Barakaldo’s year-end race returns in 2026

Plan your race pace

Barakaldo will see out 2026 by running through its streets on Thursday, December 31. The 13th edition of the town’s traditional year-end event will be centred on Herriko Plaza, the start and finish area, and will feature a 5.8-kilometre race for adults alongside several children’s races. The main race is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.; the children’s events will take place beforehand, with age groups setting off in sequence.

The main distance is an urban road course with around 40 metres of accumulated elevation gain, according to the regulations published by the organisers. General entry costs €10, with an €8 rate for Barakaldo Kirolak members under the stated conditions. The event combines popular sport with a food collection for the Barakaldo Food Bank, a charitable element that also extends to the children’s races.

A year-end event in central Barakaldo

The race is part of the San Silvestre tradition: popular events that fill streets on the final afternoon of the year and turn a race bib into a different way to see out December. In Barakaldo, the course starts and finishes at Herriko Plaza, concentrating the day’s atmosphere in the town centre. Runners, families and spectators gather there before the starts and as participants cross the finish line.

The event is organised by Sociedad Ciclista Barakaldesa. The regulations state that the course will be marked and supported by the local police, Civil Protection and volunteers. It is open to participants of different ages, although runners should assess their ability to complete the adult distance sensibly. Registration means accepting the event rules, including safety instructions and the use of a timing-chip bib.

The published date, venue and schedule make it possible to plan the afternoon, but some practical details may depend on the organisers’ final instructions. The course is described as an urban 5.8-kilometre route and should not be confused with third-party listings that give the distance as 10 kilometres. The distance in the organisers’ regulations is 5.8 km; that document is the reference for this edition.

Scheduled date, starts and distances

The event is scheduled for Thursday, December 31, 2026. The children’s races, grouped under the name Txiki, are expected to run from approximately 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. They will start in sequence across five age groups. This is an approximate schedule, so families should follow any instructions issued before the event and at the start area.

The children’s distances increase gradually: about 150 metres for ages 0 to 4, 300 metres for ages 5 and 6, 500 metres for the 7-8 and 9-10 age groups, and around 1,000 metres for participants aged 11 to 12. The main race starts at 5 p.m. at Herriko Plaza and covers 5.8 kilometres. The regulations allow people of any age to take part, including under-12s who consider themselves capable of completing the course.

The children’s races are not simply a shorter version of the adult event in which everyone covers the same distance. Age-based groups adapt the route to different stages, giving the afternoon several starts and finishes. Assisted accompaniment is allowed in the Txiki races when needed. In the longer race, participants must follow the general rules and keep their timing-chip bib visible.

Registration and published prices

The regulations set out several registration channels and deadlines. Online registration is scheduled to run from September 21 through December 27, closing at 11:59 p.m. In-person registration is also available at Deportes OTO, at Paseo de los Fueros, 6, from September 17 through December 30. The stated hours are 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8 p.m.; the shop is closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, according to the information provided.

Race-day registration will be available at the tent in Herriko Plaza from noon until 3:30 p.m. The standard fee for the adult distance is €10. Barakaldo Kirolak members pay €8, but the 20% discount is limited to online registrations made by October 15. From December 28 through 3:30 p.m. on December 31, the late-entry fee rises to €15.

There is also a limit of 2,400 bibs with a commemorative shirt guaranteed. Registrations may remain open after that limit is reached, but the shirt is no longer assured. The requested size is not guaranteed for bibs collected near the end of the collection period either. Entry price and shirt availability are separate matters: paying the fee may secure participation without guaranteeing the official shirt in the requested size.

The published prices are those in the regulations for this edition and may change if the organisers announce an update. The available information gives the standard fee, member discount and late-entry surcharge, but does not confirm that places are sold out. A closing date alone does not mean the limit has been reached; current conditions should be checked through the event’s official channels before registering.

A charitable element in the entry

The charitable contribution is organised in partnership with the Barakaldo Food Bank. For the 5.8-kilometre race, participants can add €2 to their entry. The regulations state that this amount goes entirely to the food bank and that Sociedad Ciclista Barakaldesa contributes another €2 from its own funds. Each entry with this option therefore represents a total contribution of €4, although only €2 comes from the participant’s surcharge.

With the standard fee, the charitable option adds €2, bringing the total to €12. For Barakaldo Kirolak members, the stated price with the contribution is €10, subject to the discount conditions. Registration for the children’s races is free, but collecting a bib requires a contribution to the food bank: participants can buy a €2 or €5 voucher, or bring one kilogram of non-perishable food such as pulses, oil or tinned goods.

The arrangement means that participation does not depend solely on a cash donation: food can also be brought for the children’s races. The organisers say that the proceeds will go to the Barakaldo Food Bank, identified in the regulations as Asociación El Carmen. Charitable support is part of the children’s bib collection requirements, even though entry to those races is free.

