Men’s course record
2:04:13
Tesfaye Deriba · 2025
- Average pace
- 2:57 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- −0.07 %
Barcelona Marathon
Barcelona, Spain Mid-March, set by the organiser each year Founded 1978
Through the Eixample past three Gaudí buildings, down to the harbour and along the sea, and back up to the Arc de Triomf.
Overview
The start is on Passeig de Gràcia, just above Plaça de Catalunya, and the finish is a kilometre away at the Arc de Triomf. The course between them has been run only since 2024.
The first half stays up in the Eixample, the grid of the nineteenth-century city. It passes Casa Batlló at 3.6 km, the Sagrada Família at 13.9 km and La Pedrera at 15.3 km. Then it drops to the harbour at the Columbus monument, at 23.8 km, and follows the sea past Port Olímpic and out to the Fòrum, before turning back through Glòries to the finish.
About two-thirds of the field comes from outside Spain. The 2026 race sold out at 32,000, and the cap for 2027 is 37,000.
The first half stays up in the Eixample, the grid of the nineteenth-century city. It passes Casa Batlló at 3.6 km, the Sagrada Família at 13.9 km and La Pedrera at 15.3 km. Then it drops to the harbour at the Columbus monument, at 23.8 km, and follows the sea past Port Olímpic and out to the Fòrum, before turning back through Glòries to the finish.
About two-thirds of the field comes from outside Spain. The 2026 race sold out at 32,000, and the cap for 2027 is 37,000.
- When
- The 2027 Barcelona Marathon is on Sunday, 14 March 2027, starting at 8:30am local time on Passeig de Gràcia, between Gran Via and Plaça de Catalunya.
- Course
- Barcelona's course climbs 117 m in all, with its lowest point at 3 m and its highest at 35 m.
- Entry
- Entry to Barcelona is first come, first served (open for 2027), and costs €70–100 for 2027.
- Field
- The 2026 Barcelona Marathon had a marathon field of 32,000.
- Weather
- Across 29 years, Barcelona's race-day temperature has a median of 12.4 °C.
- Records
- The Barcelona Marathon course records are 2:04:13 (Tesfaye Deriba, 2025) and 2:10:51 (Fotyen Tesfay, 2026).
- Time limit
- Barcelona's time limit is 6 hours.
Marathon Course · every marathon course, measured the same way
Barcelona Marathon
Through the Eixample past three Gaudí buildings, down to the harbour and along the sea, and back up to the Arc de Triomf. Passeig de Gràcia → Arc de Triomf, Barcelona, Spain.
- Distance
- 42.2 km
- Ascent
- 117 m
- Descent
- 129 m
- Net
- −12 m
Course map and elevation
5 km splits marked · hover or drag the profile below to move along the courseElevation · a third-party GPX of the 2025 race, on the course used since 2024 · Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0 · smoothed 100 m 3–35 m
—
0.08.416.925.333.742.2
kmmi — elev — grade — hover or drag the profile
Barcelona slopes down to the sea, and the course is laid across the slope: the first half up in the Eixample, the second along the water. The start is at 22 m. The steepest climbing kilometre comes early, 10 m from 1.6 km towards the Sagrada Família. The high point is on Passeig de Gràcia beside La Pedrera, 35 m at 15.1 km.
The steepest kilometre of the race is the drop straight after it, 11 m from 16.6 km, and from there it's mostly downhill to the harbour. From 23.5 km to 39.5 km, along the waterfront and out to the Fòrum, the course stays between 3 m and 9 m.
The last stretch climbs back up from the sea: 10 m between 39.5 km and 41.5 km. The finish, at 10 m, is 12 m below the start. Add up the energy cost of every gradient and the course comes out about level with a flat 42.195 km.
Take it with you
Course GPX Organiser's course map
The GPX is ours: our resampled line, a point every 25 m, carrying Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0 elevation rather than the GPS noise a watch file usually holds.
Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0, a third-party GPX of the 2025 race, on the course used since 2024, smoothed 100 m · marathoncourse.com/marathons/barcelona/ · checked 2026-09-24
How to enter: dates and fees
Places go first come, first served, and the price rises with your race number. For 2027 the first thousand places cost €70 and everything after number 16,000 costs €100. In between, the price steps up through €80 and €90. Registration opened on 30 April 2026. It closes on 7 March 2027, or sooner if all 37,000 places go.
You can pass your place to another runner through the registration platform until 16 February, for a €15 fee, but not a place bought at a discount. The 2026 race sold out at 32,000 three months before race day.
You can pass your place to another runner through the registration platform until 16 February, for a €15 fee, but not a place bought at a discount. The 2026 race sold out at 32,000 three months before race day.
