Sahagun – Villadangos del Paramo 78km

After the beautiful rural landscape the route goes through Leon. This interesting city tempts to stop for some time, but Suunto t6 on my wrist is merciless and tells me that I don’t have yet enough kilometres for the day. So I shake off the devil of temptation and continue humbly towards a village called Villadangos. My backpack which was so light in the morning seems much heavier now.

All necessary things are carried in the backpack. It is essential that you only carry the most necessary gear with you; shoes, sleeping bag, one set of clothes to change into, and other equipment that is absolutely necessary. Nothing is carried with you ‘just in case’. Minimalism is the order of the day on running hikes. To keep the advancing as pleasant as possible, the weight of the backpack should be kept to around 5kg. For navigation you need a map and a wristop computer (I have a Suunto t6), and with the help of that you can estimate your running speed and distance to the next village. On the Santiago trail there are tiny villages about 5-15km apart, which is a suitable distance for ‘maintenance points’.