Barcelona's 2024 Marathon unveils new course passing by 15 landmarks

Barcelona's Marathon has unveiled a new course for next year's edition, "a faster, more, urban, more central, and more monumental course," as organizers announced on Thursday.

The event will take place on March 10, 2024, and runners will pass by 15 city landmarks, such as the unfinished Sagrada Família Basilica, La Pedrera, both by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, or Columbus statue by the harbor.

During the last years, the Zurich marathon always started and finished in Plaça Espanya square, but because of the construction work there, organizers reimagined the track. In this case, it will not start and finish in the same spot but in two different areas.

The over 17,000 runners expected —so far, there are around 4,500 registered six months ahead of the race—, will leave from Passeig de Gràcia boulevard, by Plaça de Catalunya square and will race for 42,175 meters until they reach the finish line located at Arc de Triomf.

The "change of track" comes after more than 20 editions with the old one, which was "circular and on the outskirts," organizers said, as 2024's will mainly take place in the city center, making it easier for supporters to get to different points. 

The new course will be flatter and faster than ever before in the history of this race, reducing the elevation gain by more than 30 meters compared to the previous circuit. The lowest point of the race will be only 8 meters above sea level, and the highest at 50 meters.

Next year's Marathon will also be one of the races with the fewest turns in the whole world, only 33 in total, and the longest line will be 4.9 kilometers.

In fact, "the last two kilometers of the old track, which used to be the most difficult ones, will now be the fastest ones of the race," as organizers have shifted the way runners take the Avinguda Paral·lel avenue.

"We have designed this new course with all runners in mind with all that we have proactively learned during the last years," Mauro Llorens, the race director, said to media outlets on Thursday.

"Our goal is simple: we do not want to lose the essence of the city, to have a faster course to improve everybody's times, and at the same time, to make it very festive for all citizens and runners," he added.

Registrations to run on March 10, 2024 are already open with prices ranging from €65 to €84.