The 2026 CxM Macael Mármol is more than another mountain race on Spain’s final September weekend. On Sunday 27 September, Macael hosts round three of the Spanish Mountain Running Cup, the deciding race of Spain’s Skyrunner National Series and the Spanish Championship for blind and visually impaired runners. The senior course adds a very tangible challenge: 27km with 1,614m of climbing on a day for which AEMET currently forecasts temperatures of up to 29°C in the town.
This guide explains what is actually being contested, how the 27K is laid out, where the aid stations are and what runners should confirm before starting. It also resolves several differences between the technical bulletin and registration platform that no participant should discover on Sunday morning.
2026 CxM Macael Mármol: quick facts
- Date: Sunday 27 September 2026.
- Event hub: Bulevar-Paseo Reino de Granada, Macael, Almería.
- Published event window: 8:30am to 3:00pm.
- Senior race: 27km, 1,614m ascent and 1,607m descent.
- 27K altitude: 516m to 1,149m, according to the bulletin.
- Other formats: age-group Cup races, a promotional 14K, a non-competitive hike and the Spanish Championship for visually impaired athletes.
- Entries: closed at noon on 21 September; bib transfers are not allowed.
The official FEDME entry platform places the event between 8:30am and 3:00pm. Organiser information published in August gives 8:30am for the U23 race and visually impaired championship, and 9:00am for the senior 27K. Athletes should cross-check their category’s final time against their race communication and the technical briefing.
Three different competitions meet in Macael
The first distinction matters. Macael is round three of four in the FEDME Spanish Mountain Running Cup. The series opened at Cursa 4 Termes and continued at Trail Riotuerto; after Macael, the Barbudo SkyRace on 18 October remains. The Almería result can reshape the standings, but it is not the Cup final.
It is, however, the third and final race in Spain’s 2026 Skyrunner National Series, following Trencacims Paüls and Igualeja SkyRace. That dual status gives the 27K national significance beyond the race’s standalone classification.
The programme also includes the Spanish Championship for blind and visually impaired runners, with B1 and B2/B3 categories and licensed guides. Its route bypasses the most technically difficult sections of the senior course. That does not make it a token event: the official technical bulletin describes approximately 24.88km and 1,368m of climbing.
Inside the senior 27K course
The race sheet describes a circuit starting and finishing in Macael, with 1,614m of ascent, 1,607m of descent and a high point of 1,149m. Dividing ascent by distance gives almost 60 vertical metres per kilometre. That is arithmetic context for the course’s climbing density, not a uniform profile or a pacing target.
The easiest mistake is to translate this route into road-running minutes per kilometre. Terrain, gradient, position on narrow sections and temperature change the cost of every segment. A useful plan protects effort on the opening climbs, reaches Laroya with choices still available and saves enough coordination for the later descents.
The 27K’s six aid points
- Paraje La Mina, km 5: fluids.
- Pico Nautar, km 10: fluids and solid food.
- Laroya, km 15.1: fluids and solid food.
- Arroyo del Baile, km 20: fluids and solid food.
- Paraje Jotatell, km 23: fluids and solid food.
- Finish, km 27: fluids and solid food.
The published layout leaves five kilometres to the first fluids and ten to the first solid food. That does not dictate how much any runner should consume, but it does mean personal plans must be checked against what the race actually supplies. Laroya comes at 56% of the distance, yet the bulletin gives no cumulative elevation there. It should not automatically be treated as halfway through the work.
Distances to confirm at the technical briefing
The official material contains differences that make the final organiser update essential. The registration platform labels both the U23 event and visually impaired championship as 22km. The bulletin places the U23 race on the 27K and says the adapted championship route is approximately 24.88km; a separate aid-station list puts the finish of that route at km 23.
The 14K also merits a check. Its youth/junior sheet lists 14.15km, 828m of ascent and 1,115m of descent while calling the route circular. Because the ascent and descent figures do not match, they should not underpin a precise race calculation without clarification. On race day, course markings, the briefing and officials’ instructions take precedence.
