The Ribera Run Experience kicks off its eighth edition as one of the major events that unite sport, territory, enotourism, and heritage in the Ribera del Duero.
Peñafiel and some of the most representative towns and wineries of this region will again become, this weekend, the stage for a sports and enotourism experience that each year attracts runners, hikers, and companions from various parts of Spain.
The eighth edition of the Ribera Run Experience has been presented at the Valladolid Provincial Council in an event that brought together representatives of the institutions and entities linked to the event.
Participants in the presentation included Fernando Esteban, second vice president of the Valladolid Provincial Council and deputy for Technical Service of Works and for the areas of Agriculture, Livestock and Water Quality; Roberto Díez, mayor of Peñafiel; Benigno Garrido, representative of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles; and José Antonio de Pablo, director of the Ribera Run Experience, who highlighted the evolution of an event that unites sport, wine, heritage, and territorial promotion.
Fernando Esteban emphasized the Ribera Run Experience as an event that blends sport, enotourism, and territorial promotion, with Peñafiel and the Ribera del Duero playing leading roles.
He highlighted the participation and international character of the event, as well as this year’s collaboration with the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the wineries, which allow integrating heritage, gastronomy, and wine culture throughout the weekend.
He also underscored the commitment of the institutions to make the celebration of the race possible and to face the challenges arising in the course, maintaining its pledge to an experience linked to the territory.
In this vein, Peñafiel’s mayor, Roberto Díez, has highlighted the Ribera Run Experience as a showcase for the town and for the Ribera del Duero, emphasizing its ability to unite sport, nature, enotourism, heritage, and gastronomy, as well as its growing tourism footprint.
«For Peñafiel, it is a pride to return as the epicenter of an event that has already reached eight editions and that brings together many of the elements that best represent us: nature, sport, enotourism, heritage, and gastronomy. That nearly 70% of participants come from outside Castilla y León demonstrates that Ribera Run has also become an extraordinary tool for tourism promotion,» stated the mayor.
Díez also stressed the involvement of the entire local fabric and institutions in hosting the event, and he highlighted that during the weekend runners, companions, and visitors will be able to discover Peñafiel’s heritage, wineries, shops, and gastronomy. “From the City Council we will continue to support events that, like Ribera Run, generate activity and opportunities for our businesses and, at the same time, project Peñafiel’s image beyond our province and Castile and León. We want visitors to want to return.”
Benigno Garrido Marcos, enólogo, catador y representante del Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, destacó la sintonía entre el concurso y la Ribera Run Experience por su apuesta compartida por la promoción turística y enoturística de los territorios.
Garrido subrayó la relevancia de Castilla y León, Valladolid y la Ribera del Duero dentro del concurso y destacó la oportunidad de acercar a los participantes vinos de distintos lugares del mundo.
Asimismo, destacó la colaboración con la RRE y el Ayuntamiento de Peñafiel como una vía para seguir vinculando deporte y turismo, acercando la cultura del vino tanto al público local como a visitantes y participantes.
Por último, intervino en la presentación el director de la prueba, José Antonio de Pablo, quien reiteró los agradecimientos tanto a las instituciones públicas como privadas por su apoyo y compromiso a lo largo de todas las ediciones de la Ribera Run Experience.
De Pablo destacó la consolidación del evento en su octava edición, que contará con más de 1.000 participantes, de los cuales cerca del 70 % proceden de fuera de Castilla y León. En este sentido, señaló que, tras siete ediciones, la prueba afronta una nueva etapa con el objetivo de reforzar tanto su dimensión deportiva como su capacidad para dar a conocer los atractivos de la Ribera del Duero:
«After seven editions, we believe the event has consolidated and reached a maturity from which, without forgetting the playful aspect that has always been part of this experience, we also want to give greater weight to the sporting challenge and encourage participants to discover more deeply all the attractions of the Ribera del Duero. We thus commit to the Ribera Run of 30 kilometers, which will allow even more enjoyment of the surroundings, the landscapes, and the cultural and gastronomic richness of the area. We will increase the enrollment cap for this distance and promote it as the premier competitive event, leaving the 17-kilometer distance exclusively for hikers».
The Ribera Run Experience director also highlighted the importance of the Senda del Duero as natural heritage and a backbone element of the province, advocating its conservation and enhancement. He emphasized that, thanks to the work of the RRE throughout the year and the support of the Valladolid Provincial Council and the Peñafiel Town Hall, parts of this route have been recovered and preserved.
During his speech, he called on all institutions to protect the Senda del Duero and turn it into a symbol of Valladolid and of Castile and León, with national and international reach.
The eighth edition adds new enclaves and novelties to its routes
The 2026 edition arrives with significant updates to its itineraries. Access restrictions to Peñafiel’s Medieval Bridge and the collapse of the wooden pedestrian bridge have forced adjustments to the routes of the 30K and Senderista modalities, with the aim of ensuring participants’ safety at all times.
These modifications preserve, however, the essence of the Ribera Run Experience and allow continuing to enjoy some of the most emblematic landscapes, towns, and wine estates of the Denomination of Origin Ribera del Duero. Participants in the various modalities will traverse a territory where sport blends with heritage and nature, passing by some of the denomination’s leading wineries, such as Protos, Dehesa de los Canónigos, Comenge, Emilio Moro, Carramimbre, Vinos de la Luz, Tr3smano, Servilio and Vinos Santos Arranz – Lágrima Negra.
