Trail Quebrapates 2027: date, route and distances

Plan your race pace

Trail Quebrapates 2027 will take place on Saturday 16 October in Pola de Laviana, Asturias, and will count towards the FEDME Spanish Cup for mountain races. Organised by Grupo de Montaña Peña Mea, the event returns to the area around Peña Mea, with a history tied to the trails and steep climbs of the Mining Basins.

The date, venue and place on the national calendar are confirmed. However, the 2027 distances, start times and prices have not been confirmed: the previous edition provides a guide to the nature of the race, but the new event regulations may change those details.

Race date and venue in Asturias

Pola de Laviana, a town in the Asturian municipality of Laviana, will host the race on 16 October 2027. The event appears on the calendar of the Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing, known as FEDME, as part of its Spanish Cup for mountain races.

Mountain races in this series follow a marked route combining climbs and descents. Inclusion in the cup places Quebrapates within a national competition, although the edition’s participation and classification rules still need to be set out in its regulations.

Grupo de Montaña Peña Mea organises the event. In 2026, the start was in Plaza de Armando Palacio Valdés in Pola de Laviana. That location is a useful precedent, not confirmation of the 2027 start or finish.

Distances and elevation gain: the 2026 edition

The edition held on 17 October 2026 featured two distances. The longer race covered 33 kilometres with 2,500 metres of elevation gain, according to FEMPA, the Asturian mountain sports, climbing and hiking federation. The shorter race covered 13 kilometres with 900 metres of cumulative climbing.

Elevation gain is the total amount climbed along a route, not the difference in height between the start and the summit. A race can therefore accumulate considerable climbing even if it finishes close to where it began. In both 2026 distances, the relationship between climbing and kilometres points to a substantial mountain effort.

The starts also differed that year: the 33-kilometre race began at 8:00 a.m. and the 13-kilometre race at 11:00 a.m. The event formed part of the Asturias Cup final. Neither start time should automatically be assumed for 2027.

The shorter distance still requires preparation

The 13 kilometres in 2026 were not equivalent to a fast race on flat ground. Its 900 metres of cumulative climbing and the mountainous surroundings made both endurance and confidence on steep trails important considerations.

In the longer race, the climbing came alongside much more time spent in the mountains. When choosing between distances, should both remain available, experience on sustained climbs and descents is a more useful guide than applying a road-race time to the same distance.

Peña Mea and the mountain terrain

The race is linked to Peña Mea, a 1,559-metre mountain visible from much of the valley. The longer route described in previous editions combined mountain trails and paths with some concrete or asphalt sections, as well as the climb towards the summit.

One feature of the event is a descent over loose limestone. On this kind of surface, speed depends less on the pace shown by a watch than on the ability to choose secure footholds, maintain balance and adapt to the gradient. Fatigue accumulated on the climb also changes how runners tackle the descent.

The final 2027 course will determine where each distance goes. References to Peña Mea describe the setting and the race’s established character; they do not mean that both distances will reach the summit or follow exactly the same paths.

Registration, price and entry conditions

The 2027 entry fee, opening and closing dates, and number of places have not been confirmed. No start time for the new edition has been published either. These conditions need to be established before making firm travel or registration plans.

The decision does not end with choosing a distance. If an injury or change of plans prevents participation, whether an entry can be refunded or transferred will depend on the organiser’s terms. Those provisions are worth checking before payment, along with what happens if the race is changed or cancelled.

It is also important to check what cover registration requires and whether an accepted federation licence or a day policy meets that requirement. Travel insurance and cover for mountain sports are not necessarily the same: their terms and exclusions can differ.

Kit and preparation for the mountains

For a race of this kind, equipment should allow runners to move on trails and respond to changing weather. Trail shoes with suitable grip for the terrain and a waterproof layer are among the items many runners consider for a day in the mountains.

The organiser may set a mandatory kit list and carry out checks before or during the race. Items associated with previous editions include a charged phone, a water supply and, for the longer distance, an emergency blanket. The 2027 regulations will determine what each participant must carry and under what conditions.

Planning food and drink also depends on the distance and expected time on the course. Until the route and its aid stations are published, their locations and supplies should not be assumed. Training with the chosen pack or hydration system helps runners understand how the equipment carries over several hours.

Rain and mud can affect grip on paths and rock in October, but a climate average is not a forecast for a particular day. A forecast closer to the race will be more useful for choosing clothing than an estimate made months ahead.

Travelling to Pola de Laviana

The town is in the Asturian Mining Basins and has road connections with the surrounding area and Oviedo. For visitors travelling from outside Asturias, the journey involves more than reaching the municipality: bib collection, the start time and the trip home after the race can all affect accommodation plans.

Before confirming a booking, it is worth checking whether the organiser allows same-day bib collection or requires earlier collection, as well as parking arrangements and access to the start. Those logistical details still need to be confirmed for the 2027 edition.

A local event in the Spanish Cup

A place on the Spanish Cup mountain race calendar gives a national dimension to an event organised in Laviana and associated with the landscape around Peña Mea. The 2026 edition was part of the Asturias Cup final; in 2027, the federation’s schedule places the race in a series bringing together events from different regions.

That presence also draws attention to an area shaped by its mining history and its proximity to the mountains. The sporting result will share the spotlight with terrain where elevation gain and technical descents are part of the race’s identity.