Puig Campana Vertical Kilometer 2027: date and route

Plan your race pace

The Puig Campana Vertical Kilometer 2027 will take place on Sunday, April 18, in Finestrat, Alicante. The race will host the Spanish Individual and Regional Team Vertical Kilometer Championships, although it will not count towards the Spanish Cup.

The date, venue and championships at stake are confirmed. The 2026 race offers a recent indication of the climb’s demands: its timed section covered 3.65 kilometres with 1,020 metres of elevation gain. The 2027 race rules may change the route and other entry conditions.

Date and championships at stake

The race returns to Finestrat on April 18, 2027, at a venue with a long association with uphill racing. It appears as Puig Campana on the calendar of FEDME, Spain’s mountain sports and climbing federation.

The event combines the individual championship with the regional team championship. That distinction matters when interpreting the race: national titles will be decided, but the result will not earn points towards the Spanish Cup in the discipline.

In 2026, the race hosted the Valencian regional vertical kilometer championship under FEMECV, the Valencian Community’s mountain sports and climbing federation. It was the 17th edition of the race and took place on March 29.

The 2026 route as a guide

The previous edition separated the start in town from the beginning of the timed competition. Participants set off from Plaça de la Unió Europea and covered a neutralised section of 1.55 kilometres, gaining 115 metres, to Font del Molí.

From there, the timed ascent began: 3.65 kilometres to the summit, with 1,020 metres of elevation gain. The summit of Puig Campana, at an altitude of 1,408 metres, marked the finish of that course.

The distinction between the two sections affects the distance runners had to cover from Finestrat. In 2026, the neutralised approach and timed climb totalled 5.2 kilometres, excluding the descent afterwards. Only the second section counted as the competitive course.

Elevation gain measures accumulated climbing, not the altitude of the finish. On the timed section in 2026, the 1,020 metres of ascent were concentrated in less than four kilometres, which explains why distance alone gives an incomplete picture of the effort involved.

How the time trial worked

In 2026, the vertical kilometer was held as an individual time trial. The race clock started at Font del Molí, after runners had completed the neutralised approach from the square.

That format gives the course a different character from a conventional road race. Starting position does not necessarily correspond to finishing position: the standings are determined by the time taken over the timed section. The specific starting and classification rules for 2027 will need to be set out in the race regulations.

The climb also places different demands on runners from a flat course. The sustained gradient and technical terrain call for adjustments in stride and effort; walking the steepest ramps can be part of the ascent. A planned road pace per kilometre is not, on its own, a useful measure for estimating a finish time on this climb.

Registration and entry conditions

The 2027 event still needs to set out details such as the start time, entry fee and registration process. Deadlines and conditions from previous years cannot automatically be applied to this edition.

Before registering, runners should pay attention to the policy on race entries: the rules should clarify whether a refund or transfer is possible if an injury or another unforeseen event prevents participation. This is separate from the entry deadline and may affect the cost of withdrawing.

The requirements for competing in the championships, including any required documents or licence, as well as insurance cover, will also need to be checked. Individual participation and representing a regional team should not be assumed to have the same conditions before the event rules are known.

Equipment and the return from the summit

A summit finish raises a practical issue that the timed distance does not show: after finishing, runners still have to descend the mountain. In an earlier edition, the return route went via Coll de Pouet and Font del Molí to Finestrat; that itinerary should not be assumed to be confirmed for 2027.

The total time away will depend on both the climb and the descent, as well as the day’s arrangements. This matters particularly to visitors planning transport or accommodation. The return route, any checkpoints and race number collection logistics will need to be checked in this edition’s conditions.

The rules should also specify mandatory equipment and the use of poles. Poles were not permitted in an earlier edition, but that rule alone does not determine what will apply in 2027. Footwear and clothing choices should suit the terrain, weather and published requirements.

A race with a history in the Valencian mountains

Puig Campana has hosted national-level competitions before. In 2010, the race was the final of the Spanish Vertical Running Cup, and Didier Zago and Mònica Ardid won their respective categories. That year, the ascent brought together competitors and participants in a public walk.

Among the race’s historical performances is Urban Zemmer’s 35-minute time in 2011. It illustrates the standard achieved on the mountain, not a basis for predicting a 2027 finishing time: the course and conditions of each edition are decisive.

The April event should not be confused with Costa Blanca Trails, another competition associated with Finestrat that takes place in November. Although they share a municipality, they are separate races with their own event details and conditions.