Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP
Valencia, Spain · December · World Athletics Label
Why people love it
- Fast and flat: about 30 m (98 ft) of gain, sea level and nine world records since 2017.
- Start and finish by the City of Arts and Sciences, with the finish on a platform over water.
- Loud crowds with bands and DJs, and free metro and city buses with your bib.
- Pace groups from sub-2:45 to 5:00, with aid every 3 to 5 km (1.9 to 3.1 mi).
Watch out for
- Warm years: about 24 °C (75 °F) by halfway in 2025. Carry sun protection and use the sponge stations.
- The expo is out of the centre at Feria Valencia. One runner spent about 5 hours on the round trip.
- Long toilet queues and a long bag-drop walk. Arrive early or risk starting behind your wave.
- The field is fast, so a slower wave can feel crowded early on.
- Sells out months ahead, so register as soon as entry opens.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionBucket list4.6
Eight of nine accounts are warm, one saying they could not recommend it enough. Downsides are heat in some years and a long expo trip. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.4
Racecheck reviewers praise signs, marshals and communication, with no queues for 20,000+ runners. A 2024 expo trip took about 5 hours in gridlock. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly4.3
Flat, a 5.5 hour cutoff, wide avenues, nine waves and pace groups to 5:00. A 2025 first-timer finished happy but struggled in heat. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAmong the fastest5.0
Nine world records since 2017, men's record 2:01:48, under 30 m (98 ft) of gain, sea level and December air. · High confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.8
City of Arts and Sciences, old town, Turia Gardens, port and beach. The middle is less exciting than the ends, and the avenues are sunny. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.6
Wide roads mean little crowding, even mid-pack. Against that, tight turns in the old town and port, out-and-back sections, and a 2023 runner weaving early. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceGood4.0
Asphalt, virtually pancake flat, with small ramps, bridges and camber changes. Old-town streets are narrower. No pothole or cobble complaints. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresFully closed4.8
Full city-centre closures with marshals and barriers described as well managed. No complaints about traffic on course. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessPancake flat5.0
About 30 m (98 ft) of total gain, well under the 60 m (200 ft) mark for a pancake course. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop course with no meaningful net drop. Boston qualifier. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.8
Nine waves, free metro with a bib and a well-run bag drop in 2017. Late arrivals can be pushed back; 2023 toilet queues were long. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingFull range4.7
Pace groups from sub-2:45 to 5:00, kilometre markers and timing mats every 5 km (3.1 mi). GPS dropped out in the old quarter. · Medium confidence
- Crowd supportElectric4.6
Big, loud crowds with bands and DJs, one runner saying louder than Tower Bridge in London. A 2024 mid-pack runner felt cheers favoured faster runners. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.4
Stations every 3 to 5 km (1.9 to 3.1 mi) with water, sports drink, fruit, gels from km 16 (mi 10), sponges and cooling spray. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.5
Guides say minimal wind, but a strong headwind hit the first 12 km (7.5 mi) in 2018. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.7
Starts near 9 °C (48 °F), reaching 15 °C (59 °F) by late morning. 2025 hit 24 °C (75 °F). · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityReliable3.8
Mostly dry and mild with low humidity. The 2018 half marathon worlds had heavy rain and cold, and some years run warm. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.3
Loop through the city with free metro for bib holders and many crossing points. Turia Gardens and the finish area are strong viewing spots. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Sea level, roughly 15 m (49 ft) above it. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.6
Big city with plenty of beds, but hotels near the start and finish fill quickly for race weekend. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.8
December is low season for a Spanish coastal city. No firm price data. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.0
Metro Alameda stop plus free bib-holder transit. Start and finish are one metro ride from central hotels. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeEasy4.3
Airport 8 km (5 mi) from the centre, AVE rail from Madrid in about 1 h 40 min and Barcelona in about 3 h. · High confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
The expo is at Feria Valencia, out of the centre, and bibs need ID in person. One 2024 runner spent 5 hours on the trip. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.8
Old town, beach, paella and a mild December. The finish village sits in a major landmark complex. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early3.0
Open entry, but the race regularly sells out months ahead, so register early. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.9
EUR 60 to 95 (about $65 to $105) with free metro and pace groups. One reviewer found the goody bag ordinary. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 6 December 2026
- Organiser
- World Athletics Label
- Field size
- About 30,000 athletes
- First held
- 1981
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 30 m (98 ft)
- Descent
- 30 m (98 ft)
- Start time
- 08:30
- Cutoff
- 5.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Asphalt, with some ramps, bridges and camber changes
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Entry fee
- About $90
- Air temperature
- 8–16 °C (46–61 °F)
- Humidity
- Low to moderate
- Altitude
- 15 m (49 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Valencia (VLC), 8 km (5 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Ciutat Vella (old town), Ruzafa, Near the City of Arts and Sciences, Malvarrosa beach
- Booking
- Hotels near the start and finish fill early. Bib holders ride metro and city buses free on race day.
