The Race
| Next Race Date | To be confirmed (April in recent years; latest edition 19 April 2026) |
|---|---|
| Course type | Two-lap urban loop from Plaza San Martín |
| Registration | Open, through the municipal online portal; no entries open at the last check |
| Ballot opens | No ballot |
| Total finishers | Not published for the marathon alone |
| Average race day temperature | Not confirmed |
| Cutoff time | Not published |
| Free race-day transport | None found |
| Course certification | National federation supervision; a current marathon certificate is not confirmed |
History
A Pampa Traviesa began in September 1985 as a marathon for 39 men, and Rubén Aguiar won the first edition. Women joined the following year and Teresa Fernández won that race. The municipality of Santa Rosa has organised it throughout, with the Federación Atlética Pampeana supervising and the national federation, CADA, as the governing body.
Shorter distances grew up around the marathon. In 2008 the marathon and half marathon together drew 964 entrants, and in 2017 the whole festival registered 1,063 people. Those totals cover several distances and say little about the size of the marathon field.
The race has carried national weight in some years. The 2018 edition was the national marathon championship and an evaluation race for the 2019 Pan American Games. In 2026 the national championship held within the festival was over the half marathon.
The 40th edition, in 2025, returned to the original 1985 circuit as an anniversary tribute, and around 2,500 athletes took part across all distances. The 41st edition ran on 19 April 2026, and Lucas Machado and Angelina Reyes won the marathon. Winning times were not published consistently, so none appear here.
The course
The marathon starts on Avenida San Martín at number 50 in central Santa Rosa, and runners assemble at the corner of Gil and San Martín. The route is two laps of about 21.1 km on city streets, starting and finishing around Plaza San Martín. The finish line sits about 200 m east of the start.
Each lap leaves San Martín heading west and runs south-west along Avenida Juan Domingo Perón to a turn about 4.1 km from the start at about km 4.5. It comes back on Perón, crosses to Avenida Uruguay at km 9 and follows Avenida España and Avenida Pedro Luro through the south-east of the city at km 10 to 13. It then returns to San Martín at km 15 to 16, runs a north-east loop up Avenida Agustín Spinetto to a turn 1.8 km from the plaza at km 18, and comes back down Pedro Luro to San Martín at km 21. The second lap repeats it, with the Perón turn at about km 25.5 and the Spinetto turn at km 39.
The ground is flat. Santa Rosa lies at about 180 m above sea level and the whole course stays between 172 and 183 m, with no kilometre changing by more than 7 m (0.7%). The route passes within a few hundred metres of the plaza at km 15, km 21, km 36 and the finish.
The 2027 route has not been published. Treat this as the 2026 course.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 5: out to the south-west. The route leaves Plaza San Martín along San Martín Oeste and Olascoaga, then follows Avenida Perón out to a turn about 4 km from the start. The half marathon starts at the same time, so the field is mixed. Use the first kilometre to find space.
Km 5 to 10: back through the south. The road returns along Perón and crosses to Avenida Uruguay at about km 9, passing within a kilometre of the plaza. Spectators can reach this section on foot from the centre.
Km 10 to 15: the south-east. The lap swings through Avenida España and Avenida Pedro Luro, about 1.3 km from the plaza, then curls back up Uruguay to San Martín Oeste at km 15. Follow the marathon lap markings here, because the half marathon field is on the same streets.
Km 15 to 21: the north-east loop. A short excursion up Avenida Agustín Spinetto reaches 1.8 km from the plaza at km 18 and returns by Pedro Luro to San Martín at about km 21. Half marathon runners finish around here. Marathon runners continue.
Km 21 to 42: the same lap again. By the second pass of the Perón corridor the half marathon field has gone and the road is quieter. The final kilometres run through the Spinetto loop and back to San Martín. Pace evenly across the repeat: the course has no hills to separate the laps, so wind and fatigue do the work.
A single road out to the south-west and back, with the half marathon field alongside. Run it conservatively; the field thins after the second turn.
Two shorter loops pass the plaza area twice before the first lap ends near 21 km. Half marathon runners finish here, so marathon runners should keep to their own markings.
The second lap starts with the same Perón corridor and far fewer runners. The surface and the gradient are the same, but the road feels longer.
The final stretch passes the plaza near km 36 before the Spinetto loop and a finish close to the start. Spectators can see runners four times in all.
Course Map
The 2026 course: two near-identical laps of about 21 km from Plaza San Martín, out to the south-west along Avenida Perón, through the south-east of the city and up a short north-east loop. Tap a marker for details, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
No official pace teams were announced for the 2026 marathon. Check the participant guide when the next edition is published.
