates as if it were a lab session. It is about going out, walking, sharing part of the route, and seeing a familiar setting in a different light. Some events are created to break records; this one, instead, seems designed to turn the forest into a stage and the square into a meeting point.

The 18th edition also confirms a stability that is uncommon in events of this kind. Reaching a kind of sporting maturity means organizational continuity, public response, and a community that understands the event as part of the local summer. In that sense, the hike is no longer a novelty, but a fixed-date tradition, almost a small June ritual in Lliçà de Vall.

Registration closed and practical details worth keeping in mind

Registration closes on June 11, two days before the event, and the published information does not mention in-person sign-ups on the day itself. That makes the earlier registration a basic requirement, not something that can be postponed. Bib pickup, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., also requires arriving with enough time to avoid lines and head out with the gear ready.

The rules also make several operational points clear. The route will be properly marked and must not be altered; if someone drops out, they must report it at a checkpoint; and at the end, the finish and passage through the different checkpoints must be recorded. These are simple rules, but essential for an activity that runs along roads and trails where coordination matters just as much as signage.

The organizers also note that, in the event of rain, the start will still take place. Only a prior decision could cancel the hike before any participant sets off. That caution reflects something important: although the event is popular and non-competitive, it remains an outdoor activity that depends on terrain, visibility, and collective safety. Bad weather does not automatically cancel it; prudence, instead, remains the guiding principle.

How this event fits into the map of popular running

Running in Spain is not only about marathons, half-marathons, and large city races. A very important part of the calendar is sustained by local events like this nighttime hike, where the goal is not to shave off seconds, but to maintain a culture of participation that brings runners, walkers, and families into the same space. These are formats that broaden the sport’s base, which is why they matter more than they might seem.

In the Valencian Community and Catalonia, these events have a special resonance because they combine climate, the summer calendar, and the tradition of going out into the streets or the hills after dark. The connection to the territory is direct: paths, forests, squares, refreshments, volunteers, and an organization that often relies heavily on the local associative network. All of that creates an experience that is less industrial and more human, where each element has visible weight.

In practice, the 18th Marxa Nocturna de la Vall del Tenes sums up that logic very well. It does not aim to compete with a road race or a high-mountain trail. It plays in another league, more restrained and more intimate, where safety, coexistence, and reading the landscape matter most. And precisely for that reason, it remains interesting: because it offers a different way to move, one that measures not only time but also the way you are present on the route.

What a June night among trails and headlamps leaves behind

The scene this hike evokes is easy to picture: a village square with pre-start buzz, the murmur of bib numbers, lights switching on little by little, and then a column of participants moving along the paths of the Vall del Tenes. On one side, the forest; on the other, the dusk. Between them, a sporting experience that is simple in appearance and very concrete in its social value.

The 18th edition arrives with a tried-and-tested formula: approximately 11 kilometers, 200 meters of elevation gain, a 9:30 p.m. start, an affordable price, and a set of rules designed to keep the night orderly. There is no mystery, and that is precisely its strength. The event rests on a very clear idea: walking at night can also be a way of reading the territory, caring for the environment, and keeping alive a local tradition that has found its own rhythm under the stars.

In an ever-expanding calendar, this hike keeps to the essentials: a marked route, a group of people moving with their own light, and a forest that, for a few hours, changes role. No more is needed to understand why it continues to have its place year after year in Lliçà de Vall.

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