What racers and reviewers say
- Claremont Road Runners (Guy Cowen-Hutton)Raced 2025 · blog · Mixed
First marathon. Loud start with an MC, very flat course, excellent crowds with bands and DJs. It reached 24 °C (75 °F) by halfway and slowed him in the final miles, with a knee issue.
“I found the last part of the race incredibly challenging”
- Queen's Park Harriers (Sarah Dent)Raced 2024 · blog · Positive
Slower runner. Expo trip took about five hours in gridlock with poor bag-drop signs, her wave was about 800 m (0.5 mi) back, support seemed aimed at faster runners, and it got hot. Finished in tears with a 26 minute personal best.
“I still can't believe how I did it.”
- Queen's Park Harriers (Anastasia Chew)Raced 2023 · blog · Positive
Second-slowest pen, weaved past many runners early, GPS and pace band trouble in the narrow old quarter. Huge crowd noise, long toilet queues and a long bag-drop walk. 16 °C (61 °F), 7 minute personal best.
- Racecheck (Dasen P.)Raced 2017 · aggregator · Positive
Staggered waves, well run bag drop and adequate toilets. Wide roads never felt crowded, excellent spectators, stations every 5 km (3.1 mi) with water and Powerade and cooling spray from km 15 (mi 9). Fee EUR 45 to 75 then.
“I cannot recommend the Valencia Marathon enough!”
- Racecheck (Andrew S.)Raced 2019 · aggregator · Positive
Pens easy to enter, little waiting between waves, simple bib pickup. Nearly flat course past the beach and old town, no queues despite more than 20,000 runners, loud locals, frequent aid and visible marshals.
“set a very high standard for all other events”
Show 5 more
- Tempo Journal (Valencia 2018 from the inside)Raced 2018 · article · Mixed
Covers the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships on the same Valencia roads, not the marathon. Strong headwind early and tailwind late, cold rain, locals on pavements and balconies. Useful as a wind and crowd reference only.
“Better here than at London.”
- Marathon Handbook (2025 preview)Raced 2025 · article · Positive
Preview, not a runner report. Nine waves from 08:15, 5.5 hour cutoff, free metro, aid about every 3 km (1.9 mi), nine world records since 2017, and a mild 1% rise at km 31 to 34 (mi 19 to 21).
- Correrjuntos 2026 guideRaced 2026 · article · Positive
Guide with 2026 date (6 December), 08:30 start, EUR 60 to 95 fee, 5.5 hour cutoff, 8 to 16 °C (46 to 61 °F) weather, sells out months ahead. Organiser-leaning claims such as 100,000 spectators are treated with caution.
- RunDreamAchieve route guideRaced 2026 · article · Mixed
Second-hand advice, no personal run. Describes busy start, bunching at aid stations and corners, small rises, bridges and ramps that matter late, and tight turns in the centre and port.
- Run-Motion (personal record post)Raced 2024 · blog · Positive
Author reports a 2:32:19 personal best in 2024 and says the last 2 to 3 km (1.2 to 1.9 mi) feel slightly downhill. Only the search summary was readable.
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Sources
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