THE ICONIC GRANADELLA TRAIL RETURNS ON FIRST WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY
The weekend event will take place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th February, based in Parque Pinosol.
Club Esportiu Llebeig Xàbia and the Department of Sports have announced details on the 2024 edition of the iconic Granadella Trail, which will be held over the weekend of February 3rd and 4th in the Parque Forestal de la Granadella.
Almost 700 runners will have registered to participate, of which 450 will compete in the full 26-kilometre cross-country race, whilst 140 will compete on the shorter 14-kilometre course, and another 100 will participate in the Promoción category. In addition, there will be many participants in the Granadella Mini-Trail, for which registration is still open.
The weekend will kick off on Saturday 3rd February with the 14k and Promoción categories as well as a special race for children. On the following day, Sunday 4th February, the main event will start at 9.00am.
The president of Club Esportiu Llebeig Xàbia, Madelene Powell, explained that the Granadella Trail has become a full weekend event during which the participants can not only enjoy the running aspect but also the environment and nature that Xàbia has to offer. He added that the event is a sustainable one and that the athletics club encourages all participants to compete with absolute respect for the environment in which the event is held.
Powell also confirmed that the 26K main event is the Regional Championship which will attract the best athletes not only from across the Comunidad Valenciana but also from across Spain.
The president also wanted to thank the support of the sponsors of the event as well as the Local Policía, Protección Civil, the Cruz Roja, the Centre Excursionista de Xàbia (CEX), and all the volunteers who allow the event to be held.
The technical director of the Granadella Trail, Edu Vallés, explained that the event will start in Parque Pinosol and the route will head up Camí Vell de la Granadella to the water tanks, and then head down to Cala Granadella where there will be the provisioning point. The route will then climb up to Castillo de la Granadella, head along the Teulería path to La Pedrera and then head down towards Benitatxell before returning to the Parque Pinosol.
The councillor responsible for Sports, Toni Molina (PP), highlighted that the Granadella Trail has become a benchmark event in the regional calendar and is a “testimony of the sporting spirit and the connection with nature”.
In the 2023 edition, the winners of the main event were Antonio Martínez Pérez (1:52:22) and Julia Font Gómez of Brooks Trail Runners (2:08:53).