Bib collection and included items

Adult-race bibs can be collected at Deportes OTO on December 29 and 30 during normal business hours. Collection will also be available at the Herriko Plaza tent on December 31, from noon until 3:30 p.m. The organisers recommend picking up the bib early to improve the chances of getting the desired shirt size, particularly because commemorative shirts are limited to 2,400 units.

The adult race pack includes a technical shirt for participants within the guaranteed allocation, a timing-chip bib and four safety pins. The bib must be worn visibly on the chest and the chip should not be folded, since it records the runners’ times. Participants also receive an adhesive label to identify a bag or backpack at the cloakroom. Collection is more than a formality: it ensures runners have their race materials ready before reaching the start.

For the children’s races, the regulations state that water and an official gift will be available at the finish. Shirt sizes may become limited as race day approaches, and the document does not guarantee a shirt for every participant. The bib and timing chip should be kept in good condition from collection until the race is over. If there are questions about schedules, sizes or documentation, the organisers’ latest information for the 2026 event takes precedence.

Urban course and race conditions

The route is described as an urban 5.8-kilometre course, starting and finishing at Herriko Plaza, with around 40 metres of accumulated elevation gain. The available reference does not name every street or provide enough information to describe turns or kilometre markers. It is therefore best not to fill in the route using maps from previous editions or third-party listings: the exact course should be checked on the official map when the organisers provide it.

Support from the local police, Civil Protection and volunteers is planned along the course. The regulations restrict vehicles following the race to those authorised by the organisers and prohibit accompanying runners on foot or in unauthorised vehicles. The stated exception is for the children’s races, where assisted accompaniment is permitted for anyone who needs it. These rules help keep the route clear and reduce interference on a course shared by many participants.

The organisers list chip timing, medical support with an advanced life-support ambulance and a healthy finish-line refreshment station for the main race, with assorted fruit and water. A cloakroom at the square tent and race photography will also be available. These services do not remove the individual responsibility to be fit to participate: the regulations exclude people with physical or health conditions incompatible with athletic activity and warn that runners without bibs may be removed.

Awards, raffle and the atmosphere of the day

Trophies will be awarded to the first three women and first three men in the overall standings. The Gabonetako Saria will also recognise the first three women and first three men from Barakaldo, alongside awards for the oldest woman and oldest man to cross the finish line. Chip timing allows the results to be ordered, while the event retains its popular character, bringing runners of different abilities and paces to the same start line.

Participants with a bib for the 5.8-kilometre race will be entered into a draw for sports equipment, dining experiences for two and massage vouchers, according to the regulations. These are raffle prizes rather than rewards for finishing position. That fits the spirit of a San Silvestre, when the stopwatch is only part of the story: fancy dress, groups of friends and families waiting near the finish often share the limelight with the more competitive runners.

The central start at Herriko Plaza gives runners and spectators a shared meeting point, although the crowds make it sensible to arrive with time to spare and follow instructions about access and the cloakroom. Families taking part in both events should note that the children’s races finish before the adult start scheduled for 5 p.m. The afternoon is arranged in successive time slots, so the group schedules and instructions at the square matter when avoiding confusion.

What to bear in mind before December 31

A date has been confirmed for the final day of 2026, but a reliable weather forecast cannot be made so far in advance. December in Barakaldo can bring rain, cold and wet pavement, typical seasonal conditions rather than a specific prediction for race day. It makes sense to prepare clothing suited to the temperature and check the forecast closer to the event, rather than treating monthly averages as a guarantee of the conditions at the start.

Registration terms should also be checked according to when someone plans to enter. The member discount has its own deadline, the standard fee rises in the final days and shirt availability is limited. For those collecting bibs on December 31, the published deadline is 3:30 p.m.; the children’s races are expected to begin around that time, so leaving collection until the last minute is unwise for families taking part in the younger age groups.

The organisers’ published information is the most useful reference for possible last-minute changes, particularly to the regulations, streets on the course, shirt sizes and collection arrangements. Some third-party listings show conflicting figures, including a distance of 10 kilometres, while others reproduce only part of the fee details. In contrast, Sociedad Ciclista Barakaldesa’s regulations give the adult distance as 5.8 kilometres and detail the participation requirements. Checking the organisers’ documentation helps avoid planning around mixed information from other races or editions.

A local sporting way to see out the year

The event brings together several features of year-end races in one afternoon: a distance accessible to many regular runners, children’s starts, an urban route and a familiar meeting point in the town centre. It also links participation with a food collection and a direct contribution to the food bank. This is more than one final running session before midnight; it is a community event that depends on coordination between organisers, municipal services, volunteers and participants.

The 13th edition provides practical details for planning: December 31, Herriko Plaza, 5.8 kilometres and a 5 p.m. start for the adult race. The children’s races are divided by age and scheduled from around 3:30 p.m., while fees vary by registration type and date. As the event approaches, the exact course and any updates should be confirmed with the organisers. The published details already point to an afternoon of popular sport, with Barakaldo as its setting and solidarity at the heart of the event.