Barcelona gears up for record-breaking half marathon

On Sunday, February 15, the Hyundai Half Marathon Barcelona by Brooks will take place in the Catalan capital, marking the 36th edition of one of the city’s biggest running events.

"We are the capital of running," event organizers proudly said at the introduction event of this year's edition, emphasizing its characteristics as "prestige, international reach, visibility, and sustainable growth."

It is one of the most prominent half marathons in Europe, with Gold Label status under World Athletics, and attracts runners from all over the world. 

This year, around 40% of the participants are non-Catalans, coming from 93 different countries, including France, Uganda, and Australia. 

40% of the runners are women, and over 55% are younger than 35 years old, as announced by one of the organizers and the Events Director at RPM Sports, Cristian Llorens.

The event will break a record this weekend with 36,000 participants, with race numbers having sold out back in September 2025. 

This year’s edition will feature 6,000 more participants than last year's 30,000. In 2024, around 28,000 runners took part in the half marathon event.

Not only does the race attract many competitors, but last year over 300,000 people also lined the streets to cheer them on, turning the event into a major attraction for spectators as well.

The marathon will start and finish at Passeig Picasso, close to the Ciutadella park in the center of the Catalan capital. 

The route will run throughout the city center, passing key Barcelona landmarks such as the Triumf Arc, the Christopher Columbus Monument, and Plaça Espanya, as well as the seafront. It is set to start at 8:30 am, with a cut-off time of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

At the end of the race, there will be a festive post-race celebration for runners and supporters, 'PaRUNda', with music and activities hosted at Poble Espanyol from 1 pm to 9 pm.

Major thoroughfares such as Passeig Colom, Paral·lel, and Diagonal Avenue, and García Fària Promenade will be closed to traffic from Saturday evening and throughout the race.

Due to this, some bus and metro lines will also face disruptions.

High-profile runners set to compete

Some of the high-profile runners attending this year's race include Jacob Kiplimo, Jack Rayner, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Dominic Lobalu, Marta Galimany, Weini Kelati, and Taylor Roe.

Last year, Jacob Kiplimo delivered a historic performance in Barcelona, clocking 56:42, the fastest time ever run in the race and one of the quickest half marathons in history. 

Although it was not ratified as an official world record, the run confirmed Barcelona as one of the fastest courses in the world.

Only four men in history have gone under 58 minutes, including Hagos Gebrhiwet, whose personal best stands at 57:41.

Australian Jack Rayner is also set to compete. He already holds the Oceania records in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and is now chasing the Australian half marathon record, which stands at 59:53.

"My personal best is from 2018, so between now and then, I’ve been doing lots of stuff on the track," Rayner says, expressing hope ahead of his debut run in Barcelona.

In the women's race, the Americans Weini Kelati and Taylor Roe are both aiming to break the U.S. record. 

Kelati has a personal best of 1:06:09, while Roe stands at 1:06:20. Speaking about her rival, Kelati says that "Roe is an amazing athlete."

Marta Galimany from Valls in southern Catalonia also arrives in great shape, having broken her personal record in Sevilla a few weeks ago. 

"I was left feeling like I still had a bit more in my legs. I want to set a personal best here at home, in Barcelona", Galimany says.