Based on my Garmin 305, it seems to be longer than it should've been: 42.93 kilometers. Anyone with the same experience? Race was great anyway.

I ran in the 1997 edition of the Catalunya-Barcelona Marathon. I'm shocked they keep the same name, since it's now only run in Barcelona. The previous course was a beautiful point-to-point, which followed most of the 1992 Olympic Marathon Course. The only difference in 1997 is that it finished on the steep hill, just below Olympic Stadium. Overall I thought the race was a great experience despite very warm conditions. They had plenty of fluids, great spectator support and plenty of post-race refreshments.

If you have a chance to run Barcelona, do it.

While the organization at the expo left a lot to be desired (1.5-hour queue to collect bib) the race itself more that made up for it. Great way to see the city, great spectator support, especially through the old city, and well organized water and sponge stations. The key was to keep hydrated by taking on plenty of fluids and carrying them between stations.

Make no mistake: this is a flat, fast course. The fabulous supporters cheer and chant at all the major intersections. The water/refreshment stops had plenty of small bottles of waters that were ideal for running, and the course is the most scenic I have run (and I have run 15 in the States and Europe).

The 3:15 pacer was like a metronome; the man never missed a split.

What a beautiful race and city: the residents are warm and friendly and always willing to guide lost runners on their training runs in the city. This event takes you through so much of this dynamic city and its key landmarks.

Brace yourself for a memorable marathon; you start at the magical Montjuic fountains and the Palau Nacional, and over the course of the next three hours or so, you will run by the Sagrada Familia, Park Guel, the harbor, La Pedrera, Las Ramblas and the Gothic quarter.

If this sounds like travelogue, rest assured, it is.

The only drawback I found was that in the shared start with the 10K, the streets are too narrow. Please start the 10K folks after the main race. The expo and race information were not very informative. Right up to the start folks were wondering if there was a drop-bag area: c'mon, folks, having a drop-bag area at a marathon is basic.

Back to the pluses: the mass transit system in Barcelona is a model. It was so easy to get from our vacation sublet to the start line that we had time to spare. To the race director's credit, and very important to marathon folks, there were plenty of porto-potties at the start.

All in all, a winner! A "must do" marathon that will go on my great races list on both sides of the "pond"!

I had a great experience running this marathon. Coming from training in freezing London down to the 25-degree, smoggy sun of Barcelona was a real challenge. The toughest thing I've ever done. The last 4K slow climb was a killer. I was saved by the magic Catalan fans and the fruit at the water stations. Thank God for the humble banana! The sense of achievement at the finish was immense. A real spring challenge for a British runner. At the end of the day, there is no option than to tough it out.... That is what marathon running is all about - not what T-shirt you get!

This was my first marathon and I had a great experience. The expo crowd was very light on the first day when I went, so I didn't have any problem picking up my bib. My sister ran the 10K and they sorted out a problem with her bib number and chip efficiently.

"Hot" and "flat" seem to be relative terms. Coming from Houston I found the temperatures just fine (high in the low 20's C/70's F), but the hills were much longer (not really steep) than anything around here. The course profile on the website was accurate so I was prepared and they didn't end up being a problem. The water stations every 5KM were well stocked with fluids, but I took by own Gu rather than rely on the fruit and nuts.

The course route itself is wonderful, taking in most the popular sites in Barcelona. It's a great city and I enjoyed spending some time on either side of the marathon seeing the sights at a more leisurely pace and enjoying the food.

The only disappointing things for me were minor - I wish the shirts celebrated the marathon a bit more than the sponsors, and more food and drink at the end of the race would have been nice. Overall though, this is a great race - worth crossing the Atlantic for.

It would be very easy to be critical of this event; sloppy discipline in the start sections, some incompetence at the drink and sponge stations, poor arrangement for the splitting up the 10KM runners and some narrow sections where it was easy to get boxed in. But what a city, and what a privilege to run such a great route. The weather this year was summer-like, with temperatures reaching 23C, but due to the tall buildings along much of the course, there was quite a bit of shade. Advertised as a flat run, but some of those slight inclines tell after awhile, especially the last 4KM. Support was very patchy and despite the history of the event, much of the city seemed to be unaware of what was going on. I would have no hesitation in running it again and would recommend it for any runner who has taken their preparation seriously. There is a generous six-hour limit.

Fantastic course. Great start and finish by the Font Magica. Takes in the Nou Camp, Via Gracia with the Modernist buildings, the Sagrada Familia, the Port Olimpico, and the Gothic Quarter. Not flat; a bit lumpy. A great way to see the city - some roads shared with cars, but segregated very well and with good marshaling. Super support. Tons of water (in bottles - excellent)and food on route. A couple of t-shirts in the goodie bag. BUT! I must give organization only a score of 1, as it took me 1 1/2 hours to queue up for bib number and an hour for the pasta party. Totally unacceptable. If this hitch is sorted out, this will be a top European marathon. Be prepared for warm weather; hit a mini heat wave this year.

Pros: beautiful city to run, with scenery and course. Watch out - it is not flat! So don't plan for a PR. The sponge stops were very good for a hot day!

Cons: 2 hours in line to get my bib. I had not seen any porta-potties, so I stopped twice between cars... not acceptable. That's maybe why I have not seen many female participants in this marathon. The start was not very exciting; no music, no speech, no anthem... quiet and anonymous. They served bottles of water and fluid - very convenient to bring with you while running but imagine the mess and the danger at the water stops with all those plastic corks and bottles to run over.... Traffic was closed only in some key intersections - otherwise it was only stopped by police. Imagine how happy the drivers were.... They rsn out of fluids at the last stops after 4 hours. No food at the arrival - only (partially pre-cut) fruit that was inedible because of the oxidation. They could do much better and the city deserves it. They could easily have 30,000 participants.

This was my first marathon with fewer than 15,000 runners, so I was maybe expecting a bit too much. Please take my comments accordingly.

The expo was not good. The day before the race I stood in a queue for 2 hours to collect my bib, and a further 30 minutes for the pasta party (at which we received barely enough between two of us to consitute a decent portion). There was also barely 20 stands. The race t-shirt I received free was very disappointing (simply the name of the race stitched onto one breast and a sponsors logo on the other side).

The organization at the start was much smoother.

The course started quite well, with a few good sights (Nou Camp, Sagrada). Crowd support was sporadic but mostly good. Police enforced the road closures diligently despite the irate locals.

The middle part of the course was awful - 10 kilometres of almost completely supporter-free loops along featureless dual-carriageways, with no shade from temperatures of 21/22 degrees.

The end of the race was much better, weaving through the old, scenic part of the town. Crowd support was excellent.

The course has quite a few long uphill drags, so without being hilly, it certainly isn't flat.

At the finish I received a very disappointing medal, and had access to water and fruit. No bagels, energy bars, cookies, chocolate or anything else I've come to expect from other marathons.

There was no entertainment at the end. Everyone just dispersed quietly.

Nearly all the field finished inside four hours - there seemed to be very few "fun runners" - and the crowds disappeared quickly. Good if you are a club runner and don't like running alone (except the first half mile, it was never crowed); bad if you are a 5-hour plus runner looking for support (the police stopped paying attention and despite the roads being closed, some later finishers had to dodge motorists).

Easy course for supporters to follow you. Good city for families and spouses.

The Barcelona Marathon is good, as nothing is "bad." However, in all respects it lacks something. It is quite a cheap race and could be greatly improved by charging $10 more so they can employ more people and give the runners more before, during and after.

If you want a race at that time of year then I'd recommend it. It's decent. If you only do one spring marathon, then look elsewhere.