Cursa de l’Alba is a 22.20 km mountain trail race with about 1,200 m of ascent, starting in Collbató on November 7, 2026 at 09:00. It is not an individual marathon or a standard road half marathon. The official homepage and course page displayed sold out when checked October 18, 2026. Official event site; course facts.
The route, in useful terms
The course starts through Collbató, climbs toward the Montserrat monastery, continues by stairs and trail toward Sant Jeroni, then returns through technical descending terrain. That combination makes flat-road pace an unreliable finish-time forecast. Use time and control on comparable climbs and descents to judge readiness; a fast road 10K does not answer whether you can descend this terrain comfortably. The route description, profile and track are on the organizer's course page.
The official course table labels the finish aid station “Km 24” while the technical sheet says 22.20 km. Treat that as an unresolved source inconsistency, not an extra confirmed 1.8 km. Check the latest track and runner briefing before making distance-based splits. Course page; rules.
Entry, collection and distance changes
An existing entry matters: the sold-out message does not establish a waiting list or a transfer option. The rules prohibit swapping between Cursa de l’Alba and MitjAlba after registration or changing route during the race. Do not assume the shorter event is an on-course fallback. Bib collection for the main race is published for November 6, 17:00–20:00, and November 7, 07:30–08:45, at El Casinet on Passeig Mansuet. Organizer rules.
For a Saturday collection, the published closing time leaves only 15 minutes before the 09:00 start. That is a scheduling constraint, not a suggestion to arrive at 08:45. Work backwards from enough time to collect, prepare your kit and find your start position. Keep the Friday and Saturday opening hours saved separately so that a general recommendation to collect early does not obscure the actual desk times.
Build a terrain-based plan
Separate your estimate into climbing, runnable sections, technical descents and stops. The overall limit cannot be divided into an even road pace and used as a reliable mountain strategy. Read the intermediate cutoff locations directly in the rules and mark them on the current route file. If you cannot estimate a section from relevant experience, identify that uncertainty before committing to the race.
With the event close, use familiar equipment and the training you have already completed to assess readiness. A short block cannot substitute for missing experience on steep trails. The practical questions are whether your footwear feels secure, your drinking container is accessible and you can keep control on descents when tired. This is preparation advice; the organizer's briefing remains the authority for route, equipment and weather-related changes.
Carry your own drinking container, respect the marked route, and check the final briefing instead of assuming a map downloaded months earlier is final. For this edition, the organizer's rules and your entry confirmation are more useful than a generic marathon packing list. The taper checklist can help organise the final week; the fueling practice guide provides a place to record what you have already rehearsed.