Marcha Hermanos Herrada 2026

The route

The Marcha Hermanos Herrada reaches its fourth edition from Cuenca, dedicated to Jesús and José Herrada, the two professional cycling brothers who have represented Cuenca in the peloton for years. The 120 km route leaves the city of the hanging houses and heads into the Serranía: the pine forests of the Sierra de Cuenca, the gorges of the Júcar and Huécar rivers, and the cols that run through this section of the Iberian System. October in Cuenca is a good time for riding: the autumn colours in the Serranía pine forests are among the most impressive on the plateau.

The route leaves Cuenca and climbs into the Serranía on roads familiar to anyone who has followed the Vuelta a España through this area. The Serranía cols sit between 1,200 and 1,500 m, with moderate but sustained gradients through pine and limestone. The Júcar and Huécar gorges, which ring the city of Cuenca, are visible from several points on the route and are among the most distinctive landscapes in Castile-La Mancha. The 120 km profile is honest: no big surprises but not easy either.

NE wind is the most frequent in Cuenca in autumn, particularly on the high-pressure days that push in from the Mediterranean and sweep the plateau from east to west. On the Serranía cols between 1,200 and 1,500 m the wind can reach 20-30 km/h, and on ridgeline sections the effect is most pronounced. The descents towards the gorges, on narrow and technical roads with NE crosswind, are the sections that demand the most attention. In the enclosed Júcar valleys the wind drops considerably. Temperatures between 12 and 18°C: genuine autumn cold.

Cuenca is 165 km from Madrid on the A-40, with a high-speed AVE train connection of around 55 minutes from Atocha. Cuenca's old town, with the hanging houses and Gothic cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and worth spending time in the day before or after the ride. The hanging houses over the gorges are one of the most recognisable images in Spain. If you have not been to Cuenca, this sportive is a good reason to go.

Variants and GPX

Past editions

Real Open-Meteo weather on each edition day.

How to register

Registration, price and rules are on the official website of the organization. Official march website →

More information

All marches in Spain
Keep reading about planning routes with wind