Marathons in Spain

You couldn’t ask for better timing, because this country offers a whole host of races à la carte 📋. It’s a bit like being in a typical Spanish tapas restaurant, with loads of options, each more tempting than the last 🤤. With races in a big city, qualifying, on an island, from city to city, on the seaside,… you quickly realize that choice is definitely not in short supply 🤓. Spain means sun, heat, UV rays… And recently, a study highlighted that the ideal temperature for running would be between 2° and 10° 🌡️. Sure, those temperatures might be a bit rare in Spain, we’ll give you that. But they’ve thought of everything: to work around the temperatures, races are generally held in autumn, winter, or spring 💐. With this calendar, you won’t suffer from the heat and you’ll be able to smash your PB! ⏱️

Let’s start with the two most iconic races: the Barcelona Marathon and the Madrid Marathon 🏅. The "Clásico" better watch out. Both founded in 1978, it’s hard to choose between these two running monuments, a bit like in football! ⚽️ To keep the momentum going, other Spanish marathons stand out thanks to their unique features ✨. The Elche-Alicante International Marathon, with a race on the Costa Blanca, or the San Sebastián one—being the second-oldest marathon in Spain, you’re running on a relic! 📖 And the Lanzarote Marathon offers a fabulous setting, with extraordinary volcanic landscapes 🌋.

But the BIG trend of recent years is the Valencia Marathon. Thanks to its flat, fast, smooth course 🏎️, it certainly looks like the next world record could fall in Valencia ⏱️. And by the way, the organizers are promising a 1 million bonus for the athlete who breaks the world record! 🤯 When it comes to speed, the Seville Marathon is also well set up, with a course record of 2h18m52s by Alemu Megertu in 2022 for the women and 2h03m27s in 2024 by Deresa Geleta Ulfata for the men ⚡️.

Once again, the list is far from over, especially since the country is packed with plenty of varied marathons, like those on the islands : with the Málaga Marathon, the Murcia Marathon, or the one in Ibiza (where you can even party 🥳), paradise vacations are yours. That said, a marathon isn’t the most accessible distance, so if you’re more into the half marathon, check out our calendar of Half Marathons in Spain as well 😉.

Alright, we know running is great, but the post-race is just as important ‼️ And let’s be honest: in Spain we generally like to chill, on a terrace or by the beach, under the Spanish sun 🇪🇸. Which, by the way, is pretty strong—so don’t forget your sunscreen. So once you’re there, you either finish your weekend on warm sand or go city sightseeing in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville… 🏙️ Or you take advantage of the different regions such as: Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Catalonia—in short, nothing but dream destinations, once again 😍. One thing’s for sure: no matter where you are, you’ll have plenty to refuel 💪. The best would be to start with a good tortilla and some empanadas, keep going with a good paella 🥘, and finish with homemade churros. 

Runner, Spain’s soil is just waiting for you to become—or become again—a marathoner once more, in a more than pleasant setting! 🏞️