International Half Marathon of Alicante 2026

The month of February can be tough for those who neither live in the mountains nor in the South of France... It's cold, the days are short, and we are eagerly waiting for the return of the sun and the warmth of spring! 🥹 That's precisely what the city of Alicante, in the Southeast of Spain 🇪🇸, on the Costa Blanca, offers, where February means mild weather, beaches, and palm trees 🌴😎. As an unconditional fan of running 🏃‍♀️, we've found an event by the seaside that should encourage you to book your plane ticket right away: the International Half Marathon of Alicante (also called Meridiano International Half Marathon & 10k Aguas de Alicante)! 😜

Get ready to be amazed from the moment you arrive at the airport, as you'll immediately see the stunning Santa Barbara Castle 🏛️, built 166 meters above sea level, situated on Mount Benacantil ⛰️. If you want to save energy for your race, take the elevator to visit it. Otherwise, you can also go by foot, for a rather steep walk 😅 that will offer you a breathtaking panorama of the city where the routes for the half marathon and 10 km are mapped out.

You will definitely notice the tall buildings from the 1970s which are not, admittedly, the greatest architectural achievement, but which should not overshadow the many gems that Alicante contains. Among them are several remarkable museums (MUSA city museum, MARQ provincial archaeological museum, Belenes museum, MACA contemporary art museum, and the MUBAG fine arts museum) 🖼️.

To explore the area before pinning your bib to your shirt (yes, you'll be running in shorts and a t-shirt in February! 😎), you can wander through the medieval district of Santa Cruz which is simply the soul of Alicante 👍. A few picturesque alleys, charming houses with whitewashed facades, colorful shutters, flower pots everywhere, and at the top, a lovely 18th-century chapel... It's simple: we love it! 🫶

Since we're in Spain, don't miss out on the small tapas restaurants and the local specialties: arroz a banda (rice cooked in fish stock and served with aioli 🤤), arroz a la Alicantina (Alicante-style paella), caldero (rice and fish) or arroz caldoso (juicy rice) will be plenty of options for good carb loading before running! 🏃

Oh, one last recommendation: visit the Esplanade of Spain, an UN-MISS-ABLE spot in Alicante, and make a stop at one of the beaches (San Juan, San Gabriel, La Calita… 🏝️) to enhance your tan: you absolutely must return with a sun-kissed look to make your friends jealous at the next practice and your colleagues around the coffee machine! 😂

So, will we see you at the starting line for the 30th edition? 😉