On some mountain paths in the Valencian Community, in the province of Alicante to be precise, you can already hear a gentle ticking: It's the countdown to the premiere of the Hero Costa Blanca. In exactly one month, the starting signal will be given for the first stage of the Hero UCI Cross-Country Marathon World Cup 2026, which will be held on Saturday, February 21, in Calpe, Spain.

Everyone is looking forward to the new, previously unknown route, which, with a length of 82 kilometers and its 2700 meters of altitude, will demand a lot from the participants both physically and technically on the single trails between Calpe and Benissa. Around 160 athletes from 25 nations are expected to take part in this race, which counts towards the Hero UCI Marathon World Cup classification.

The meeting point is the Parc de la Creativitat, where the men in the elite category will start at 8:00 am, followed ten minutes later by the women. The amateur athletes in the Master category will start at 8:20 am and have the choice between the "long" elite route and a shorter variant over 50 kilometers with 1400 meters of elevation gain - ideal for those who are not yet fully prepared for long distances in February.

At around 12:00 pm, the first men in the elite category are expected to cross the finish line in Calpe, followed by the elite women and the riders in the Master class. The festive finale will be the Flower Ceremony at 13:15 to honor the winners of the Hero Costa Blanca.

While the adults compete on the climbs of the Costa Blanca, part of the day will be dedicated to the Heroes of tomorrow: The Hero Kids Costa Blanca will take place on Saturday, February 21 at 9:30 am.

The weekend program begins with the Hero Village, which opens its doors to all athletes and fans on Thursday, February 19, from 14:00 to 17:00 and Friday, February 20, from 10:00 to 17:00. Friday also has two further highlights in store: At 15:30, the 2026 UCI Marathon Teams will be officially presented, before top athletes share their impressions and expectations ahead of the series kick-off at 16:00 during the Hero Race Talk.

heroucimarathonworldcup.com