Benahavís launches a two-day mountain festival

Plan your race pace

Benahavís will host the first edition of its mountain festival on December 12 and 13, 2026, a two-day gathering combining competition, family activities and time outdoors. The programme features a 3-kilometre uphill time trial on Saturday and a circular 14-kilometre trail race on Sunday, along with children’s races, music and activities for spectators.

The event, promoted as I Mountain Festival Benahavís by Defender, centres on a combined sporting result: Sunday’s trail time will be combined with the uphill time trial result, which awards time bonuses according to placing. Published entry fees start at €45 and rise to €55 in the second pricing period; the stated registration deadline is December 8.

A mountain festival spread over two days

The format aims to be more than a standalone race. Saturday features a vertical challenge and side activities, while Sunday is reserved for the longer mountain course. The programme puts Benahavís, in Málaga province, at the heart of a weekend designed both for competition and for sharing the surrounding mountain landscape.

The organisers have announced a schedule featuring an uphill time trial, a trail race and activities for different audiences. Saturday is set to include a climbing wall, a family lunch, children’s races, live music and a technical briefing. Sunday’s programme includes the main race, a race announcer, an awards ceremony and a finisher’s medal for those who complete the trail.

This format changes the usual rhythm of a one-day competition. Participants aiming for the combined standings must tackle two different efforts and manage recovery between one day and the next. Families and spectators, meanwhile, can attend activities without making the entire experience depend on running.

Saturday’s uphill time trial opens the competition

The first sporting event on the schedule is a 3-kilometre uphill time trial with 328 metres of elevation gain, planned for Saturday, December 12. Rather than starting as a group, runners set off individually at intervals, a format that limits crowding on the course and measures each participant’s performance on a short, intense climb.

The time trial is not simply a standalone event: its results can affect Sunday’s standings through time bonuses. The winner will receive a 180-second advantage, with the bonus decreasing by five seconds for each subsequent place. A fast climb can therefore have consequences in the longer race, although it does not replace the performance needed to complete the 14 kilometres.

Available listings do not fully agree on the climb’s elevation gain: information shared by the festival gives 328 metres, while another event listing offers a different figure. The 3-kilometre distance appears consistently. Before travelling, runners should check the final regulations and technical details, particularly if elevation affects their preparation or equipment choices.

Sunday’s trail race: 14 kilometres in the mountains

The main race takes place on Sunday, December 13, over a circular 14-kilometre course. Information released by the festival puts the route’s elevation gain at 926 metres, suggesting a demanding day even if the distance may look moderate on paper. In the mountains, cumulative climbing, uneven ground and changes of pace matter as much as the kilometres.

Available listings do not give a single elevation figure: one reference mentions 645 metres of ascent and descent, while others describe more than 900 metres of elevation or state 926 metres of ascent. It is prudent to treat the figure as provisional until the regulations or official course profile confirm it. The circular format and 14-kilometre distance are both part of the announced information.

The organisers plan to use checkpoints and cut-off points, with a maximum average pace of nine minutes per kilometre for runners to remain within the designated schedule. This limit should not be read as a recommended pace for everyone, but as an operational event condition. Elevation can make pace vary widely between climbs, descents and runnable sections, so the average alone does not describe the course’s difficulty.

How the results from both events are combined

The final standings are based on the time taken to complete Sunday’s trail and Saturday’s uphill time trial, after bonuses are applied. The system rewards consistency while also giving the opening climb a strategic role: a strong placing there gives a participant a time advantage going into the second day.

The maximum announced bonus is 180 seconds for first place, decreasing by five seconds for every position. The gap narrows as places progress, although each participant’s precise bonus depends on their time-trial ranking. The system does not add kilometres to the course; it adjusts the time used for the combined standings.

One event listing says timing will use a disposable chip system. The full regulations will be the decisive reference for questions about categories, tie-breaks, participation in one or both events, and time calculations. Those details may affect race strategy, but they do not change the need to manage effort sensibly on the trail.

