Superb course, particularly if you like to get into a rhythm. Flat, apart from the last mile where it undulates, with a tiring climb at the end. One part has approximately 7 miles of straight dual carriageway, broken by a few roundabouts on a broad city-center avenue. Very good road surface. Spectator support thin out in in the suburbs, but packed and enthusiastic in the last mile. Beautiful finish in an avenue with many giant water fountains.

Stayed a week in Barcelona before the race. Magical city.

First marathon in my hometown. It's possible to draw a better 42 Km flat-course in Barcelona, but probably authorities don't like to close the entire city center. I didn't expect people supporting runners at 8:30 am, so I was really surprised. From Km. 20, water was available every 2.5 Km and other beverages and fruit every 5 Km.

Barcelona is an amazing city -- lunch at 2:30, dinner at 9 or 10 or later, hopping night-life, great sites, the Gothic quarter, and great food -- but smoking in the restaurants does not make for a runner friendly environment. You CAN carbo load on paella.

The marathon course is flat and there is plenty of room to run. I got a PR by 13 minutes! The course does NOT go up Montjuic or Park Guell, and the course misses some of the other spectacular sites of the city (Cathedral, Sagrada Familia). The course, however, DOES finish up by Las Ramblas and by the Placa de Espana, which was very memorable, and captures the essence of the city.

The expo was a little disappointing in that I wanted to get something else that said Maraton de Barcelona (jacket, cap, etc.) and nothing else was available. Other than that, it was fine.

There were some crowds to cheer you on (not like NYC, of course), but, hey, at 8:30 am in this city -- I was surprised the streets weren't completely empty.

All in all, I would recommend the Barcelona Marathon for the city alone. For a smaller race (3000 or so runners), I found the race positives far outweigh the negatives on this one.

Perfect weather, conditions & organization.
The track on the contrary is boring (too much out of the city) and 8:30 AM on a Sunday is too early for the people from Barcelona to be enthousiastic. I ran Rome in 2003 and this marathon can't compete with it...!

It has been a wonderful marathon.

Very good weather, nice sights, good organization, and good support from the people.

I set a personal best here.
The track was flat and with only 3000
runners there was plenty of space.
Small bottles of water were handed out
frequently, perfect to carry along.
Not so many spectators but the ones
that were out gave great support.
This is a race that I will run again.

Neither too small, nor too crowded (about 3000 finishers)- this nicely organized race was mostly run in the spacious streets of Barcelona's suburbs rather than its beautiful downtown. Yet, the weather was good (averaging 15 degrees centigrade, and mostly cloudy sky), water stations were plenty, and the crowd very supportive in most parts. Overall- recommended as part of a visit to one of Europe's most impressive cities.

I ran this marathon in Olympic year (1992) when it finished up the hill at the stadium. Following up a previous post, I think the spectators were shouting 'animo' (a common word for encouraging people) rather than 'animal'.

Barcelona is a place to visit on any occasion, and running a race there is double worth it. They changed the course this year (my understanding it used to be one-way), making it entirely within the city limits. Relatively flat, no killer inclines. The organization was fine, plenty of water stations, a much appreciated massage after finish. The weather was near perfect, with a bit too much sun exposure after 10am or so (wear a hat). The crowd was quite supportive, both for pros and stragglers.
If you travel there, make reservations well in advance, as hotels are usually full. And stay for at least a couple of days after the race, to check out local attractions and bars!

The loop course was as perfect as an urban marathon course could be: mostly flat, plenty of elbow room, and beautiful sights to see.

The organization was divine except for the absence of toilets near the starting line.

The spectators were a mixed crowd.
Some were stoic while others (often yelling 'Animal!') were quite loud.

Female runners should be aware that spectators might yell 'Que guapa!' or simply stare.

If you intend to run this race stay in Barcelona at least one week. It's a fantastic place!

In closing I will simply say: 'This marathon deserves an A.'