History
Ramón Oliu, a chemist, ran the New York City Marathon in 1976 and came home to a Catalonia with no marathon of its own. He couldn't get a permit for Barcelona, so the first race, Catalunya 78, was run in Palafrugell on the Costa Brava in 1978. 185 started. The race moved into the city in 1980.
For decades it started and finished at Plaça d'Espanya, below Montjuïc. Building work there pushed it into the centre in 2024, to a start on Passeig de Gràcia and a finish at the Arc de Triomf, on a course the organiser says climbs more than 30 m less than the old one.
The times followed. Tesfaye Deriba ran 2:04:13 in 2025, and in 2026 Fotyen Tesfay won her first marathon in 2:10:51, the second-fastest women's time ever, by almost eight minutes. In 2023 Àlex Roca, who has cerebral palsy, finished in just under six hours.
For decades it started and finished at Plaça d'Espanya, below Montjuïc. Building work there pushed it into the centre in 2024, to a start on Passeig de Gràcia and a finish at the Arc de Triomf, on a course the organiser says climbs more than 30 m less than the old one.
The times followed. Tesfaye Deriba ran 2:04:13 in 2025, and in 2026 Fotyen Tesfay won her first marathon in 2:10:51, the second-fastest women's time ever, by almost eight minutes. In 2023 Àlex Roca, who has cerebral palsy, finished in just under six hours.
- 1978Catalunya 78 is run in Palafrugell, because Ramón Oliu can't get a permit for Barcelona. 185 start
- 1980The race moves into Barcelona
- 2019A reworked course, and both records fall: Alemu Bekele runs 2:06:04 and Kuftu Tahir 2:24:44
- 2020Cancelled in the pandemic
- 2021Held in November, the only autumn edition
- 2023Àlex Roca, who has cerebral palsy, finishes
- 2023Zeineba Yimer takes the women's record to 2:19:44
- 2024Building work at Plaça d'Espanya moves the race into the centre: a start on Passeig de Gràcia and a finish at the Arc de Triomf
- 2024Tadesse Abraham wins the first race on the new course in 2:05:01
- 2025Tesfaye Deriba runs 2:04:13, and Sharon Chelimo's 2:19:33 beats the women's record by eleven seconds
- 2026Fotyen Tesfay runs 2:10:51 on her debut, second on the all-time list, and wins by almost eight minutes
- 2026Sold out at 32,000, three months before race day
- 202714 March, with the cap raised to 37,000
19801990200020102020
Course records
Pace is derived from the certified distance. Terrain-adjusted figures come from the same model that ranks every course on this site.
Women’s course record
2:10:51
Fotyen Tesfay · 2026
- Average pace
- 3:06 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- −0.07 %
Race day: start times and cut-offs
- 8:30am
- 4:15pm
- Time limit
- 6h
- Fifteen, and the finish
The start and finish are a kilometre apart, so decide where your bag goes. The main cloakroom is by the finish on Passeig de Lluís Companys, and there's a smaller one at the start. The nearest metro stations to the start are Passeig de Gràcia and Catalunya.
Runners start at 8:30am in colour-coded pens. Pacers ran to seven target times in 2026, from 2:45 to 4:30.
There are drinks every 2.5 km from km 5 to km 40, fifteen points in all, with food as well as drinks after the finish. The limit is six hours from when the last runner crosses the line.
Runners start at 8:30am in colour-coded pens. Pacers ran to seven target times in 2026, from 2:45 to 4:30.
There are drinks every 2.5 km from km 5 to km 40, fifteen points in all, with food as well as drinks after the finish. The limit is six hours from when the last runner crosses the line.
The morning, hour by hour
- 8:30am
- Start
- 4:15pm
- Finish closes, about
The organiser's 2027 regulations. Spain's clocks don't change until the end of March. The organiser publishes no intermediate cut-off times. The limit is six hours from the last runner's start, and the finish closes at about 4:15pm.
Race-day weather, 1995–2025
- Median
- 12.4 °C
- Warm years
- 0 of 29
- Wet years
- 0 of 29
Race-day mean temperature, 1995-2025. Lime marks the hottest edition; the coldest and wettest carry a label only, so the colour still means one thing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Barcelona a flat course?
Not quite. It climbs 117 m in all, most of it in the first half, up in the Eixample, where the high point is 35 m beside La Pedrera. From 23.5 km to 39.5 km, along the sea, it's flat. The last two kilometres climb 10 m back up to the finish.
Sonny's LiDAR DTM of Europe, sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. Raw-to-smoothed ratio 1.6.
Why are the start and finish in different places?
Since 2024 the race has started on Passeig de Gràcia and finished at the Arc de Triomf, about a kilometre apart, after building work at Plaça d'Espanya moved it off its old loop below Montjuïc. Leave your bag at the finish.
