Gran Canaria prepares for a week of trail racing in 2027

Plan your race pace

Gran Canaria will host a full week of mountain races from February 22 to 28, 2027, with an expanded schedule that adds Open Agáldar and the Stages format. The event has already passed 5,000 entrants, representing 68 nationalities, and registration remains open for distances with places still available.

The programme combines a vertical race, courses of different lengths and a 126-kilometre ultra. Starts will be spread across several municipalities and island landscapes, from the coast to the midlands and mountain areas. The 2027 edition is not simply adding days: it offers more ways to take part and puts a stronger focus on the impact of an event crossing varied natural areas.

A week of racing spread across the island

The schedule begins on Tuesday, February 23, with Open Agáldar, a 21.4-kilometre race with 613 metres of positive elevation gain, starting from San José de Caideros. The Vertical Kilometer El Gigante follows on Wednesday, February 24: a 5.5-kilometre climb with 1,090 metres of ascent between Agaete and Tamadaba. Half and Promo are scheduled for Thursday, February 25, offering two formats for runners with different levels of mountain-running experience.

Friday, February 26, brings two of the best-known distances. The Marathon starts in the morning, while the Classic sets off at midnight from Las Canteras beach. On Saturday, February 27, Advanced, Short and Family are scheduled to start from Teror, according to the announced programme. The spread of start times and municipalities makes the race an island-wide event, rather than a competition concentrated in one place.

The official event week runs from Monday, February 22, through Sunday, February 28, although the races described begin on Tuesday, February 23. The distinction matters for anyone arranging travel and accommodation: the event period does not necessarily mean seven consecutive days of racing. Specific start times, apart from the details announced for Open Agáldar, should be checked against the organizers’ latest information.

More than 5,000 entrants and an international field

The organizers reported that the 2027 edition had passed 5,000 entrants and included runners from 68 nationalities. France accounted for close to 300 entrants; the United Kingdom had more than 250; and Germany and Italy each approached 200. More than 40% of registered runners came from abroad, while 65% came from outside Las Palmas province.

Women made up 35% of participants at the time of that count. These are interim figures, not the final race totals, and they may change as registration continues. Even so, they point to a strongly international event, bringing together local and mainland Spanish runners with visitors travelling to the island to compete.

Entrants are also distributed unevenly across the different races. Available information said Promo, Open Agáldar and Marathon had sold out their standard places and had waiting lists, while other distances were still accepting entries. Availability depends on the individual race; an open registration period for the event does not mean a place is available in every race.

The distances: from a short climb to an ultra

The Classic is the longest course, covering 126 kilometres with 6,764 metres of positive elevation gain according to the race description. It is an endurance event in which terrain and duration make pacing a central part of the challenge. Its nighttime start from Las Canteras adds an opening stretch in darkness before the route crosses other Gran Canaria landscapes.

The Advanced covers 82 kilometres, linking Teror and Maspalomas. The Marathon is about 47 kilometres and the Half about 23; each distance brings different demands in terms of time, elevation and preparation. Distance alone is not enough for a comparison: on mountain trails, accumulated climbing, surface and exposure to changing weather can significantly alter a route’s difficulty.

The programme also includes Promo, at 12 kilometres; Open Agáldar, at 21.4; Short, at 5; and Family Trail. The KV El Gigante adds a 5.5-kilometre climb with 1,090 metres of ascent, a concentrated uphill effort that differs from the demands of longer races. The event therefore ranges from a short experience to an ultra, although every format has its own conditions and availability.

Stages, four days with different race formats

The new Stages format combines four days of competition in different settings. Its schedule links Open Agáldar, the Vertical Kilometer El Gigante, Promo and Advanced. These are not four legs of the same distance: each day brings a different format, from a trail race to a vertical climb and a long 81-kilometre stage in the reference information.

The concept changes the experience compared with running a single race. Stages participants face successive efforts and need to arrive at each day able to recover, while adjusting rest, nutrition and equipment to a longer schedule. The continuity between stages is part of the challenge: accumulated fatigue can matter as much as the elevation gain on any one day.

The format also offers a glimpse of the island’s geographic variety over a few days. Gáldar, Agaete and Tamadaba, Artenara, Tejeda, Teror and the Maspalomas area are all connected to the overall programme. Distance and elevation figures may differ slightly between registration pages and race descriptions, so final course details should be checked against the current rules and race information.

