Trail Torres del Foc 2026: date, distances and key details

Plan your race pace

Calella will host a new edition of the Trail Torres del Foc on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. The mountain race follows tracks and trails in the Montnegre i el Corredor Natural Park. The event offers four options: 12, 21, 42 and 60 kilometres, a range that spans everything from a first trail-running experience to a long-distance challenge.

The race takes its name from the forest lookout towers scattered across higher ground, structures historically used to watch over and protect the woodland. The start is listed in Calella, but the information available does not specify the route, elevation gain, start times, entry fees or the exact start and finish locations. Those details should be confirmed through the organiser’s updates before planning travel or choosing a distance.

A race on the trails of Montnegre i el Corredor

The event is set in the Montnegre i el Corredor Natural Park, a wooded section of Catalonia’s coastal range that offers a different setting from an urban race. The event description refers to tracks and paths crossing the park, but the information consulted does not include a detailed map showing where each distance goes.

That distinction matters: sharing the same area does not mean all four routes have identical technical demands. A longer distance may involve more time on the move and changes in terrain, but no specific elevation profile or route sections can be described without an official course profile. In trail running, distance alone does not sum up difficulty; elevation, surface, navigation and weather conditions all matter.

The towers behind the race name also offer a way to read the landscape. Built on high ground to watch the forest, they connect the course with a task of prevention and observation that can be overlooked when mountains are seen only as a sporting backdrop. The race combines a physical challenge with a landscape shaped by woodland, terrain and forest surveillance, though the information does not say which towers each distance will visit.

Confirmed date and a start in Calella

The date announced for this edition is Nov. 7, 2026, and Calella is listed as the host town. The event falls on a Saturday, which is useful for arranging travel and accommodation, particularly for runners coming from elsewhere in Catalonia or Spain. The available information does not give the start time for any of the races.

Calella provides the starting point for access to the event area, but the town should not be mistaken for a specific address. It is not clear whether the start and finish will be at the same location, and no square, venue or meeting point has been named. Before travelling, participants should wait for logistical instructions and check whether arrangements differ by distance.

The date and town are the confirmed details that identify this race edition. Other information commonly included in a race listing — such as start times by distance, bib pickup, transport, parking or registration deadlines — does not appear in the material available. There is not enough information to present those details as confirmed, and doing so could mislead runners and spectators.

Four distances for different kinds of runners

The event offers routes of 12, 21, 42 and 60 kilometres. The range opens the day to runners with different experience levels and goals, although distance alone cannot establish the level required for each option. The information consulted does not include elevation gain, cut-off times, aid stations or mandatory equipment, all of which are important when comparing routes.

The 12-kilometre option may be relatively shorter within the programme, but that does not automatically make it easy: a sustained climb or uneven ground can demand more than a similar distance on pavement. The 21-kilometre route is approximately half-marathon distance; in the mountains, however, the effort does not directly match that of an urban half marathon.

The 42- and 60-kilometre options extend the challenge and call for careful consideration of prior experience, sustainable pace and the ability to spend several hours on natural terrain. The 42-kilometre course is close to marathon distance, while 60 kilometres falls into the realm of long-distance mountain running. An official course profile will be essential for comparing the actual demands rather than choosing by kilometres alone.

What is known — and what is missing — about the routes

The event description confirms that the race passes along tracks and trails in the park and says it is intended to bring participants closer to the forest lookout towers. It does not provide downloadable GPS tracks, maps for each distance, elevation gain, maximum altitude or cut-off times. It also does not say whether the routes share sections or have separate starts.

This missing information is more than a minor detail for people preparing for a mountain race. An elevation profile helps estimate time spent climbing and descending; a map shows the route’s direction and the length of its sections; and cut-off times determine how long participants have to finish. Until those documents are published, more precise technical descriptions would be speculative.

It is also unclear which surfaces predominate on each course. The reference to tracks and paths indicates a natural-terrain event, but it does not establish the proportion of wide tracks, narrow trails or paved paths. In trail running, those differences affect pace, shoe choice and downhill technique, so official course details should guide specific preparation.

Lookout towers as the race’s connecting theme

The Catalan term torres de guaita means lookout towers: structures on high ground from which the forest can be observed. The name Torres del Foc points to their role in protecting woodland from fire and the importance of spotting smoke early. The event organisers present the race as an opportunity to discover these structures along with the park’s paths.

The towers give the event a sense of place beyond distance and the clock. On a mountain route, changing viewpoints can reveal how slopes, valleys and wooded areas fit together; a tower adds a visible landmark and a practical history of caring for the landscape. The scenery is not merely a backdrop to the competition but part of the event’s story.

The information does not specify which towers are included on each route or whether every distance passes them. Nor does it say that a tower serves as a checkpoint or aid station. It is useful to distinguish the race’s theme — visiting or approaching these structures — from the exact route details, which should be confirmed by official maps when they are published.

How to assess the difficulty of a trail race

In the mountains, distance is only one variable. A runner may move quickly on a firm track and lose considerable time on a steep or technical trail; descents can also strain the muscles even when they do not raise the heart rate as much as climbs. Positive and negative elevation gain, and how each is distributed, help complete the picture of a course.

Other factors include expected time on the move, experience on uneven ground and the ability to manage food and water during the effort. On longer distances, personal logistics matter more: running well is not enough; runners also need to conserve energy, adapt their pace and respond to changes in temperature or humidity. These factors should be assessed using course data, not inferred from the distance label alone.

The November date makes it sensible to check the forecast closer to race day, without assuming in advance that conditions will be cold, wet or warm. Weather can vary across mountain areas and throughout the day, and a general forecast does not replace the organiser’s safety guidance. The technical guide and pre-race updates will be the sources for any mandatory equipment and specific recommendations.

Registration, start times and details still to come

The information provided does not include the entry fee, registration period, participant limit or availability of places. It also does not explain how to register. It is therefore not possible to give a price or confirm whether entries are open, closed or sold out. A confirmed race date does not, by itself, establish whether bibs are available.

The same applies to the schedule. Start times for the 12-, 21-, 42- and 60-kilometre races are not listed, nor are bib collection hours or the finish cut-off. At events with several distances, the schedule can affect transport and accommodation, so it should be checked in the official information once available. Without those details, any timing plan remains provisional.

The reference names B3 Sport Events alongside the race, but does not provide an explicit web address or downloadable documents. A complete race guide should also clarify included services, aid stations, rules, categories and procedures for weather-related changes. Until then, the confirmed details are limited to the date, Calella, the park and the four announced distances.

A mountain race with four distance options

The 2026 edition brings together two defining elements: a natural setting linked to forest surveillance and four routes ranging from 12 to 60 kilometres. That breadth can bring different goals together on the same day, from discovering trail running over a shorter distance to taking on a prolonged challenge. A responsible choice will depend on experience and, above all, on technical information that has not yet been provided.

For prospective participants, the key details still to check are each route’s profile, elevation gain, start times, entry fee and registration conditions. The exact start and finish locations, safety rules and any required equipment will also matter. Those details turn a date into a realistic plan and allow runners to compare the four options without confusing distance with difficulty.

Calella and the paths of Montnegre i el Corredor will provide the setting for an event that puts forest lookout towers in the foreground. Those structures above the woodland give the race a distinctive identity, but the character of each route will depend on the maps and profiles released by the organiser. Until then, the most accurate description is also the clearest: a trail race scheduled for Nov. 7, 2026, with four distances and technical details still to be confirmed.