The organiser's course page.
Does the course pass the Sagrada Família?
Yes, at about 13.9 km. It also passes Casa Batlló and La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia, and the Columbus monument at the harbour. It doesn't go near Camp Nou or up Montjuïc.
This site's course line.
How much does it cost?
For 2027, between €70 and €100, depending on how early you enter: the first thousand places are the cheapest, and everything after number 16,000 costs €100. Entries close at 37,000 or on 7 March 2027.
The organiser's 2027 regulations.
Is it a fast course?
Since the move, yes. Tesfaye Deriba ran 2:04:13 in 2025, and in 2026 Fotyen Tesfay ran 2:10:51, the second-fastest women's marathon ever. Abel Chelangat won the 2026 men's race in 2:04:57.
World Athletics' report of the 2026 race.
Can I transfer my place?
Yes, to another runner through the registration platform, until 16 February, for a €15 fee. A place bought at a discount can't be transferred.
The organiser's 2027 regulations.
Would a Barcelona time count for a record?
Yes. The course loses 0.3 m per kilometre and its start and finish are 1.0 km apart, both well inside the World Athletics limits.
Drop and separation from this site's Barcelona line, set against World Athletics Competition Rule 31.21.
How many people run it?
The 2026 race sold out at 32,000, three months before race day, with about two-thirds of the field from outside Spain. For 2027 the cap is 37,000.
Organiser figures for the 2026 edition.
What is the weather like on race day?
About 12.4 °C during a typical race: that's the median across 29 years, which have run from 7.5 °C to 15.5 °C. 0 of the 29 were wet.
ERA5 reanalysis for the race date, 1995-2025.
Can I use a time here to qualify for Boston?
Yes. The course loses only 12 m from start to finish, far short of the 1,500 ft at which the B.A.A.'s downhill adjustment begins. The first half is the harder one, up in the Eixample, and the flat waterfront comes when you need it. Keep something for the climb back up to the Arc de Triomf in the last two kilometres.
Net drop −12 m from this site's course line; 2027 adjustment None. Certification elite label: World Athletics Elite Label in 2026; record-eligible.
How accurate is the elevation figure?
It comes from Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0, sampled every 25 m along the course line and smoothed over 100 m. The raw-to-smoothed ratio here is 1.6. Around 1.3 means the model is reading the ground, not rooftops; above about 2.0 the total climb carries real noise, and the net change is the sturdier number.
0 missing samples · 0 bridge spans corrected.
Sources
Every fact on this page, its source, and the date it was checked · 8
| Fact | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Course line | Third-party GPX for the 2025 edition. The course has started on Passeig de Gràcia and finished at the Arc de Triomf since 2024, and the organiser's 2027 course page describes it unchanged. The file measures 42.329 km, 0.32 % long, from 793 points; our resampled line measures 42.161 km. Archived with its hash in data/raw/sources. | 2026-09-24 |
| Elevation | Sonny's LiDAR DTM of Europe (CC BY 4.0), sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. Raw-to-smoothed gain ratio 1.6. The course crosses no bridges. | 2026-09-24 |
| Elevation, independent check | The organiser's figures, as reported when the new course opened, put it between 8 m and 50 m above sea level. We measure 3.0 m to 35.0 m. The figures may describe a different datum or an earlier draft of the course; the difference isn't resolved. | 2026-09-24 |
| Race-day weather | ERA5 reanalysis via the Open-Meteo archive, 1995–2025 at the start, 08:00–14:00 local, sampled on the Sunday nearest 15 March. That reproduces the 2025, 2026 and 2027 dates, but not every earlier one. 2020 and 2021, when there was no March race, are excluded. | 2026-09-24 |
| Course records | Tesfaye Deriba 2:04:13 (2025) and Fotyen Tesfay 2:10:51 (2026), from World Athletics' report of the 2026 race. | 2026-09-24 |
| Entry and field | The organiser's 2027 regulations: 37,000 places, €70–100 by race number, entries closing 7 March 2027. The 2026 race sold out at 32,000. | 2026-09-24 |
| Race day | The organiser's 2027 regulations: start 8:30am, six hours from the last runner's start, finish closing about 4:15pm, drinks every 2.5 km from km 5 to km 40. | 2026-09-24 |
| Record eligibility | World Athletics Competition Rules, Book C, Part III — Competition Rule 31.21: a record course may lose no more than 1 m per kilometre, and its start and finish may be no more than 21.098 km apart. Barcelona loses 12 m overall, 0.3 m per kilometre, and its start and finish are 1.0 km apart. Inside both. | 2026-09-24 |
Until the Barcelona Marathon · 14 Mar 2027
— days
— hrs— min— sec
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