Spain · Andalusia (Jaén Province)
Distance
65 km
Date
Entry fee
€75
€ / km
€1.15
Ultra Trail Sierra de Cazorla is a 65 km trail race held in October in the Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, Jaén Province, Andalusia, southern Spain. The course gains 3,700 m (56.9 m/km) — elevation density matching UTMB — across limestone ridges, pine forest, and the headwaters of the Guadalquivir River. At 14.9% average uphill gradient and just 12.6% flat terrain, it is one of the steepest 65km courses in Europe.
The course gives no warmup: a 780m climb begins at km 0.48 and runs 7.7 km at 10.2% average. The final 14km feature two consecutive major descents totalling 1,455m on gradients averaging −10% to −13%. The route passes through Collado Zamora, the Nacimiento del Guadalquivir (source of the Guadalquivir River), and the Cueva Jaén descent, with scramble-grade pitches on multiple sections. Entry costs €1.15/km. Nearest airports are Granada (GRX) at 1.5–2.5 hours and Málaga (AGP) at 3 hours.
Held annually since around 2016 (65km format from 2023), the race draws around 118 finishers. It is a UTMB 100K qualifier (3 ITRA points) and a Copa de Andalucía de Ultras qualifier. It suits experienced technical trail runners who want a seriously steep, remote Andalusian race with almost no recovery terrain.
Total Meters
3,700m
D+/KM
56.9m/km
For context, the Tor des Géants 330 loop has 73 D+/km.
Avg Uphill Gradient
14.9%
Avg Downhill Gradient
-14.2%
| 2–5% | 4.6 km | |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10% | 6.2 km | |
| 10–15% | 5.1 km | |
| 15–20% | 4.4 km | |
| 20%+ | 7.6 km |
| 42.7% | Uphill |
|---|---|
| 12.6% | Flat |
| 44.7% | Downhill |
| 1 | 7.7 km · 780 m gain starts km 0 · avg 10.2% · max 43.3% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 4.2 km · 518 m gain starts km 47 · avg 12.2% · max 47.4% |
| 3 | 8.2 km · 466 m gain starts km 12 · avg 5.7% · max 71.1% |
| 1 | 5.8 km · 733 m drop starts km 59 · avg -12.7% · max -48.2% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 7.0 km · 722 m drop starts km 51 · avg -10.4% · max -55.7% |
| 3 | 4.9 km · 592 m drop starts km 33 · avg -12.0% · max -63.9% |
Extremely demanding for its distance. At 56.9m/km elevation density, 14.91% average uphill gradient, and only 12.6% flat terrain, this is one of the steepest 65km courses in Europe — comparable in gradient intensity to UTMB. The race starts with a 780m climb at km 0.48 and finishes with 1,455m of combined technical descent in the final 14km.
Yes. The 65km is a UTMB 100K category qualifier (3 ITRA points). It is also a qualifier for the Copa de Andalucía de Ultras regional championship.
€75 standard entry — €1.15 per kilometre — one of the more affordable UTMB qualifiers in Europe given the course difficulty.
October 17, 2026 (Saturday), with a 7:30 AM start from Plaza de la Constitución in Quesada. The time limit is 13 hours 30 minutes.
Granada Airport (GRX) is the closest practical option at approximately 1.5–2.5 hours to Quesada. Málaga (AGP) is the largest regional hub but approximately 3 hours away. A car is strongly recommended — public transport to Quesada is very limited.
Nearest airport
Málaga (AGP) / Madrid (MAD) / Granada (GRX)
Notes
Start: ~2.5–3 hrs (AGP) ~3.5–4.5 hrs (MAD) ~1.5–2.5 hrs (GRX) by car to Quesada / Public transport: limited; bus to Jaén/Ubeda + taxi / Accommodation: limited in Quesada; better base in Cazorla/Ubeda—book early
FAR
It’ll possibly take 3+ hours from the closest large airport to arrive. Plan your adventure accordingly, take an extra day for those after-race beers or Curranz.
Ibiza Trail Maratón 48 km
Exclusive Discount - use ITMF-DISCOVERTRAIL26 CODE for 50% at checkout
