Elche – Alicante International Marathon 2026

Do you know what the oldest half-marathon in the world is? 🤔 Don't look in the United States, but rather in Europe 🇪🇺. And rather in the south of Europe, where potatoes are eaten in tortillas and where appetizers mean tapas! 🌮 It seems that the Elche half-marathon is therefore the oldest in the world with a birth date that goes back to 1968! 😳 It's certainly one of the oldest road races, no doubt about it! 👏 However, the marathon linking Elche to Alicante is not an old event as it had its very first edition in November 2025. A newborn 👶 in the prolific running calendar, but a promising infant! 🏃 Only one distance, the best: the marathon!

This emerging road race is certainly attractive with its ideal geographical location 🌴, in the southeast of Spain, in the province of Alicante, on the Costa Blanca ☀️. While France will be plunging into the winter chill, the Elche to Alicante Marathon will offer you the chance to run in shorts and a t-shirt under the sun of the Bajo Vinalopo region on the iconic distance for any runner who respects themselves. Tempting, isn't it? 😏

If you need some more reasons to convince you to fly only 2 hours from Paris ✈️, know that Elche has a site classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site: an incredible palm grove with 200,000 palm trees (😯!) that encircle the city in a true green belt 😍. The city also boasts numerous parks and a rich historical heritage: Alcudia archaeological site, the narrow streets of Vila Murada, the Muslim tower Calahorra, Altamira Palace, Santa Maria Basilica, Casa de la Festa, Raval neighborhood, La Mercé Convent... The list is as dense as it is fascinating in this city that preserves significant remnants of its Muslim past and baroque architecture. Once you reach Alicante, you can enjoy a walk on the famous Esplanade of Spain, a session on one of the city's beaches (San Juan, San Gabriel, La Calita... 🏖️) to perfect your tan, or a walk on Monte Benacantil to reach the Santa Barbara Castle from which the views are incredible 👀.

Since you'll definitely want to take care of your nutrition before your race, we can already tell you that the local specialties offer great carb-loading options 😋. Rice-based dishes are abundant, but you can also enjoy a small course of fish and seafood 🦞 straight from the Levantine coast. And to reward yourself after the physical effort, you can indulge in ice creams and nougats... 🍨