La Jábega Night Trail 2026

Race registration for the IX CXM "La Jábega" Night Trail opens the door each year to one of the most anticipated summer dates on the Andalusian mountain running calendar: a 17 km nighttime race organized by Club Atletismo Rincón, backed by the Rincón de la Victoria City Council — "European Town of Sport 2026" — which in its most recent edition set a participation record, selling out its 650 spots in under a week. The 2026 edition takes place on Saturday, August 1st, starting at 9:30 pm from the Tourist Office on Paseo Marítimo Virgen del Carmen, just as the daytime heat gives way to the cool of the Mediterranean night in Málaga.The course is, without question, the star of this race: it blends rivers, mountains, and coastline into a single nighttime route with 500 meters of elevation gain. After the start, runners head inland following the Granadillas river, then climb via the Arroyo Los González to summit Cerro Salazar and, shortly after, the La Capitana geodesic point, the route's highest spot at 510 meters of altitude, where at night you can take in the silhouette of the entire Axarquía coastline. The descent, technical and demanding, follows the Totalán stream past the Llamareto farmhouse and the Carril del Turco, before meeting the sea again. The final stretch is pure reward: runners hit the sand of La Cala del Moral beach, pass through the iconic El Cantal cliffs and tunnels — carved into the rock and opened specially for the occasion — and head along Rincón de la Victoria beach to the finish arch, with the sound of the Mediterranean as a backdrop.Registering for La Jábega is simple, but it's best not to wait: registration opens on June 7th, 2026 at 9:00 pm exclusively through Dorsalchip, with a field of 600 runners that has sold out within days in recent editions. The fee for the federated General category starts at €22 in the first tier (first 100 registrations), rising afterward to €24 and €26; non-federated runners pay slightly more (€24/€26/€28), and there are also Youth and Mixed Pairs categories, the latter required to complete the entire course together and cross the finish line together. The window closes on July 23rd, 2026 at 11:59 pm, the same date that marks the deadline for requesting a bib ownership transfer (for a €5 fee).Bib pickup is organized over two days beforehand at the Rincón de la Victoria Shopping Center, plus a final slot at the start area itself on the afternoon of race day. Every runner receives a bag with a high-quality technical t-shirt — each year featuring its own design paying tribute to iconic local elements, such as the Phoenician goddess Noctiluca or the traditional jábega, the fishing boat that gives the race its name. Along the course there are two solid/liquid aid stations, at approximately km 6 and km 11, and the organization specifically asks runners to bring their own cup, since, true to its sustainability commitment, no plastic cups are handed out anywhere on the route. At the finish, a full range of services awaits: physiotherapy, gear-check, beach restrooms opened specially for the event, a speaker with live commentary, and several cardio-protection teams with defibrillators (AEDs) covering the course alongside Civil Protection.But what truly sets La Jábega apart from other mountain races is what comes after crossing the finish line: as tradition dictates, the closing party features the classic Málaga-style grilled sardine skewers (espeto), a trophy ceremony for the top finishers in each category — from Under-23 to Veteran C, plus a Local category and a trophy for the club with the most participants — and surprises the organization gradually reveals on social media in the days leading up to the race. All in all, it's a nighttime trail experience designed to be enjoyed as much for the mountain effort as for the popular Málaga-style celebration by the sea, in one of the most charming corners of the entire Axarquía region.