Registration, fees and dates to keep in mind

Online registration is planned, with the stated deadline falling on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. The announced fee is €45 through November 12 and rises to €55 from November 13. Members of the Andalusian federation for mountain sports, climbing and hiking receive a €5 discount, according to the available information.

The published fee should be considered alongside the conditions for each category and what registration includes. Promotional information mentions a personalised shirt and sweatshirt, as well as a medal for those who finish the trail; another listing says the fee covers participation in both the uphill time trial and the mountain race. The registration page and regulations should clarify whether all these items are included in the same fee and across all categories.

There is a small difference in how the schedule is presented: some pages summarise the event under Saturday, December 12, while the festival programme places the uphill time trial on Saturday and the trail race on Sunday, December 13. For travel planning, the safest approach is to allow for the full event, December 12-13, and confirm each activity’s final schedule when it is published.

Services, equipment and course conditions

Announced services include aid stations roughly every five kilometres and at the finish, medical assistance, insurance, a bag drop and showers. On a course with substantial elevation gain, these services are an important part of event logistics, though they do not remove the need for runners to have a personal hydration and fuelling plan suited to the expected duration.

Available information says runners must carry a collapsible cup or another reusable container, as well as a headlamp or independent lighting. A reusable container allows runners to collect drinks at aid stations without relying on single-use cups; lighting may be relevant because December days are short and because of the specific course conditions. The final regulations should clarify required equipment and any exceptions.

Sustainability measures and penalties for conduct that harms the environment or breaches the regulations have also been announced. In a mountain race, dropping litter, leaving the marked route or ignoring safety instructions can affect the landscape and other participants. The course crosses a natural environment, so following instructions and respecting the terrain are part of the sporting experience.

A family day alongside the race

Saturday’s programme extends beyond competition with children’s races, a climbing wall, music and a family lunch. A technical briefing is also planned to communicate race and event information. For people travelling with children or non-running companions, these activities give the day its own appeal and make the festival a shared outing.

The family programme does not reduce the demands of the main events. The time trial involves a concentrated climb, while Sunday’s trail adds distance, elevation and time on uneven ground. Keeping the two aspects distinct helps explain the event: there are recreational activities for visitors, but the central competition retains the physical demands of a mountain race.

The awards ceremony and finisher’s medal are announced for the end of the sporting programme. Published information links the medal in particular to those who complete the trail. Confirmation of schedules, age groups and conditions for the children’s races will depend on the organisers, so details not yet included in available materials should not be assumed.

What remains to be confirmed before race day

Public information covers the dates, main distances, fees and many services, but technical questions remain open. These include a detailed map, final course profiles, start times, categories and a full explanation of the elevation differences given in various announcements. Such details are essential for estimating effort and deciding what equipment to carry.

It will also be important to check the exact start and finish locations, bib collection arrangements, and the terms for changes or cancellations. One listing places the event at Calle Pacheca Alta, but logistical details may involve different locations for each activity. A street address should not be mistaken for the full course, which requires an official map and marking information.

The event is scheduled for the weekend of December 12 and 13, 2026. Updated regulations should answer the remaining questions and prevent contradictory details from becoming a surprise on race day. That clarity is especially useful for participants who do not yet know the terrain, given that this is the event’s inaugural edition.

Benahavís prepares for its first major trail event

The festival’s first edition proposes an unusual format: an uphill time trial that partly shapes a circular race the following day. The combination adds a tactical element without obscuring the main challenge, which is completing a 14-kilometre trail with substantial elevation gain. The mountain landscape provides the setting, but the experience will also depend on course marking, schedules and coordination across the two days.

For the town, the event brings sport, leisure and family activities together over one weekend. For runners, the most useful details are concrete: a two-day programme, a 3-kilometre time trial, a 14-kilometre trail, bonuses of up to three minutes and published fees ranging from €45 to €55. The precise elevation and several technical details still require official confirmation.

December’s calendar offers a different scene from summer races: shorter days, potentially cool temperatures and early fading light. The organisers have listed independent lighting among the required items and planned medical and aid-station services. Final regulations will provide greater certainty; for now, the defining feature is a mountain weekend bringing competition and shared activities to Benahavís.

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