The second Mingrano ascent has a date and start time

Plan your race pace

Las Palas will host the second edition of the Mingrano Ascent on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, with the event scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. from the village school. The program lists an 18-kilometer trail race and a 12-kilometer walking event, set around the Mingrano mountain area and linked to a charitable cause.

The event is organized by Club Deportivo Portichuelo with the support of the municipalities of Fuente Álamo and Mazarrón, the Asociación de Senderismo Solidario and the Murcia regional athletics federation. It is listed in the 2026 Trail Tour FAMU, in the TTF-Classic category. Available information confirms the date, start time and distances, but does not yet provide details such as total elevation gain or the precise route. Published entry prices start at 23 euros for the participatory events.

Date, start and venue

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Las Palas, a village within the municipality of Fuente Álamo in Murcia. The start and finish are at the Colegio de Las Palas, according to the event information. The listed start time is 9:30 a.m. for both announced activities, the race and the walking route.

The meeting point is clear, but it does not replace the logistical information usually published before a competition: bib pickup, parking, access routes, available services or possible traffic restrictions. Those details do not appear in the information provided for this edition. The reliable reference is therefore the village school as the start and finish area, without assuming unconfirmed schedules or services.

A Saturday morning event offers a different setting from urban races that bring hundreds of runners onto streets closed to traffic. Here, the event’s name points to a particular elevation and rural landscape, although the available listing does not offer a precise technical description of the climb. The location puts the focus on the hills around Las Palas and an experience combining running and walking.

Two events with different distances

The program distinguishes between an 18-kilometer mountain race and a 12-kilometer walking event. They are not simply two identical versions of the same route: the walking distance is six kilometers shorter. Registration lists the two options separately, allowing participants to choose between racing on foot and exploring the area at a more measured pace.

An 18-kilometer course is a middle-distance trail event, although it is not equivalent to an 18-kilometer road race. In the mountains, distance alone accounts for only part of the effort: terrain, elevation, the length of climbs and the type of surface can all change the time required to finish. Without those details, it is more accurate to describe it as an 18-kilometer mountain race than to assign it a precise difficulty level.

The 12-kilometer walking route broadens the event beyond runners accustomed to racing. Its distance allows participants to walk and share the day’s atmosphere without taking on the same pace as the race. Available information identifies it as a walking event but does not say whether the routes overlap or how long it is expected to take. Those details should be clarified in the final documentation. The two events have separate distances and should be checked individually before registration.

A mountain route still awaiting technical details

The event is described as a race through the Mingrano mountain area, while information about the 2025 inaugural edition described a mixed route of tracks, dirt roads and trails. That offers a reference for the event’s character, but it does not confirm that the 2026 course will be identical. The current listing does not specify a map, elevation profile, positive elevation gain or the proportion of each surface. The precise route for this edition should not be treated as known until technical information is released.

In a mountain race, those details matter as much as distance. A wide track allows runners to settle into a steady pace; a narrow, rocky trail or one with changing gradients requires shorter strides and closer attention to the ground. Cumulative effort also varies: 18 kilometers with moderate elevation do not feel the same as the same distance with prolonged climbs. Assessing the actual challenge requires, at a minimum, a reliable profile and a description of the terrain. The advertised distance is not enough to determine difficulty.

The event’s name suggests a notable relationship with the terrain, but it does not reveal how many meters participants will climb or what share of the course is uphill. Nor does it confirm whether there is one main ascent or several shorter climbs. Trail races often include changes in pace and surface, but each edition has its own characteristics. Confirmed information points to the Mingrano area; the route’s specific features remain important details for runners and walkers to learn.

A sporting event with a charitable purpose

The event is presented as an initiative bringing together sport, nature and charity. Information published for the 2026 edition says that registration proceeds will benefit the Spanish Association of Mastocytosis and Related Diseases, an organization connected to a rare disease. That charitable purpose gives the event a community dimension: participation is not limited to a sporting result but also helps raise awareness and support for people affected.

The first edition, held in 2025, launched the initiative. Its return in 2026 reflects an effort to establish a local event bringing together runners, walkers and residents. Sources describe the involvement of several institutions and organizations, but do not provide a confirmed participant count or the amount raised in the previous edition. As a matter of accuracy, participation and donation totals cannot be compared without published figures.

