Motril confirms the date of its demanding 2026 mountain climb

Plan your race pace

The Subida Pedestre al Conjuro will return to Motril on Dec. 20, 2026, according to the date supplied for this edition. The event is a mountain road race traditionally starting at Plaza de la Coronación and finishing near El Conjuro, although the 2026 start time, course, entry fee and registration process have not yet been confirmed.

Information from a previous edition helps explain the race’s character, but should not be mistaken for the rules of the next event. That edition was announced as an 18.5-kilometer paved course with 810 meters of elevation gain, finishing inside the facilities of Air Surveillance Squadron No. 9. Those figures are historical reference points, not confirmation of the 2026 route.

A confirmed date, with details still to come

The calendar now has a specific date: Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026, in Motril. The race falls toward the end of the year, but that alone does not establish its start time, course cutoffs, aid stations or finish-line arrangements. Those details are set for each edition and require a separate announcement before they can be treated as final.

For the previous edition, organizers set a 9:30 a.m. start at Plaza de la Coronación. They also described a route crossing Motril, Lújar and Gualchos-Castell before finishing at EVA 9. The race’s return and its setting do not guarantee the same course: security requirements, permits, roadworks and coordination can all affect the route and related services.

Runners considering taking part should therefore treat the date as the firm information and wait for the 2026 race rules before making travel arrangements or committing to a specific distance. No entry fee, field limit or registration deadline is currently available for this edition. Collection times for race numbers and transport between the start and finish have not been announced here either.

What made the previous course demanding

The course reported for the preceding edition covered 18.5 kilometers on pavement with 810 meters of total climbing. Starting in an urban area, it rose along local roads and highways, passing through Puntalón and continuing toward the upper slopes of El Conjuro. The finish stood at about 810 meters above sea level, inside the facilities of Air Surveillance Squadron No. 9.

Distance alone does not explain the effort required by this kind of race. On a sustained climb, pace is shaped by the gradient and by a runner’s ability to maintain a steady effort over many kilometers. The 810 meters of elevation gain refer to the previous edition; until the 2026 course profile is published, they should not be treated as a definitive training target for the next race.

The earlier route combined urban sections and mountain roads, with the climb becoming more pronounced near the finish. A report from an older edition also described pine trees, sea views and a particularly tough final ascent. Those images help evoke the landscape, but they are not a verified description of the 2026 route. Confirmation of the map and elevation profile will be essential to identify where the steepest sections begin.

A road race with a mountain feel

Although its name suggests a mountain climb, information about the previous course said it was entirely paved. Its appeal lay in the elevation gain, the prolonged ascent and the changing landscape from town to the higher roads. It was not a trail race on footpaths, but a demanding road event in which pavement did little to soften the climb.

That distinction matters when choosing shoes and assessing the experience needed. For a long road climb, traction on uneven ground is usually not the main concern, although comfort, stability and suitable grip in damp conditions still matter. December weather can vary, so clothing and equipment should match the forecast and the instructions issued by the organizers.

The finish location also gives the race a distinctive character. In the edition previously described, runners crossed the line inside the EVA 9 grounds, an unusual finish in the local running calendar. Access depends on coordination and security arrangements at the site; its location and entry conditions should therefore remain provisional until the 2026 race rules spell them out.

Organization, safety and course cutoffs

The XXVI edition described in the reference information was organized by the Pazito a Pazito Athletics Club, with support from Motril City Council and Air Surveillance Squadron No. 9. Preparations involved coordination with the Civil Guard, local police and Civil Protection, as well as medical support from basic life-support ambulances. The safety arrangements described belong to that edition and do not replace the plan that must be announced for 2026.

Aid stations were also reported at roughly five-kilometer intervals, with time cutoffs at La Garnatilla and the Gualchos-Castell junction. The published limits were one hour at the first checkpoint and one hour, 58 minutes at the second. Runners who exceeded them faced disqualification. Those cutoffs should not be assumed to remain in effect: they depend on the route, schedule and rules adopted for the new edition.

