Trail de Buñol

The Trail de Buñol is organised by the Correores de Buñol athletics club, together with the town council, the local police and civil protection volunteers. This small town in the Hoya de Buñol, west of Valencia, is best known for La Tomatina, but the mountains around it, home to a climbing area, also make a fine playground for trail runners. The race takes place in early November and offers two timed courses and a walk, all looping out from Calle San Luis in the heart of town.

The 21 km trail starts at 9am and climbs around 786 m, between 334 m and 639 m above sea level. More than 70% of it is on singletrack, the rest on tracks and a few paved sections, including a run of about two kilometres through town. Aid stations are set up at La Serrana next to the hostel, at the climbing area car park, at Casa de Picota (drinks only) and at El Roquillo. There is a cut-off at the climbing car park, around km 10, two hours after the start, and the finish closes after four hours. A prize goes to the fastest runners on the descent of Monte Lacruz, timed on a Strava segment. This course is for adults only.

The 12 km sprint trail starts at 9:30am with about 436 m of climbing and a high point of 575 m. More than 60% of the route is on singletrack. Runners must pass the climbing car park at km 3.6 within one hour and finish within three hours. Its descent of Las Cañaicas, nicknamed "Little Zegama", has its own ranking. Young people aged 14 to 17 can take part with parental consent, which makes it a good introduction to trail running.

A 9 km walk sets off right after the sprint trail, with about 309 m of climbing between 352 m and 624 m, on trails and tracks with a short stretch through town. It lets non-runners share the morning's atmosphere and explore the hills above Buñol without worrying about the clock.

The course is marked with biodegradable, reusable tape, plaster marks at junctions and arrows, with a distance sign every four kilometres. No cups are handed out at aid stations, so a collapsible cup or reusable bottle is compulsory. The organisers recommend shoes suited to mid-mountain terrain, a 500 ml bottle, a phone and, depending on the weather, a windproof jacket. Every entrant receives a commemorative windbreaker. Alongside the age categories, there are rankings for local runners and, on the 21 km, a mixed pairs category. The routes of both races and the walk are published in advance as GPS tracks, so they can be scouted beforehand.