700 runners, 2,300 metres of climbing: Mijas Pueblo gets ready for Saturday’s mountain marathon

Eight-thirty on Saturday morning is when the first of around 700 runners will leave Mijas Pueblo and start climbing into the stunning mountains behind it, testing their stamina before finishing back where they began.

A bigger race in its second year

This Saturday, November 14, brings the second Maraton Sierra de Mijas, and numbers are up by about 200 on last year’s debut. Organisers hope it will become one of the leading trail-running races in southern Europe.

Where it starts and finishes

Paseo de la Muralla, the walled promenade in the old village of Mijas Pueblo, is the start and finish line for all three routes. Runners can collect their race numbers between 7am and 8am near the Plaza de Toros and La Muralla.

Three routes, two start times

– Marathon, 42km (26 miles): about 2,300 metres of climbing, roughly 7,500 feet, starting at 8.30am
– Half marathon, 21km (13 miles): 1,150 metres of climbing, starting at 9.30am
– Mini marathon, 12km (7.5 miles): 500 metres of climbing, also starting at 9.30am

What runners will face

Once out of the village, the route heads through woodland and over limestone ridges, with technical sections where the ground turns steep and rough.

Club Polideportivo Mijas is organising the race with help from the town hall. It was presented by sports councillor Maria Francisca Alarcon and race director Marco Antonio Ayala. The aim is to draw runners from further afield, introduce them to the mountains on Mijas’s doorstep and promote the area as a destination for sports tourism.

Where to cheer them on

Spectators are best placed at the Paseo de la Muralla, as most of the route follows mountain paths and tracks that are hard to reach. Everyone passes through at the start and finish, and the half-marathon and mini-marathon runners set off an hour after the marathon field. Entry details and the latest information are on the official website, maratonsierrademijas.com.

No traffic closures have been announced as yet, so check the town hall website before you head out. If you have ever looked up at the Sierra de Mijas from your terrace and wondered what it takes to cross it, Saturday morning is a chance to meet people and find out.