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Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona Runner Comments
Back to Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 86 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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D. C. from Massachusetts
(3/13/2017)
 "Super race" (about: 2017)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Very well organized race with excellent support on the course. Big expo with some quality gear of local manufacture that is not distributed in the US. Barcelona is a wonderful city to visit and the climate in March is a nice bonus Entry was just 73 euro. Do it! | |
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M. W. from Richland, Washington
(6/2/2015)
 "A Great Destination Marathon!" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have traveled out of country and run several marathons. The Barcelona has been the best, and best-organized so far. I recommend it for runners who also like to tour at the same time. Barcelona is a beautiful city and the marathon was very well organized. We toured Madrid before arriving Barcelona. We did not detect any animosity between the Spanish and Catalonian like the news portrayed, especially about the election for independence shortly before. People were friendly and helpful. The marathon has grown very fast in recent years. The number of runners increased from 15,000 in 2013 to about20, 000 this year. It came as no surprise considered how well it was run. The race started at 8:30AM and finished at the magnificent Fountain Magic de Moutjuic near the Plaza Espanya where the marathon held. There was a spectacular fountain show Friday and Saturday evenings at the Montjuic. Great event. There was pouring rain the day and night before the race that got me worried for the race day. But Sunday was a clear day and the rain cooled off Barcelona just right for running. There was a wave start with 7 different groups designated by BIB color. There were plenty of porta potties and "quadrant urinals" that each could accommodate 4 males at the same time. Weather was good in the 50's or 12 - 15C with weak sunshine. We went through the city passing CAMP Nou, Pedera was near mile 9, and the famous Sangrada Familia by mile 10 and passing the Torres Agbar near mile 17, then, Forum and Arc de Triomf and more until we were back to the Moutjuic. I was surprised to notice more sightseeing spots during the race than our own sightseeing tour in the previous days. There are many unique and artistic buildings in Barcelona. There were plenty of water stations with water, PowerAde in bottles and in paper cups. There were fruits at most of the stations. Stations near mile 13 and 22 provided GU packets, a pleasant surprise. That was new for the races I ran out of US. There were 15 - 20 bands playing music and the spectators were very enthusiastic, calling "Bueno" and "ánimo" in Catalonian. There were also dance teams in Catalonian costumes to cheer the runners. What a nice fun race. I did not run as well as I would like to. Due to emphasis on sightseeing and lack of training. I concluded that it was not easy to accomplish both goals of sightseeing and running a fast time. But you do not want to miss the beauty of the city. EXPO was fine, race maps were abundant. Race shirt was short sleeve T in navy blue was okay. After race party at the Crowne Plaza was a very good dinner with delicious local cuisine. I recommend this race to runners who like to visit Spain and nearby countries as the top destination marathon. | |
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G. M. from Dallas texas
(3/22/2015)
"What a tour of the city" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great organization, and what a tour of the city. The fans were so much fun. My first international race and it will be hard for the next one to live up to this one. | |
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JOSEP OTERO from CATALUNYA
(1/9/2015)
 "NICE CITY" (about: 2014)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Incredible run along a wonderful city and its emblematic places like Sagrada Familia, Passeig de Gracia, Plaça Catalunya or Litoral. Without traffic. Usually good weather, sunny about 15-20º | |
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Wes Fernandez from London
(4/26/2013)
"One of the best" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 From start to finish this is a great race. Expo good too with a free pasta party. It's growing in size, but lots of room to run at your pace. Beware of the slight incline on the last 2km. In my opinion, better than Paris and Berlin. | |
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A. G. from London england
(4/20/2013)
"Really enjoyable race" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Fast course though a lovely city. Very well organised before, during and after the race. The free breakfast run on Saturday morning is also excellent and has a great atmosphere. Expect I will be back for more. | |
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M. M. from UK
(4/8/2013)
 "Get a personal best!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Mostly flatish, good spectator support and organisation. Did not go to pasta party as I've never been to a good one in 10 previous marathons (apart from New York which was great). The city is nice to see as well and not expensive compared with some european cities. Expo was the usual story - lots of expensive gear that you have already, but at least it was at the same place as the start of the race. Some races have them miles away and not convenient (Rome for e.g.). | |
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P. T. from greece
(5/19/2012)
"Life time experience !" (about: 2012)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved everything about this marathon exept maybe the warm weather conditions.Beside that everything was just perfect the start and finish at the placa espanya with the fountains in full glory where unforgettable.A great sightseeing course and plenty of enthusiastic people cheering.Overall a good organisation and a great marathon!! | |
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T. D. from Ireland
(4/16/2012)
"Really enjoyable - Highly Recommended!!" (about: 2012)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon (2012), although have spectated at others. This is a very well organised event. The course is an enjoyable route and is pretty much all in the city. It takes you around many of the touristy places so makes it an enjoyable experience for those who are interested in the surroundings. The start and finish are excellent. The course is a bit hilly early on 0-3 miles and again 8.5-10 or so. It has a tough 1.5 mile incline at the end. However, in between it is pretty much flat or downhill. As mentioned there is more downhill than uphill which is great. Weather was great- approx 11-16/17 for the most part, the high buildings provide lots of cover from the sun. However, it is a bit more open from 28k to the end. The organisation was excellent, with exception to the toilet provisions. Collection of number from hotel was easy, as arrived late. Water stations were brilliant with water and powerade provided. Powerade was in cups but you could get bottles also. Lots of sponges in between. I think it was also possible to get gels along the way. Only negative re. organisation was the lack of toilets...didn't see too many. There were some patches with lots of noisy supporters, however there were many parts where there wasn't too much support. However these didnt last too long. I expect this to improve as the marathon in Barcelona is growing rapidly year on year. Overall, I really enjoyed this race and will definitely go back again. An excellent first marathon to do for anyone thinking of it. A great city also. (But beware the heat and the tough finish - the heat could be an issue if it gets up too high) | |
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E. O. from Bristol England
(4/3/2012)
"Beautiful Marathon!" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I thought the marathon was well organised. The refreshment breaks were well timed and enjoyed the fruit at the last four stops. The portable bathrooms are lacking, however comparable or better than the Paris Marathon. I have noticed there is no shame going to the bathroom on the side of the course, if it's relatively private (both men and women). I loved the course, even the hills were not too bad, it seemed there was more downhill than uphill. The spectators were encouraging, however there could have been more. I thought the energy at the start of the race was amazing... The music was great. The finish was beautiful... The fountains were gorgeous and people were everywhere. |
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