Forecast: a mild start, then a warmer race
The AEMET municipal forecast, checked on 25 September, gives Sunday high cloud, a 17°C minimum, 29°C maximum, zero per cent rain probability and a 15km/h easterly wind. This is not a course-specific forecast: it applies to Macael town at 536m, while the route climbs to 1,149m.
The sporting implication is not a fixed pace penalty. It is that runners spending longer on the course are likely to experience more of the daytime warming. The sensible response is effort-based pacing, using every fluid point according to a rehearsed plan, monitoring gut tolerance and updating decisions with Saturday’s forecast and the organiser’s medical guidance.
How to distribute effort without guessing
Start to La Mina: make room without spending the race
A Cup race can start quickly as athletes fight for position. That does not change the physiology for a recreational runner. Reaching kilometre five above sustainable effort can turn the middle of the race into a series of corrections. Passing before a narrow section only pays if it does not require an intensity surge that must be repaid later.
Nautar to Laroya: the decision-making core
The section between the aid points at kilometres 10 and 15.1 brings runners through the middle of the distance. It is a useful time to read three signals together: breathing effort, ability to eat and foot-placement accuracy. If all three are deteriorating, chasing an average pace designed at home is rarely the answer. Reducing cost early preserves options before heat and fatigue narrow them.
Km 20 to the finish: decisions remain
The Arroyo del Baile and Jotatell aid points are only three kilometres apart, but four kilometres remain after Jotatell. Reaching km 23 does not remove the risk of fatigue-driven mistakes. Speed should remain subordinate to technical control, especially if a runner develops localised pain, dizziness, confusion or poor coordination.
Kit, bib and logistics: do not improvise these
- Mandatory kit: the bulletin points to FEDME rules and allows the list to change with the weather at the technical briefing.
- Under-18s: the authorisation and supporting documents specified in the bulletin must be printed, signed and handed in.
- Bibs: entries are closed and the event rules prohibit giving a bib to somebody else.
- Services: parking near the start/finish, toilets, bag storage, medical cover and showers at the sports hall are advertised.
- Withdrawal or incident: athletes must inform the organisation; continuing outside the event operation changes the safety conditions entirely.
The essential rule is to read the last update rather than rely on an old screenshot. The bulletin explicitly says its information remains valid only until the technical briefing, when last-minute details may be amended.
A race that carries Macael’s story
The marble-working identity goes beyond the event name. Organisers have incorporated the almaina, a traditional quarry worker’s tool, into a special challenge in the 27K and 14K. It is a distinctive local detail, but it should not be confused with the main federation competitions or treated as compulsory for every athlete.
More importantly, the programme brings together national-level racing, youth categories, recreational runners, hiking and a dedicated championship for visually impaired athletes. Adapting the route and coordinating with guides show that accessibility and genuine sporting difficulty can coexist without weakening either.
What to follow on Sunday
There will be three distinct competitive stories: who scores best in round three of the Spanish Cup, who closes the Skyrunner National Series most strongly and who wins the national visually impaired titles. They should not be merged into one classification.
The results tab on the FEDME event platform is the natural reference for official classifications. Until settled documents appear, finish order, official classification, Cup points and category titles should remain separate. A meeting with multiple routes and championships demands more precision than a single winners’ list.
Conclusion: manage Macael instead of trying to predict it
The 2026 CxM Macael Mármol compresses a great deal into one morning: a climbing-dense 27K, a series final, important Cup points and an inclusive national championship. The participant’s priorities are simpler: confirm distance and start time, listen to the briefing, align kit and fuelling with the published support, and run by effort rather than road pace.
With a dry, warm forecast, the best plan will not be the most aggressive one on paper. It will be the plan that preserves the ability to make good decisions after Laroya. In Macael, reaching the final kilometres strongly begins with not spending the race in the first few.