The new mountain running event in Escaldes-Engordany: Skal Trail
Two passionate trail runners living in Andorra, Xavier Miquel Fontanet and Gerard MartĂnez Rodes, together with David de la Plaza from Sportsevents360, decided to join forces and bring an idea that had been on their minds for some time to life: creating a race that reflected the spirit of trail running, the connection with nature and the excitement of sharing kilometres with the community. That became Skal Trail.
Text & photos: Gerard MartĂnez Rodes
Last July featured the first-ever edition of the event happening in the Madriu Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site served as the starting point for something much bigger in future events. If one thing was expressed best during the first edition, it was the joy and the sense of being a group with similar goals, a feeling that the organisation wants to continue expressing in editions to come.
The setting in the Madriu Valley is also very inviting for happiness and smiling faces. It is considered one of Andorraâs most remarkable landscapes, a place where the mountains still feel wild and largely untouched by the urban development in the country. During the Skal Trail, runners see the steep peaks, cross forests, conquer meadows and beat old stone paths that were once used by farmers and shepherds. In other words, the Skal Trail allowed participants to have a glimpse into a way of life that has remained closely connected to the mountains for centuries.
There were three distances part of Skal Trail 2026:
6.5 km / 400+: an accessible and family-friendly option, ideal for those who want to get started in trail running.
15 km / 830+: a demanding route, perfect for those looking for an intermediate challenge.
25 km / 1650+: a mountain half marathon designed for those who love big challenges.
Skal Trail was born from a love and passion for trail running by the organisation. It was not created to compete with the established races already held in Andorra, but rather to offer something different, in a place and at a time of year where an event of this kind was missing. The parish of Escaldes-Engordany deserved its own mountain event, and that is how it all began.
This first edition was a dress rehearsal, the initial spark that will allow the event to become more ambitious, appealing and capable of attracting both local runners and mountain enthusiasts from outside the country in the years to come. An event that wants to grow with the same spirit in which it was born: passion, respect for the environment and a desire to share.
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