Vicálvaro hosts Madrid’s historic cross-country race on Nov. 8

Plan your race pace

Parque Alcalde Agustín San José, in Vicálvaro, will host a new edition of the historic Trofeo Marathon cross-country race on Nov. 8, 2026. The event is moving from Parque de las Cruces because of construction work there, and will once again bring together federated competitions, children’s races and a six-kilometer public cross-country race.

The day will also have major sporting significance: the Madrid Absolute Club Cross-Country Championship will be held on the course. The program uses one- and two-kilometer circuits for different categories, while the public race will be limited to 500 participants. Registration is already available through Deporticket, although the published information does not specify entry fees or start times.

A new venue for a long-running event

The main change in 2026 is the location. The event is leaving Parque de las Cruces in Carabanchel and moving to Parque Alcalde Agustín San José in Vicálvaro. According to information released by the organizers, construction work in the Carabanchel green space makes it difficult to carry out the preparations needed for the competition, so the relocation will allow the event to go ahead.

The move changes the race’s setting, but not its essence: cross-country running will once again anchor a morning combining club athletics with public participation. For runners familiar with the previous venue, the change means racing in a different environment; for newcomers, it offers a chance to discover an event with decades of history and a format that makes room for both registered athletes and children and recreational runners.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8. The announced venue is the Vicálvaro park, but the available information does not specify an exact start location within the grounds or the start time of each race. Nor should the venue be confused with other geographic references appearing on registration pages: information for this edition explicitly places the event in Vicálvaro.

The club championship is the centerpiece

The federated competition will once again feature the Madrid Absolute Club Championship. In cross-country running, the team result adds another dimension to each race: alongside the individual standings, the combined performances of team members count. The 2026 edition will stage that contest on a course prepared for the senior, under-23 and under-18 categories, in men’s and women’s divisions.

The organizers plan to use two main courses, one two kilometers long and the other one kilometer, to stage the federated races. The actual distance covered by each category will depend on the competition schedule and the number of laps assigned in each case. The information released so far does not include the starting order or a complete table of exact distances for every race, so those details should be checked in event updates when they become available.

The format allows the morning to bring together races with different profiles rather than reducing the event to a single contest. The senior categories share the schedule with the under-23 and under-18 runners, while clubs aim to claim the regional title. That blend of individual performance and team standings explains much of the championship’s appeal: every placing can affect a team’s result, and each race forms part of a broader athletics meeting.

A six-kilometer public race with limited places

Alongside the federated competition, there will be a six-kilometer public cross-country race, included in Madrid’s Neighborhood Race Circuit. It is an option for people who want to take part in the event without competing in the club categories. Organizers have set a maximum of 500 entries, a cap that defines the race’s capacity and distinguishes it from events with no published limit.

The distance is shorter than a 10-kilometer road race, but retains the distinctive character of cross-country running: a park course and an experience different from running on asphalt. The surface and detailed course profile have not been specified in the published information, so it is not possible to say reliably how much elevation gain there will be or what kind of ground will predominate. The announced distance of six kilometers is confirmed.

The public race also includes a category for athletes with disabilities, who will take part in the same event over the same distance. Organizers say prizes will go to the first three finishers, with a gift for every participant. These details broaden the scope of the morning: the public race is not a side activity but part of the overall program, adding an inclusive and community-focused dimension.

Children’s courses for different ages

The children’s races will use courses adapted to each group, with distances ranging from 350 to 750 meters. That variation allows younger participants to tackle a route suited to their age instead of simply running the same course as older competitors. The program turns the park into a competition venue for several generations of runners.

In a cross-country event, adjusting the distance matters as much as choosing the course. A shorter route lets children experience the start, pace and finish without imposing the demands of an adult race. The available information does not specify the ages assigned to each distance or publish start times for the children’s races, so families should check those details in official registration updates.

The inclusion of races for young participants means the day does not depend solely on the absolute championship. Spectators can watch runners of different ages and see how the dynamics change from one group to another: pace, stride length and effort management differ between a course of a few hundred meters and a six-kilometer public race. That variety is part of the appeal of an event combining grassroots sport with established competition.

From Casa de Campo to Vicálvaro: a race with several homes

The 2026 relocation will not be the first in the event’s history. Its story began in 1960, with races in Casa de Campo, and later moved to Parque de las Cruces. Over the years, some editions have also taken place at the Jarama circuit and in Arganda del Rey. Vicálvaro therefore joins a history shaped by different settings and organizational circumstances.

The 2026 edition marks 67 editions held, according to the information provided about the event. That continuity makes the trophy one of Madrid’s most established cross-country fixtures. Its longevity does not mean the event has stood still: courses, venues and circumstances change from one edition to the next, while the common thread remains a competition closely tied to athletics in Madrid.

The event will also again remember Javier Manzano, who was involved for many years in organizing races through Agrupación Deportiva Marathon. The memory of those who have sustained a race over decades is part of an event’s sporting heritage, even if it does not appear in the results. In this case, the tribute links the current edition to the organizational work that has kept the event on the local calendar.

Clara Simal features on the 2026 poster

This edition’s poster features Madrid athlete Clara Simal, one of the prominent figures in the recent history of Agrupación Deportiva Marathon. She won the Spanish marathon title in 2018 and has been associated with the club for more than two decades, according to information released about the poster. Her presence gives the event a recognizable face, although the main sporting focus will again be the club championship and the public cross-country race.

Choosing an athlete with a long history at the club connects individual achievements with the organization’s shared story. The poster does more than announce a date: it is also a reminder that cross-country events are built by athletes, organizers and teams across generations. Simal’s marathon record also broadens the perspective on a day centered on distances and surfaces very different from those of a 42.195-kilometer urban race.

At the park, however, attention will be shared among many smaller stories: a team trying to add up places, someone making a debut in the public race and children setting off on an adapted course. This mix of goals, ages and abilities helps explain why a historic event can hold interest beyond its main championship. The Vicálvaro edition preserves that variety in a new setting.

Registration, confirmed details and information still to come

Registration is available through Deporticket, according to the organizers’ information. The event confirms the date of Nov. 8, 2026, the Vicálvaro venue, the regional club championship, the children’s races and the six-kilometer public race, which is limited to 500 participants. It also announces prizes for the first three finishers in the public race and a gift for every participant.

By contrast, the information reviewed does not specify registration fees, start times, the final race order or the distances assigned to each federated category. It also does not provide the exact address within the park or the final course layout. It is important to distinguish confirmed information from details that have not yet been published: at an event with several races, a general schedule is not a substitute for a category-by-category program.

In short, the edition combines a new venue with a tradition spanning more than six decades. The move to Vicálvaro is due to construction work at Parque de las Cruces, while the calendar retains a morning of club competition, public participation and children’s races. With the date confirmed and registration open, the remaining detail is the complete operational schedule, which athletes will need to know exactly when and where they are due to race.