In 2026 the festival also hosted the national half marathon championship, which shares the 08:00 start with the marathon. Entry to the championship runs through the federation with qualifying performances and has no bearing on ordinary marathon registration. Marathon runners share the first lap's streets with the half marathon field.
The route used for this page is the 2026 course. The 2027 course has not been published, so treat streets and distances as the last known route.
The marathon starts at 08:00 in April, early autumn in Argentina. No start-hour temperature series was found for Santa Rosa, so the forecast in the final week should decide what to wear. The pampas are open and flat, and wind is the main variable. Pack a light windproof top as well as race kit.
The start is a standing wait on city streets, so a throwaway layer is worth carrying to the corner of Gil and San Martín. No bag-drop or clothing-donation procedure has been published, so a companion can hold a layer if access allows. Sun protection helps in the second lap, when the sun is higher and the field is thinner.
Entry
Entry is open to anyone with the documentation, through the municipal registration portal at apt.santarosa.gob.ar. At the last check the portal showed no open entries and no 2027 date had been announced. Treat any third-party calendar date as provisional.
In 2026 the marathon cost ARS 40,000 through 31 March and ARS 50,000 from 1 to 10 April. Entrants needed identity documentation and a current-year fitness certificate, and entry was confirmed after payment. The minimum age for the marathon was 20 by 31 December of the race year. Overseas payment, accepted non-resident identity documents, refunds, deferrals and insurance rules were not located.
The simplest route to a free place is local. The municipality ran a Pre A Pampa Traviesa series before the 2026 festival, and runners who completed all four dates earned a no-charge entry to the main event. The programme was designed for residents and did not cover overseas visitors.
There is no ballot, no charity allocation and no fast-runner standard. The qualifying times in the federation's bulletin applied to the national half marathon championship and are not a guaranteed-entry standard for the marathon.
Fast runner standards
No guaranteed-entry or fast-runner category exists.
See the municipal registration portal →Race Weekend
Bib collection
In 2026 bibs were collected at Chalten Outdoors, a shop on Avenida San Martín at the corner of Moreno, in the city centre and about 30 m from the finish area. Collection ran from 13:00 to 20:00 on Friday 17 April and from 08:00 to 20:00 on Saturday 18 April.
Bring photo identification and, for an ordinary marathon entry, the current-year fitness certificate. Rules on proxy collection, passports and QR codes were not published. No race-morning collection was announced, so plan to collect by Saturday evening.
A shop is not an expo hall. No merchandise, size-exchange or uncollected-bib arrangements were published.
Getting to the start
In 2026 the marathon and half marathon started together at 08:00, with the shorter races at 08:05. Marathon runners assembled at the corner of Gil and San Martín. The half marathon assembly point was different, so check the bib colour and the signs.
A hotel in the city centre allows a walk to the assembly point. From the ring-road hotels, book a taxi or remís the night before and agree a drop-off that stays open when the roads close. No race shuttle or free public bus was found. Checkout is the other pressure: Calfucurá has a 10:00 checkout and UNIT 11:00, both before most marathon runners finish, so arrange a late checkout, an extra night or luggage storage.
The finish provides fruit and medical support. No recovery area, bag retrieval or exit route was described, so agree a meeting point with companions outside the controlled course once the 2027 map appears.
Nutrition on course
Water is available every 5 km. In 2026 the federation added isotonic drink and fruit at km 26, and isotonic drink at km 30 and km 35, with fruit at the finish. No gels, brands, cup type, personal-bottle procedure, ice or sponges were described, and absence from that list does not confirm absence on the course.
Carry your own gels and decide in advance when to use them.
Spectating
The course returns to within a few hundred metres of Plaza San Martín at about km 15, km 21, km 36 and the finish, so a spectator who stays in the centre can see a runner four times without transport. The route has to be confirmed against the 2027 map and the road closures.
For timing, a 5:00 per km pace reaches km 15 after 75 minutes and km 36 after 3 hours. A 6:00 per km pace reaches them after 90 minutes and 3 hours 36 minutes. No live tracker or ticket requirement was found.
- Start at Plaza San Martín for the start and the first pass at about km 15.
- Stay for km 21 and the pass near km 36, then watch the finish about 200 m east. No transport is needed.
- Walk about 1.5 km north-east to Avenida Agustín Spinetto, which runners pass at about km 18 and km 39.
- The loop returns to San Martín within about 3 km, so a spectator can walk back to the finish.