To these enclaves are added the Senda del Río Duero (GR-14) and some of the main historical and cultural references of the region, such as the Plaza del Coso de Peñafiel, the plazas of Pesquera de Duero and Curiel de Duero, the Castle of Peñafiel, which houses the Provincial Wine Museum, or the Pintia Archaeological Site in Padilla de Duero, where the long distance will run.
The 30K route maintains its start from Bodegas Carramimbre and remains finishing at the Plaza del Coso de Peñafiel. Meanwhile, the Senderista race will launch from a new point at Bodega Comenge and will incorporate new aid stations, including Bodega Emilio Moro and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Pesquera de Duero.
Among the novelties of this eighth edition is also the incorporation of Bodega Cantovera as a new stop on the Ribera Run Experience. The winery joins the route as a new aid stop and will allow participants to discover a new space linked to the heritage and viticultural culture of the Ribera del Duero.
Meanwhile, the 7K – Ribera Promo Vinos de La Luz route maintains its original layout, starting from Bodega Vinos de la Luz and finishing at the Plaza del Coso de Peñafiel.
Wine and heritage, protagonists from Friday
The Ribera Run Experience will kick off its program on Friday, September 18, with an inaugural day in which wine and heritage will play a special role.
The Castle of Peñafiel, one of the great symbols of the Ribera del Duero and home to the Provincial Wine Museum, will host a tasting where attendees can discover and sample a selection of wines awarded and internationally recognized at the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
The Castle of Peñafiel symbolizes the Ribera Run Experience’s commitment to go beyond sport and bring participants and companions closer to the heritage and wine culture of the Ribera del Duero.
A weekend to enjoy the Ribera del Duero
Throughout the weekend, runners and companions will be able to enjoy a wide parallel program that will allow them to discover the main tourist attractions of the region. Vineyards, wineries, gastronomy, heritage, and nature will complete the sporting experience through various activities organized in collaboration with the wineries and partner entities, whose schedule can be consulted on the event’s official website.
The Plaza del Coso de Peñafiel will once again be the main meeting point on Saturday, concentrating a large part of the Ribera Run Experience activity. In this space will be the finish line for the three modalities, and children’s races will be held, organized by the local athletics club SUPPLE LEOPARD, a proposal designed to bring sport closer to the youngest and to enjoy with the family.
At 15:00 there will be the awarding ceremony, after which live music will take center stage with the performance of the Valladolid-based group Nunca Jamás.
The day will also feature a paella for all participants, in addition to a bar where runners, companions, and the public can sample products and drinks and enjoy the flavors of the Ribera del Duero.
The program will continue in the afternoon with the Granada-born DJ Alex Garvin, who will bring the day to a close at 19:00, in a festive atmosphere designed to share the experience beyond competition.
The AZZ Peñafiel Las Claras Hotel & Spa will also be the official bib pickup venue, which will take place on Friday, September 18, from 18:00 to 21:00, and on Saturday, September 19, from 7:30 to 9:30.
The establishment, located in the heart of the Ribera del Duero and housed in a historic 17th-century convent, offers an incomparable setting to enjoy a weekend where sport, heritage, enogastronomy, and well-being come together in a unique experience.
On the occasion of the event, AZZ Peñafiel Las Claras has prepared a special gastronomic proposal for runners and companions. Participants will be able to enjoy lunch and dinner for athletes at special prices by presenting their bib, in addition to an exclusive roasted suckling lamb option available on Saturday and Sunday, designed so that runners and companions can enjoy the Ribera del Duero’s culinary tradition during the weekend of the event.
All of this adds to the attractions of a hotel of reference in the Ribera del Duero, with a spa, outdoor pool, large common areas, a carefully curated gastronomic offer, and privileged views of the Castle of Peñafiel.
The event reinforces its link with enotourism once again, integrating into the participants’ experience the knowledge and enjoyment of the Ribera del Duero wines. Through the Ribera Run Experience web app, runners will be able to consult the wines present at the aid stations and acquire them directly.
Commitment to the Rural Environment and Social Inclusion
As part of its commitment as a project to boost the rural economy and society, the Ribera Run Experience will, in this eighth edition, collaborate with the NGO Rescate, which conducts its international protection and reception work in the province of Valladolid, with a presence in Peñafiel, where it runs a residential center for applicants of international protection, offering comprehensive care that includes social, legal, psychological, and training support, aimed at promoting their labor insertion and autonomy.
The collaboration will allow the participation of people linked to the organization, who will also provide support at different points of the event, such as the aid stations and the handing out of the finisher cups.
The social and participatory dimension of the Ribera Run Experience is also reflected in the team that makes the event possible. More than 100 people will collaborate during the event, including Peñafiel residents and members of the Valladolid athletics clubs Atletas Populares, Trotapinares and Club Atletas Tierra de Pinares. They are joined by the Club Desafío Urbión, responsible for tasks related to the route and logistics, and Protection Civil de Peñafiel, which will provide support during the event to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.
With the involvement of associations, sports clubs, volunteers, Civil Protection, institutions, and residents, the Ribera Run Experience reinforces its commitment to inclusion, participation, and rural dynamization, consolidating an event that turns sport into an opportunity to value the territory and foster community.