The charitable purpose does not change the sporting nature of the event: the race retains its distance, schedule and participation requirements. Participants should distinguish between the fee for their chosen event and any voluntary contribution offered through the registration system. The listing also includes a non-participatory bib, with contributions starting at five euros. This option allows people to donate without starting the course, according to the event description.

Registration, prices and published deadline

The published price for both the 18-kilometer race and the walking event starts at 23 euros. The word starts indicates an advertised base price, not necessarily the final amount for every registration phase. The available information does not say whether booking fees may be added, whether prices vary by date or whether different fee tiers apply. Before paying, participants should check the final amount shown by the registration platform.

The stated registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, at 8 p.m., four days before the event. That provides an advance closing date, although places could sell out earlier if the organizers set a participant limit; no limit is included in the available information. The listing also does not provide specific prices for minors, groups or other categories, so discounts or special terms should not be assumed.

The non-participatory bib is listed as a contribution starting at five euros. It is separate from registration for the race or walking route and does not qualify as entry to either event. Registration for the sporting events is advertised through the registration system linked in the event information, but the listing does not confirm additional details on transfer of entries, refunds or bib transfers. Those terms should be checked in the current regulations before completing registration.

What remains to be confirmed before race day

The date, start time, venue, distances and base price provide a useful foundation for assessing the event. However, trail runners often need other details: positive elevation gain, course profile, downloadable GPS track, aid stations, cutoff time, mandatory gear and checkpoint arrangements. None of these appear in the available summary. The missing information does not mean organizers will not publish it; it simply cannot yet be treated as confirmed.

It would also be useful to know how and when bibs can be collected, as well as directions to the Colegio de Las Palas and parking options nearby. Travel planning for an event in a village may require more attention than for an urban race with public transport and large parking areas. The current reference contains no specific information about these services, so detailed access advice would be premature.

Regulations usually bring together participation rules, categories, safety measures and registration terms. The listing mentions regulations from other editions, but that does not confirm that those rules remain in force in 2026. The current edition needs its own official information to answer questions about minimum age, poles, outside assistance or conditions for leaving the course. Previous regulations may offer context, but they cannot replace this year’s version.

The event’s place in the trail calendar

The race is included in the Trail Tour FAMU league, within the 2026 TTF-Classic circuit. That places it in a regional mountain-running calendar and gives it a competitive framework beyond the local event. The listing does not specify scoring, categories or eligibility requirements, so those points should be checked in the circuit’s general rules and the race’s own regulations. Its circuit status is confirmed; the specific implications depend on the rules published by FAMU.

Calendar events often attract runners following a series or ranking, as well as participants whose goal is to complete a distance or explore new routes. The walking option broadens that reach by including people who prefer to hike and are not looking to compete. The two formats are not the same experience: pace, preparation and purpose differ, even if they share a start area and the same event setting.

For the municipality, a mountain race can bring visitors to an area usually explored without a clock or race bib. Its impact depends on practical factors such as turnout, organization, route marking and respect for the environment, none of which can yet be assessed from the published details. What the event information does describe is cooperation among the organizing club, local governments, a hiking association and the regional federation. The event is supported by a local and sporting network, a common feature of races seeking to build roots beyond a single edition.

A second edition returns to the Mingrano hills

The event’s return in 2026 makes an initiative launched the previous year a second fixture on the Las Palas calendar. Continuity gives organizers an opportunity to refine logistics and sporting details, although there is not yet enough information to say what has changed from 2025. The advertised race distance remains 18 kilometers, while the walking route is 12. The event maintains its link between mountain running, public participation and charity.

The appeal of a race like this is not measured only by a personal best. Some participants want to test themselves on a climb, some prefer to walk the mountain paths without watching the clock, and others are drawn by the charitable purpose. Different motivations can share one event when organizers clearly communicate the routes and conditions. That range helps explain how a walking event can sit alongside a competitive race without diluting either one’s identity.

Confirmed information already establishes the essentials: Saturday, Oct. 31; a 9:30 a.m. start; the Colegio de Las Palas; an 18-kilometer race and 12-kilometer walking route; prices starting at 23 euros; and a non-participatory contribution from five euros. Technical course information and some logistical details have yet to be published. Until then, the second edition is taking shape as a trail-running and walking event in the Fuente Álamo area, with the Mingrano hills as its setting and a charitable cause among its aims.