Transport

Car, train, plane or bus: when to use each one

Own car or rental: The most flexible option and, in many cases, the only viable one. Most mountain races are in areas with no direct public transport: Benasque (Pyrenees), Sedano (Burgos), Cazorla (Jaén), Potes (Cantabria) or Castro Caldelas (Ourense). The advantage of driving is that you carry all your gear with no weight restrictions and can adjust your schedule freely. The downside: in point-to-point races, your car will be at the start, not the finish.

Train: A comfortable option if the race is well connected. Madrid's Cercanías commuter rail reaches Cercedilla (Maratón Alpino Madrileño) and Navacerrada (Gran Trail Peñalara), and the C-3 line connects to Aranjuez. The Madrid–Granada AVE drops you near Sierra Nevada. The Zaragoza–Canfranc regional line is the only way to reach the Aragonese Pyrenees by rail. Renfe allows up to 25 kg of luggage and has no restrictions on trekking poles, making it ideal for trail runners.

Plane: Essential for races in the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Melilla. Also useful if you're coming from far away to mainland races: airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Málaga or Valencia connect to cities near many events. Book well in advance if flying during peak season — it often coincides with race dates (February in the Canaries, May–June in the Pyrenees).

Bus: ALSA covers many mountain routes but with limited frequencies. In the Canary Islands, local buses (TITSA in Tenerife, Global in Gran Canaria) offer good island coverage. In Navarra, regional buses reach Camino de Santiago villages like Zubiri. Always check return schedules — in rural areas there may be no service after 6 PM.

Ferry: Essential for La Gomera (Fred Olsen from Tenerife), useful for the Balearics if you want to bring your car, and the only alternative to flying for Melilla (Trasmediterránea and Baleària from Málaga or Almería). The advantage of a ferry is that you can transport your car and all your gear with no weight limit. The downside: crossings are long (6 hours to Melilla, 4–5 hours to the Balearics from Barcelona).

Island races: Canaries, Balearics and Melilla

Canary Islands: Each island has an airport (Tenerife TFN and TFS, Gran Canaria LPA, La Palma SPC, La Gomera ferry only). Inter-island connections are frequent: Binter and CanaryFly operate short flights, and Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas run the ferries. Getting to the island is easy; the challenge is getting around: many races start from mountain villages with winding roads. A rental car is almost essential.

Balearic Islands: Palma de Mallorca (PMI) is one of Spain's best-connected airports — ideal for Mallorca by UTMB. Menorca (MAH) has fewer flights but good connections to Barcelona and Madrid. Ibiza (IBZ) has plenty of options, especially in season. The ferry from Barcelona or Valencia lets you bring your car, useful if the race starts in a rural part of the island.

Ferry tip: If you're running an island race and want to explore or sightsee afterwards, bringing your car by ferry is good value. Book early during peak season. In the Canaries, Fred Olsen is faster (jetfoil) and Naviera Armas is cheaper (conventional ferry). Remember that hold luggage has restrictions on trekking poles — the ferry avoids this issue.

Race-day logistics

Parking: In small mountain villages, parking is limited and fills up fast. Arrive at least 1 hour before the start to park without stress. Many organisations set up extra parking in fields or sports centres — check the race website. If the race starts at 6:00 AM, think about where you'll sleep so you don't have to drive mountain roads in the dark.

Shuttle buses: The biggest races organise buses between key points. Transgrancanaria takes runners from Las Palmas to Agaete (start), Tenerife Bluetrail connects finish and start, and Penyagolosa provides transport from the finish to Castellón city centre. These services usually have limited seats — sign up as early as possible.

Point-to-point races: When the start and finish are in different places, logistics get complicated. Common strategies: (1) park at the finish and take the organisation's bus to the start, (2) bring a supporter who drives the car to the finish while you run, or (3) coordinate with other runners to share a car. Races like Transgrancanaria (Agaete → Maspalomas, 125 km), Tenerife Bluetrail (Los Cristianos → Puerto de la Cruz) or Penyagolosa (Castellón → Penyagolosa) use this format.

Travelling with trail gear

By plane: Trekking poles must always go in checked luggage — they're banned from the cabin. Put your hydration vest, headtorch and mandatory gear in your carry-on. Lithium batteries (headtorches, watches, phones) must go in the cabin, not the hold. Watch hand-luggage limits: Ryanair and Vueling allow up to 10 kg, Iberia the same. If you're bringing spare shoes, put them in your checked bag.

By train: No restrictions on poles or trail gear. You can carry your entire race bag comfortably. Renfe allows up to 25 kg of luggage per passenger. It's the most comfortable way to travel with bulky items like emergency blankets, sleeping bags or drop bags.

Quick travel checklist: Poles in checked bag (or a protective sleeve), shoes in a separate bag to protect your clothes, nutrition in a zip-lock to avoid spills, bib number and printed instructions in your carry-on, and race clothes separate from travel clothes. If you're flying, leave a margin for delays — never fly on the same day as the race.