Trail running in Spain by the numbers: key statistics and data for 2026
Trail running in Spain: the 2026 snapshot
Trail running is the fastest-growing mountain sport in Spain. With nearly half a million sports licences, thousands of races every season and an economic impact exceeding 1.5 billion euros across the running industry, Spain has established itself as the second-largest trail market in the world, behind only France.
We’ve gathered data from verifiable sources — ITRA, RFEA, Runnea Report, Transgrancanaria, CanfrancPirineos and market studies — to provide a real snapshot of the sector.
General overview
| Indicator | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Running licences Spain 2024 | 384,000 | Trigloberos / CSD |
| Running licences Spain 2025 | 487,000 (+27%) | Trigloberos / CSD |
| Annual running events in Spain | +3,000 | Trigloberos |
| Spain as UTMB market | 2nd worldwide (behind France) | carrerasdemontana.com |
| Global female trail participation | 38% (ITRA, 2024) | TrailRun.es / ITRA |
| Average age of trail runner | ~40 years | RunRepeat / ITRA |
| Most common age bracket (Spain) | 45–54 years (39.4%) | Runnea Report 2025 |
Sources: Trigloberos, Runnea Report 2025, carrerasdemontana.com
Female participation: the fastest-growing stat
According to ITRA, female participation in trail running globally has gone from 15% in 2005 to 27% in 2015 and 38% in 2024. However, this figure varies enormously by race distance:
| Race type | % women | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Short trail (<25K) | 35–41% | 3 Days Trail Ibiza: 41% women |
| Mountain marathon (25–45K) | 25–35% | General average |
| Ultra trail (80K+) | 15–20% | UTMB 2024: 20% women |
| Extreme ultra (160K+) | ~10% | Many 160K events |
+89% women in running clubs in Spain during 2024 compared to 2023, according to the Strava Year in Sport report. At UTMB 2024, female participation grew 13% in the main race, 21% in the CCC and 30% in the OCC.
Sources: TrailRun.es, UTMB 2024 at carrerasdemontana.com, ITRA
Profile of the Spanish runner
Data from the Runnea Report 2025 (the largest survey of recreational runners in Spain) and ITRA offer this profile:
| Characteristic | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Most common age bracket | 45–54 years (39.4%) | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Second bracket | 35–44 years (24.6%) | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Global average trail age | ~40 years | RunRepeat / ITRA |
| Average ultra runner age | 42.3 years | RunRepeat |
| Training 3–4 days/week | 61.2% | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Intermediate level | 57.7% | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Beginner level | 18.9% | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Favourite distance (10K) | 36.5% | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Favourite distance (half marathon) | 32.9% | Runnea Report 2025 |
| Trail / mountain races | 10.1% of total runners | Runnea Report 2025 |
How much does a Spanish runner spend
Spending varies enormously by profile. According to the Runnómetro, the average Spanish runner is more frugal than you might think:
| Annual spending range | % of runners | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 100 EUR/year | 44.7% | Casual, few races |
| 100–300 EUR/year | 45.6% | Regular recreational runner |
| More than 300 EUR/year | 9.5% | Expert / competitive runner |
For shoes, 79% spend between 80–150 EUR per pair and most buy 2 pairs per year (41.1%), according to the Runnea Report 2025.
The committed trail runner spends more. Transgrancanaria 2024 participants spent an average of €215/day during an average stay of 6.17 days, totalling €1,327 per person for that race alone. With an average of 2.38 companions, each runner generates a much larger impact.
Economic impact: the real numbers
The running industry in Spain generates over 1.5 billion euros annually, according to an analysis that includes registration fees, gear, sports tourism, nutrition and digital services. Some trail races generate enormous economic impact on their own:
| Race / Event | Economic impact | Participants | Key stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transgrancanaria 2024 | €22.6M | 4,100 from 73 countries | €215/day per runner |
| Transgrancanaria 2023 | €16M | ~3,500 | Year-on-year growth +41% |
| World Championships CanfrancPirineos 2025 | up to €30M | 1,600 from 73 countries | 100% hotel occupancy |
| Valencia Half Marathon 2024 | €13.6M | 25,000 | Road running benchmark |
| Sector | Estimated volume (Spain) |
|---|---|
| Race registration fees | 150–200M EUR/year |
| Gear and technology | 600–900M EUR/year |
| Sports tourism | 150–250M EUR/year |
| Sports nutrition | 150–300M EUR/year |
| Digital services | 50–100M EUR/year |
| Sponsorship and advertising | 50–100M EUR/year |
| Total running Spain | +1,500M EUR/year |
Most popular distances
The average distance of a trail race globally is 24 kilometres according to market data. Short distances are the gateway and represent the largest share of registrations:
| Distance | Approx. % of registrations | Average price | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short trail (10–25K) | ~40–45% | 25–45 EUR | Beginners and road runners |
| Mountain marathon (26–45K) | ~25–30% | 50–90 EUR | Intermediate runners |
| Medium ultra (46–80K) | ~15% | 85–130 EUR | Experienced runners |
| Long ultra (81–120K) | ~8% | 110–160 EUR | Ultra runners |
| Extreme ultra (120K+) | ~5% | 150–200 EUR | Elite and experienced |
TrailRunTemple estimate based on ITRA, Ahotu and Finishers calendars. Prices verified for each race.
