Today we officially presented the 8th edition of the Vertical Montserrat race, organized by the Bombers de la Generalitat, together with the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu, and with the support of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the Abadia de Montserrat, and the Patronat de la Muntanya de Montserrat.
The presentation, which took place at the Espai Baronda in Esplugues de Llobregat, was attended by the Counselor of Interior and Public Safety of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Núria Parlon, the Mayor of Esplugues de Llobregat, Eduard Sanz, the President of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Carles Ruiz, and the Director of the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu, Juanjo Ortega.
During her speech, the Counselor of Interior and Public Safety, Núria Parlon, highlighted that “the 8th edition of the Vertical Montserrat, which we are presenting today, is one of the initiatives of Bombers amb Causa, a charitable project aimed at raising funds for medical research in the pediatric field, in collaboration with the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat.”
Parlon thanked “all those who make possible this combination of good intentions and values that add up and make this a reference race—not so much because of how tough it is (and it is), but because it reaches so many people.”
The Mayor of Esplugues de Llobregat, Eduard Sanz, highlighted that “it is an honor to host the presentation of the eighth edition of the Vertical Montserrat race. In our municipality we have the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, an emblematic institution and a benchmark in life sciences.” He emphasized that “they have managed to create around them a powerful wave of solidarity and fundraising to achieve important goals. In Esplugues, we know this very well and collaborate actively.” The city council provided the space to hold the event.
For his part, Carles Ruiz, President of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, highlighted “the privilege that it is for FGC to open natural spaces for activities throughout the year. In this case, moreover, it allows us to offer a dual dimension: an emblematic environment of Catalonia, such as Montserrat, contributing to a charitable cause.”
Juanjo Ortega, Director of the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu, shared a reflection about the persistent storms that continue to flood land and damage infrastructure: “I thought that their names could perfectly be those of the children we cared for in the various SJD centers. Vertical Montserrat is a celebration of hope, in the face of so many ‘storms,’ because a better future is possible. To achieve it, many times you have to break rocks or climb stairs. In the Obra Social, we address many different causes: rare diseases, refugees, migrants, mental health… Team spirit is essential for Sant Joan de Déu and a great symbol of the Vertical Montserrat.”
Ortega also highlighted that in this 2026 edition, the focus has been placed on the most charitable category, We Are a Team, with registrations opening in November and already counting more than 40 registered groups (almost 30 of them companies), each contributing €500 to the solidarity challenge, with some participating with more than one team.
One of the most remarkable moments was the announcement of the new ambassador of the race: Bojan Krkić, former Catalan footballer and current coordinator of the football area at FC Barcelona. The athlete expressed his gratitude for being the ambassador of this cause in 2026 and “being able to give visibility to initiatives that work for children.” He also highlighted how meaningful Montserrat is to him, a place he frequently visited with his family “and where I also went before and after the football season.”
The Vertical Montserrat race
Vertical Montserrat was created in 2017 by the Bombers de la Generalitat and is jointly organized with the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu. It is one of the most demanding races in Spain and is part of the Circuito Nacional de Carreras Verticales (CCV). This year’s race will take place on Saturday, 16th May, and registrations will open on 18 March at 11:00 a.m. via the website.
This year’s edition has put a special emphasis on strengthening the We Are a Team category, the most charitable category of the race, aimed at firefighters, individual runners, companies, sports clubs, and other organizations. Each team—made up of up to four people—must contribute €500 to the Bombers amb Causa project. Registrations opened in November with the goal of reaching 50 teams, and to date, more than 40 teams have already joined.
The race is part of Bombers amb Causa, a charitable initiative created to raise funds to finance research projects on childhood diseases and social programs supporting children at risk of exclusion in various Sant Joan de Déu centers. Vertical Montserrat also promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities through sport.
Five categories
La cursa té cinc categories: l’Open, la de Bombers, la Inclusiva, la Infantil i la ‘Som Un Equip’. L’Open va adreçada a esportistes federats o amateurs majors de 15 anys. La reservada als bombers i les bomberes requereix que els participants vagin equipats amb l’equip d’intervenció: jaqueta, pantaló, botes, guants, casc i equip de respiració autònoma sense màscara; en total, un sobrepès de gairebé 23 quilos.
The race features five categories: Open, Bombers, Inclusive, Children, and We Are a Team. The Open category is aimed at federated or amateur athletes aged 15 and over. The Bombers category requires participants to wear full firefighting intervention gear: jacket, trousers, boots, gloves, helmet, and self-contained breathing apparatus without mask—amounting to nearly 23 kg.
Promoting inclusion remains a priority, and the race continues to strengthen the Inclusive category, aimed at athletes with physical, intellectual, auditory, or visual disabilities.
Participants in these four categories must climb the 2,180 steps between the lower station of the Funicular de la Santa Cova de Montserrat and the upper station of the Funicular de Sant Joan of FGC, overcoming 388 meters of elevation gain.
Participants in the Children category must complete the lower section of the route, the 711 steps of the Santa Cova funicular. Children aged 8 to 15 may participate, accompanied by an adult athlete.
A ‘Zero Bib’ option is available for those who wish to contribute but cannot take part in the race. Donations will support Sant Joan de Déu projects focused on children at risk and will remain open until the day after the race.
For the fifth consecutive year, La Xarxa+, with support from Canal Taronja Anoia, will broadcast the Vertical Montserrat live on local television stations throughout Catalonia. The event may also be followed on a giant screen installed in the Plaça del Monestir, where bib pickup and the awards ceremony will take place.
The 2025 Edition: A Major Success
LaThe 2025 Vertical Montserrat, held as a special edition celebrating the Milenario de Montserrat, featured more than 300 participants. 75 firefighters took part, including 7 women. Participating teams included Bombers de la Generalitat, Bombers de Barcelona, Bomberos del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, firefighters from the Comunidad de Madrid, Diputación de Zaragoza, Ayuntamiento de Valladolid, and the Consorcio Provincial de Bomberos de Toledo.
The Inclusive category also saw record participation, with 11 athletes, marking another milestone for the inclusion of people with disabilities or at risk of exclusion through sport.
Vertical Montserrat receives support from Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the Abadia de Montserrat, and the Patronat de la Muntanya de Montserrat, as well as collaboration from organizations including Creu Roja de Catalunya, Bombers de Barcelona, Aeri de Montserrat, and the Federació d’Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya.
It is sponsored by Inaccés, Airbox, ERSM Insurance Brokers, and Good Bio.
The last edition achieved a record fundraising amount of €30,545, and this year aims to surpass it thanks to the growth of the We Are a Team category.
Since the creation of the charity project, Bombers amb Causa has raised €1,035,375, funding 7 research grants and 50 social projects related to childhood.
Pictures (c) Departament Interior