San Silvestre Vallecana 2026

Head to the majestic city of Madrid 🇪🇸. The festivities menu invites you to devour the most famous New Year’s Eve race in the world: the legendary San Silvestre Vallecana, run on the evening of December 31. The race launches you over the 10-kilometre distance, with an action-movie-worthy storyline. Put your stopwatch fears away, the course profile is known for being dizzyingly fast! ⏱️

The asphalt route propels you into a spectacular night-time setting in the heart of a city dressed in its finest winter lights. Your effort sets off from the forecourt of the mythical Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and speeds along Madrid’s grandest avenues. The immersion forces you to place each stride while marvelling at the city’s iconic monuments, gliding at full speed past the majestic Puerta de Alcalá, the Cibeles Fountain and the Atocha Station. The race then shifts into a much rougher, more authentic dimension when you enter the streets of the working-class neighbourhood of Vallecas, where your thighs will have to fight one last battle against the final climb 🏙️.

Adrenaline saturates the winter air within a monumental pack split into two worlds: the "international" race reserved for the world elite and the "popular" race bringing together more than 40,000 electrified runners. Here the human tide is in costume, armed with artificial snow bombs and fluorescent wigs. Madrilenians crowd by the tens of thousands along the pavements, screaming deafening encouragement that makes the buildings tremble. An atmosphere of absolute euphoria welcomes you under the finish arch (or directly onto the turf of Vallecas Stadium for the pros), where the pride of having conquered the hill mixes with New Year’s Eve excitement 🏅.

Keep one last hint of vitality to celebrate the new year once your finisher’s medal is secured.Move your sweating body toward the city centre to devour comforting churros con chocolate before getting ready for the famous tradition of the twelve grapes to swallow as midnight strikes. Fire up your GPS and come set Madrid’s asphalt ablaze! 💥