In a climb of nearly 20 kilometers, checkpoints are more than an administrative detail. They help manage road closures and safety while setting the minimum pace required to continue. Once the 2026 information is released, runners should check not only the overall time limit but also each checkpoint’s location and the consequences of missing its deadline. A race number and identification chip were also required in the previous edition.

Registration, entry fee and charitable support

For the edition described in the available information, entry cost 17 euros and registration was available through Cruzando la Meta until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 27. Same-day entries were not allowed. Organizers had planned a field capped at 250 participants. These terms provide useful background, but there is no basis for assuming they will carry over to 2026.

The previous event donated one euro from each entry to the Josep Carreras Foundation against Leukemia and offered a zero bib to support research. That charitable element was linked to that edition and cannot automatically be attributed to the next one. The 2026 beneficiary, amount and form of support will need confirmation alongside the race rules or official announcement.

For bib pickup, the earlier edition offered a Saturday window and another from 7:30 a.m. on race day at the race office in Plaza de la Coronación. Organizers also announced a bag-drop bus heading toward the finish before the race and returning after the awards ceremony. Pickup times and transport services for 2026 have not been specified, so it would be unwise to plan travel using the previous event’s schedule.

A finish with its own food and awards

The previous edition’s race bag included a T-shirt, medal, cap and locally grown produce. After the finish, runners were offered homemade sweet bread with chocolate and a paella at the municipal swimming pool, open to participants and guests. The awards ceremony was scheduled for the air base hangar. These were features of the previous program, not confirmed services for the Dec. 20, 2026, event.

That edition’s awards covered the overall leaders, the top three in each category and several groups, including local runners and athletes with disabilities. The announcement also mentioned members of the security forces, the organizing club and the club with the largest number of participants. Award categories and criteria can change and should be checked against the updated rules.

These details help explain the race’s community dimension alongside its sporting side: clubs, municipal services, security personnel and volunteers all contribute to an event that crosses several communities and finishes at a controlled-access site. But the social and logistical program needs annual confirmation. The 2026 event has a date; specific start, finish and post-race services have not yet been described in the available information.

How to read the details before preparing

The safest approach for runners is to separate confirmed information from details carried over from previous editions. The date and location supplied for 2026 are Dec. 20 in Motril. By contrast, the 18.5 kilometers, 810 meters of elevation gain, 9:30 a.m. start, 17-euro fee and checkpoints belong to an earlier event. They should not be treated as current conditions without a specific announcement.

That distinction does not diminish the value of the historical details: they show the profile of a race known for a sustained climb and a high-altitude finish. It does prevent runners from planning training, buying a ticket or booking accommodation around a schedule or distance that could change. The official rules and course profile will be the decisive references for mileage, elevation, services and participation requirements.

Until those details are published, the event can be described as a mountain road race associated with Motril, scheduled for December 2026 and historically known for a demanding course. The official distance, final route, start time and registration opening remain pending. The next edition will be defined when organizers announce its conditions, not by automatically repeating figures from previous years.

El Conjuro, a climb measured in scenery too

Older accounts of the race describe an event whose character shifts as the town falls behind. Pavement, farmsteads and wooded areas gave way to a climb with broad views toward the Mediterranean and, on clear days, Sierra Nevada. The contrast between coast and mountains is part of the race’s history, although the 2026 course has yet to be confirmed.

A high-altitude finish makes the final kilometers about more than pace. The gradient demands patience, while the landscape can reward runners just as their legs begin to feel the ascent. For spectators, the Dec. 20 date is the first detail that places the event on the calendar; for those planning to run, the remaining technical announcements will define the challenge itself.

The Motril event has a history combining competition, local participation and charitable partnerships in some editions. Its next running already has a date, but still needs the details that turn a date into a race plan: route, elevation, registration, schedule and services. Until then, the most useful lesson from previous editions is also a caveat: the climb retains its identity, but every edition must be judged by its own conditions.