On March 29, Finestrat will once again be crowned the epicenter of regional trail running with the KV Puig Campana.

The best regional runners in this discipline will meet in Finestrat to compete for the regional title.

The Puig Campana Vertical Kilometer race takes place on Sunday, March 29th. This event once again places the town at the heart of regional trail running, as it hosts the regional championship for this sport for another year. The mayor, Nati Algado, the Councilor for Sports, Beatriz Quintillán, and the race director, Romualdo Domenech, presented this year’s race.

At the press conference, the Councilor for Sports, Beatriz Quintillán, explained that on Sunday, March 29th, “one of the most emblematic events on the mountain running calendar arrives: the Puig Campana Vertical Kilometer, a pioneering and well-established race among all those who enjoy running in the mountains of our region.” This competition has, once again, the support of the City Council and the Valencian Community Mountain and Climbing Sports Federation, as it hosts the Regional Vertical Kilometer Championship, “a title that the event has held uninterruptedly since 2008, which undoubtedly consolidates its trajectory and its sporting prestige.”

For his part, race director Romualdo Domenech outlined the technical details of the event. The race will start from Plaça de la Unió Europea on Sunday, March 29, at 9:00 a.m. From there, runners will face a neutralized section of 1.55 kilometers with 115 meters of elevation gain to Font del Molí. “It is there, right at Font del Molí, where the official timing of the Vertical Kilometer begins: a direct ascent to the summit of Puig Campana, covering 3.65 kilometers with 1,020 meters of elevation gain. A demanding and technical course, with a sustained gradient, that offers little respite and requires precise effort management from the very first meter.” It is worth remembering the absolute record achieved by the Italian Urban Zemmer, who summited Puig Campana in 35 minutes in 2011.

At the presentation , Mayor Nati Algado stated, “This is the first major mountain race of the year. It’s a unique and pioneering event. There’s no other Vertical Kilometer in the Valencian Community. No other peak offers such a steep slope so close to the sea. The sporting challenge presented by our Puig Campana is, therefore, immense.” Within the mountain running calendar, this is the first race in Finestrat. It’s followed by the Faldes Puig Campana night race, held on September 29th and organized by C. El Portell. “And we’ll culminate in November with the international Finestrat Costa Blanca Trails races, which each year bring together nearly 2,000 runners from all over the world.”

Finally, the mayor thanked the organizers and the Department of Sports for their work in putting on these events, “which reaffirm our commitment to Finestrat as the heart of trail running.” She added, “And I invite you all to experience and enjoy the sporting atmosphere on Sunday, March 29th, coinciding with Palm Sunday.”

Registrations for the KV Puig Campana Finestrat can be completed until March 24th at https://www.mychip.es/e/campionat-autonomic-de-kv-femecv-2026-finestrat

PRESS OFFICE (05/03/2026)