Gran Canaria, from the coast to volcanic trails

The event’s appeal is tied to an island that changes character quickly. In just a few kilometres, coastal conditions can give way to ravines, slopes and midland trails, with different terrain and vegetation. For Open Agáldar, organizers highlight grazing areas, the surroundings of Pico Viento, cardon cacti and natural areas such as El Juncal and Amagro Mountain, which has historical and archaeological value.

The Half route shares sections with Gran Canaria’s Camino de Santiago and explores the island’s south. Its official description presents it as a scenic route, but that does not make it easy: the views come alongside the demands of the terrain. In trail running, the landscape is not a backdrop separate from the race; it affects pace, navigation and how effort is distributed.

The Classic is part of the international World Trail Majors circuit, a series bringing together mountain races in different countries. According to published information, the Marathon is included in The Short Series by Gran Canaria World Trail Majors. These affiliations place some races within international circuits, but they do not replace each event’s own rules or, by themselves, determine how difficult a course will be for a runner.

Prices, registration and available places

Published registration fees ranged from 20 euros for certain youth categories to 340 euros for Stages. General fees included 50 euros for Short, KV El Gigante and Promo; 80 for Open Agáldar; 85 for Half; 125 for Marathon; 180 for Advanced; and 225 for Classic. Fees can vary by category and payment method, and the platform notes that handling charges are not included.

Installment payment options were listed for Advanced, Classic and Stages. In the cases shown, fees were divided into two payments, so the amount displayed as the first payment did not necessarily represent the full entry cost. Youth and development-category fees also differ from general rates and should not be treated as the price for every participant.

The stated registration period ran from July 1, 2026, to January 31, 2027. Reference information said that Promo, Open Agáldar and Marathon no longer had standard places available and had waiting lists, while other races remained open. The status of individual entries can change; availability and prices should be checked on the registration platform at the time of entry.

An edition putting sustainability in the spotlight

Organizers have said they will maintain the overall number of places and reduce capacity in some races to limit pressure on the environment. Planned measures include improving mobility, increasing energy efficiency and encouraging good practices among runners, suppliers and spectators. Organizers also announced registration in the Canary Islands Carbon Footprint Registry.

For a race crossing several municipalities and natural areas, sustainability depends on more than one decision. Participant transport, energy use, waste management and trail etiquette are all part of the same equation. Reducing impact requires concrete measures and monitoring, particularly as visitor numbers grow and activities run over several days.

The longer schedule makes this issue more significant. A week with starts spread across the island may distribute traffic and activity among local communities, but it also requires logistical coordination. The actual impact of the measures can be assessed with later information about how they are implemented and what results they achieve; for now, what has been announced describes objectives and areas of work, not a final environmental assessment.

What to check before travelling

The announced event dates run from February 22 to 28, 2027, but the races take place on different days and their start times are not interchangeable. Open Agáldar is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, from San José de Caideros; for the other races, it is sensible to check current times and any programme changes. The Classic is announced for midnight on Friday, February 26, starting from Las Canteras.

It is also important to distinguish the start municipality from accommodation and the finish. Some races connect different towns, and Advanced, for example, is described as running between Teror and Maspalomas. Travel logistics are part of race preparation: getting to the start, collecting a bib and returning from the finish may require different plans, especially for a night start or point-to-point course.

Registration does not replace reading the race rules. Mandatory equipment, checkpoints, cut-off times and participation conditions can vary by distance and should be confirmed in the official 2027 documents. Course distance and elevation figures on information pages may also be rounded or differ slightly, as with 81 versus 82 kilometres for Advanced or 125 versus 126 for Classic.

A mountain event shaped by many kinds of terrain

The 2027 edition combines its established long races with new formats and a programme spread across several days. More than 5,000 entrants, participants from 68 countries and options ranging from a vertical climb to 126 kilometres show the event’s scale. At the same time, the extended schedule creates more opportunities for runners, municipalities and island landscapes to meet.

The week’s appeal will depend on both the headline challenges and the particular experience of each race: the Classic at night, the concentrated ascent of the KV, the Agáldar trails or the accumulation of stages. Gran Canaria does not offer a single race setting, but a succession of terrains and rhythms that calls for each course to be considered on its own terms.

With places sold out in some distances and environmental measures announced, the next edition faces two tasks: sustaining international interest and caring for the landscape that gives the event its meaning. The expanded schedule creates new possibilities, but it also increases the importance of careful organization, current information and a responsible relationship between trail running and the island.