#10anysDeSalutiMuntanya

A new edition of Dements — the 10th — and nearly 1,000 bibs offered were gone in just a few hours. From the event’s staff, we want to thank all the runners who want to be Dements once again and join the Skymasters celebration on the 8th and 9th of November in Eslida and Aín.

After hosting the 2024 Skymasters of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series — the final of the Skyrunning® World Cup — it was a real challenge to repeat in 2025. And we’ve done it: once again, we are the “Marató dels Dements, Official Host of the 2025 Skymasters of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series”, both in terms of elite-level organisation and in welcoming the popular runner.

In 2024, it became clear that Dements is not, has never been, and will never be a race focused only on elite athletes. The foundation of the race has always been the popular runner, and hosting an international federated event has simply been a consequence of the event’s growth and evolution.

Naturally, hosting a global final requires adaptations — for example, cancelling the Mitja d’Eslida to ensure the safety of all runners and to guarantee an organisation worthy of the occasion.

Due to the logical and sensible participation limits imposed by the Natural Park (1,000 athletes), it’s true that the number of open category bibs has been reduced by around 100. However, this is not a reduction in the marathon itself, as the bibs from the Mitja d’Eslida have been transferred to the marathon, actually increasing the number of places compared to 2023. Even so, those who want to run the marathon distance usually manage to do so thanks to movement on the waiting list.

The situation is different for the Mitja d’Aín. This year, after listening to both participants and members of the organisation, we’ve decided to reduce the number of bibs by 50, offering a total of 350 places and extending the route by 500 metres to ease congestion at the start. In this case, the waiting list sees less movement.

Decisions regarding participation, cut-off times, and course modifications are always the result of deep reflection and debate — both internal and external — and above all, the experience gained over 9 editions, some of which were extremely challenging due to weather conditions that pushed our response capacity to the limit.

The first thing you’ll find in the race rules and on our website is:

“Dements is tough — very tough. Its 42.5 km, with 3,808 m of positive and negative elevation gain, require a high level of physical preparation and self-management skills in natural environments. The cut-off times demand strategy and effort. The organisation will not be lenient with these times, for the safety of all participants.
THE MARATÓ DELS DEMENTS (nor either of the two half marathons) IS NOT A RACE FOR BEGINNERS IN MOUNTAIN RUNNING.”

And also:

“There is no limit to safety in the runner’s pack. Of the more than 400 volunteers, over 100 are spread across the mountains ensuring runner safety. Where technology doesn’t reach, our human network does. Our main investment is in safety, with teams placed where you’d least expect them (ambulances, fire services, civil protection, and our own mountain, safety, and traffic coordinators).”

These are not empty statements — they are fundamental principles for understanding what Dements is and what it demands.

For many editions now, our organisational priority has been to avoid unnecessary risk for both runners and volunteers. That’s why we require proof of minimum experience in mountain races with elevation gain. This is not an exclusionary criterion, but a selective one, to ensure that participants have the minimum conditions needed to complete a race of this nature, always aiming to minimise risk.

Over time, we’ve encountered runners who, swept up in the trail running boom, sign up for Dements as a personal challenge — aware of the race’s difficulty, but often unaware of their own limits. Dements is not a hike — it’s a race, with strict cut-off times. Extending your time on the mountain, even with the best intentions, exposes you to significant physical and mental risk, and also puts volunteers — who give their time and energy freely — in unnecessary situations.

It’s not realistic for one of the half marathons to be your first mountain race, nor for the marathon to be your first marathon. Nor is it enough to say your mountain experience is climbing a 745 m peak at weekends.

The criteria we’ve chosen are based on elevation and distance — two directly proportional factors. Running a long race with little elevation on non-technical terrain is very different from entering the Serra d’Espadà — a labyrinth of climbs and descents, deliberately chosen to reflect the wild spirit of skyrunning: maximum elevation in the shortest distance.

Of course, there are runners capable of completing Dements without having done a race with 100 m of elevation gain per kilometre — but without official proof, it’s hard to verify. Likewise, some may have completed longer races with less elevation, but their finishing times vary greatly. A 60 km race completed in 7 hours is not the same as one finished in 12. The former might cruise through Dements, while the latter may not even make the first cut-off.

Another key factor: cut-off times. These have been thoroughly tested. If you don’t meet them, it’s impossible to reach the finish. The idea of “making up time later” doesn’t work at Dements — quite the opposite. If you run the whole race using a run-walk strategy, you might finish. If you only walk, it’s impossible. And if you stop for selfies or group photos… maybe this isn’t the race for you.

It’s never pleasant to see a large number of runners stopped at the first cut-off, but it’s common in many races. It’s also clearly stated in the rules — which we all accept when registering — though too often ignored or underestimated.

Another important aspect, beyond physical ability, is the skill of managing a mountain race.
Many of us who now run in the mountains likely started on the road — where the environment is wide, familiar, and stable. Mountain terrain is completely different, and full of uncertainty. One such uncertainty: bottlenecks.

In every mountain race — and we mean every one — bottlenecks occur. Usually at the start, when leaving the village, or on slow, narrow sections. These rarely affect the front runners, but for the popular runner, they’re a factor to plan for — especially in a race like Dements, where nearly the entire course is on singletrack.

Starting at a slightly faster pace to avoid them, accounting for steep climbs… there are many elements to plan and manage if you want to finish the weekend proudly posting with the hashtag #JoSocDement

Let’s not underestimate the mountain. Let’s be honest about our abilities. Let’s save the big challenges for when we’re ready — and above all, let’s not put others at risk. Let’s take it step by step, progressing in distance and elevation as the mountain demands. That way, we’ll enjoy many years of trail running and mountain life.

Time to train! Because before we know it, we’ll be just one month away from race day — and still missing kilometres and elevation gain from every direction!

And we’ll say it again, just in case it wasn’t clear enough…
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ONCE AGAIN, FOR THE TRUST YOU PLACE IN ALL OF US WHO ARE PART OF THE DEMENT FAMILY BY COMING BACK TO OUR RACE!!!!