- Walk about 1.3 km south-east to Avenida Pedro Luro and Avenida España, passed at km 11 to 13 and km 32 to 34.
- Return to the plaza on foot for km 36 and the finish.
Post-race food
The finish provides fruit. For a seated meal, Cuatro Esquinas Resto Bar at the UNIT hotel, Avenida Pedro Luro 787, publishes hours of 07:00 to 15:00 and 16:00 to 23:30 daily, with a lunch menu from 12:00 to 15:00. The room seats 50, so reserve for a group. It is on the first floor, with lift or stair access.
The restaurant at the Mercure on Avenida Santiago Marzo 25 is a second option, mostly useful to guests. Sunday kitchen hours were not published, so confirm before relying on it. Calfucurá has no restaurant but has facilities for eating food brought in.
Where to Stay
Stay near the finish, which is also the start. The route returns to the plaza several times, and a central room means a short walk to the start and a short stroll back with tired legs. Distances below are straight line from the finish; ask any hotel for its actual approach on race morning, because barriers will close streets.
San Martín corridor
Calfucurá, at San Martín 695, sits on the avenue where the 2026 race began and is about 0.6 km from the finish. Checkout is 10:00, with a paid late departure to 18:00 offered; confirm price and availability when booking.
Pedro Luro
UNIT, at Pedro Luro 787, is about 0.8 km from the finish and has an on-site restaurant that opens at 07:00. Checkout is 11:00. The breakfast buffet may not open early enough for an 08:00 start.
RN5 and the ring road
The Mercure, at Avenida Santiago Marzo 25, is about 1.7 km from the finish and needs a deliberate ride to the start. Its outdoor pool is a summer feature, so do not plan a recovery swim in April. Hotel Lihuel Calel, further out at Santiago Marzo 2535, publishes a rate card (ARS 50,000 single and ARS 72,000 double in July 2026, breakfast excluded) and is a budget comparison, not a central address.
Book a refundable room as soon as a date is announced. See the booking timeline for details.
Recommended hotels
On Avenida San Martín at number 695, the street where the 2026 race started. Ordinary checkout is 10:00 and a paid late departure to 18:00 is offered. Ask about the deposit policy.
Avenida Pedro Luro 787, with Cuatro Esquinas Resto Bar on site and an 11:00 checkout. Check whether breakfast starts early enough for an 08:00 race.
Avenida Santiago Marzo 25, a full-service hotel with road access to the regional parks. The outdoor pool is a summer feature. Arrange a ride on race morning.
Santiago Marzo 2535. Breakfast is excluded from the published rate and the pool is seasonal. A transparent baseline for price comparison.
Booking timeline
Wait for the municipality's 2027 date before committing money. A refundable room can be held earlier, but the cancellation terms need to survive a date change. The registration portal had no open entries at the last check, so no launch date can be forecast.
Allow time to collect the bib before Sunday. The 2026 collection ran Friday and Saturday, and no race-morning collection was announced, so a Saturday arrival is the latest sensible plan.
No hotel sell-out curve, airfare trend or race-weekend premium was found. Compare booking terms directly: Calfucurá asks for a deposit and charges for late checkout, and those two terms change the real cost of a trip more than the headline rate.
See & Do
Distances are from the finish, in a straight line, kilometres first.
Centro Cívico
The civic centre designed by Clorindo Testa, which can be seen from outside. Do not plan on entering offices or the library on a Sunday.
Parque Don Tomás
A recreational park with lagoon viewpoints. A short seated stop suits the day after the race better than walking the whole park. Do not assume the pool is open in April.
La Malvina
A western urban reserve with a house museum. Hours from April to September are weekdays 08:00 to 19:00 and weekends and holidays 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:00.
Parque Luro
A provincial reserve outside the city. March and April are the red deer rutting season, known as the brama. This is a day trip, not a central attraction.
After the Race
The race is on a Sunday, so the Monday is the first free day. Parque Luro is a day trip by road, and the city itself rewards a slower second day. Lihué Calel and the longer pampas loop need a hired vehicle or a booked excursion. Confirm transport in advance, because no bus timetable has been verified.
A provincial reserve outside Santa Rosa with a historic estate and, in March and April, the red deer rut. Arrange transport in advance.
A gentle second day built around La Malvina, Parque Don Tomás and the Centro Cívico, with luggage left at the hotel.
A national park of low granite hills in the south-west of La Pampa, best reached with a hired vehicle or a booked excursion. Camping needs advance booking and water must be carried.
Santa Rosa, Parque Luro and Lihué Calel strung together over three nights. It needs a hired vehicle and separate bookings.