Autonomous communities with the most races
Catalonia leads Spain’s trail running race calendar, followed by Andalusia and the Basque Country. The regional distribution of runners confirms this trend: Catalonia accounts for 18% of runners, Madrid 16%, Valencia 12% and Andalusia 10%.
| # | Community | Races/year (est.) | Flagship race | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalonia | ~400 | Ultra Pirineu | Mar–Nov |
| 2 | Andalusia | ~350 | Ultra Sierra Nevada | Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov |
| 3 | Basque Country | ~250 | Zegama-Aizkorri | Apr–Oct |
| 4 | Aragon | ~200 | Canfranc-Canfranc | Jun–Oct |
| 5 | Valencia | ~180 | Penyagolosa Trails | Mar–Nov |
| 6 | Castilla y León | ~170 | Ultrail La Covatilla | Jun–Oct |
| 7 | Madrid | ~160 | Gran Trail Peñalara | Mar–Nov |
| 8 | Asturias | ~130 | Picos de Europa Trail | May–Oct |
| 9 | Canary Islands | ~100 | Transgrancanaria | Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec |
| 10 | Cantabria | ~80 | Travesera Picos Europa | Jun–Oct |
TrailRunTemple estimate based on ITRA and Ahotu calendars. Runner distribution: Trigloberos.
For a detailed look at each race, check our ranking of the best trail races in Spain. You can also see how much it costs to run an ultra in Spain to understand the economic impact from the runner’s perspective.
Trail shoes: leading brands
There’s no single market-share study for Spain, but there are verifiable data from surveys and in-race analysis:
ITRA 2022 survey (9,514 runners worldwide):
| Brand | Preference |
|---|---|
| Salomon | 36.6% |
| Hoka | 35.3% |
| Other brands | 28.1% |
iRunFar analysis — Western States 100 (2025):
| Brand | % at start line |
|---|---|
| Hoka | 32.6% |
| Altra | 12.9% |
| Salomon | 7.7% |
The market varies by geography. Salomon dominates in Europe (especially France and Spain) while Hoka and Altra are stronger in the US. The global trail shoe market was valued at $7.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $12.4 billion by 2032 (CAGR 5.5%).
Sources: iRunFar (Western States 2025), ITRA 2022 survey, Sports Destinations
Want to know your level based on these data? Calculate your ITRA points and UTMB Index and compare with the average Spanish runner.
2026 trends
1. More women in trail. Global female participation reached 38% in 2024 (ITRA). In Spain, Strava recorded +89% women in running clubs in 2024 vs 2023. More and more races are implementing equal prize money.
2. Short trail as the gateway. Trail running has grown 231% over the last decade worldwide (RunRepeat). 15–25K races are the entry point for road runners. In Spain, 10.1% of runners already choose trail as their main discipline (Runnea 2025).
3. Internationalisation. Spain is the second-largest UTMB market behind France. Transgrancanaria 2025 broke records with 5,300 participants from 70 countries (~38% international). The 6,000 spots for the 2026 edition sold out 5 months in advance.
4. Explosive licence growth. From 384,000 running licences in 2024 to 487,000 in 2025 (+27%), growth that reflects the professionalisation of the recreational runner.
5. Sustainability. UTMB World Series races and most ITRA events require a reusable cup. More and more organisers are capping entries to reduce environmental impact.
6. Spain as a world stage. The World Mountain and Trail Running Championships CanfrancPirineos 2025 brought together 1,600 athletes from 73 countries with an economic impact of up to 30 million euros and 100% hotel occupancy in the Aragonese Pyrenees.
Sources and methodology
All data in this article come from verifiable sources. When a figure is a TrailRunTemple estimate, it is explicitly indicated.
Main sources:
- ITRA (International Trail Running Association) — Global participation and demographic statistics
- Runnea Report 2025 — Snapshot of runner consumption and habits in Spain
- Runnómetro 2025 (WeAreTesters) — Largest market study on running in Spain
- Transgrancanaria — Economic impact 2024 — Official economic impact study
- Transgrancanaria — Economic impact 2023
- Trigloberos — Running industry in Spain — Sector economic analysis
- TrailRun.es — Women leading the change — Strava and ITRA data on female participation
- iRunFar — Western States 100 Shoe Analysis 2025 — In-race shoe analysis
- Sports Destinations / RunRepeat — Global trail running statistics
- HoyAragón — CanfrancPirineos 2025 — World Championships economic impact
- Infobae/EFE — Transgrancanaria 2025 — Participation record
- carrerasdemontana.com — UTMB 2024 — Spain as second UTMB market