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Apr 27, 2024

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 21 to 31]

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Z. W. from Poznan, Poland (4/2/2012) "Barcelona - THE place to run!" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really can and will recommend Barcelona marathon. It is about a week ago and I can't stop thinking about how great it was. I ran my best time so far. The crowd was amazing, the organisation very very very good! The route - also amazing. You could see all the nicest places in Barcelona :) WOW! Water, fruit, isotonics, sponges. Everything was there and enough for everyone. YOU SHOULD GO TO BARCELONA and RUN YOUR MARATHON OF YOUR LIFE :) WOW, WOW, WOW !!!
Ian Rowe from London, England (3/27/2012) "A must to run!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a good one! The organisation was brilliant and one of the most interesting routes you could ever ask for. It was a hot day but because the course remains within the city confines, there is plenty of shade from taller buildings. Crowd support was excellent and the city enjoys the event which combined creates a brilliant atmosphere. I arrived late on Saturday evening from London and organised to pick my race number up at another hotel. This was well planned and an excellent service the marathon organisers provided. The only issues I had was that I booked a hotel a bit far out of the city centre (my fault) and for the first time I never took my wife to accompany me as she was busy elsewhere. Make sure I dont do that again is it was a bit lonely.
F. F. from Singapore (3/13/2012) "Fantastic" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and I wanted it to be special. Barcelona was everything I wished for, for a first marathon. Organised. The expo was easily located and it provided an awesome vibe. The starting venue offered an amazing view, but pretty much like the rest of the course, it was pretty scenic. The course was pretty flat. There were some lone stretches but otherwise, the support was amazing. 'Venga Venga!' (if I recall correctly). There were interesting entertainment and performances along the way. There were quite breathtaking views at points of the route. I chose not to see much of Barca till the marathon so I was pretty blown away by most of the sights. My only complain was that the isotonic drink / food pretty much ran out towards the end. Otherwise, an Amazing Experience. I would run it again someday, after I'm done with the 20 odd on my to run list.
Steve Webb from Manchester, UK (4/18/2011) "Inspirational crowd, spectacular course" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 In a word, awesome. Despite this being my slowest ever marathon (due to injury and workload ruining my training) I loved this race - the best city marathon I have done and the best atmosphere. Flawless organisation, good medal, techinical teeshirt and souvenir bag, good communications, personalised online race videos, plenty of water, sponges and energy drinks... I doubt London can be this good. The race starts at Placa Espana, despite the volume of runners it was easy to meet my clubmates due to all thelandmarks and space available. The tube ride was surreal, excited lycra clad runners en route to the start juxtaposed with Barcelonas all night party people on their way home. The start was eclectic - ticker tape, music, cheering, plety of spectators. I doubt there is a city better equipped to hos this marathon. The roars of the crowd, the fiesta atmosphere, the music, drum bands... all carried me when my undertraining slowed me down from mile 20. Efficient finish process with some nice touches. They put the medal round your neck. I;ve been to too manyraces where it's simply handed to you in a good bag. The Catalans know how to let you have your moment of glory. Plenty of communications after the race including via social media. Well done Barca, this deserves to be a major. The most exciting race I have done.
C. G. from Soegel, Germany (3/28/2011) "Perfect marathon in a wonderful city" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The Breakfast Run: a must. Spacey organization hall (registration, exhibition, massage, help point) with perfect organization. Everything was at the same place, including the race start and finish. Wonderful. The course touched nearly every place of interest in Barcelona. I was impressed. The weather at that time: perfect (18°C, sunny) for a good pace.
V. B. from Hong Kong (3/19/2011) "Wonderful event" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I agree with the other comments posted here- if you run one marathon, run Barca!! My goal was sub-4 hours and I finished with a PB of 3:40. The course is well laid out - a bit hilly at the front and back, but it moves very well. The crowd is amazing and the available drinks and snacks are plentiful. We lucked out this year weather-wise - 15 degrees C (upper 50's F), low humidity and a cloudless sky. Starting and ending in Placa de Espana was amazing - I'll never forget it! Gracias, Barca!!
Vidar Unnerud from Askim, Norway (3/17/2011) "A fantastic run" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Arriving in Barcelona after a cold and snowy winter in Norway, I had no great expectations on my own behalf. As it turned out, I ran to a personal best, having enjoyed almost every step of the 42K. The atmosphere was great throughout the race, and the crowd, although a bit scarce in a couple of areas, was very supportive. Do I need mention the lovely surroundings which the race goes through? The great thing about this race is that it stays mainly in the center of Barcelona, giving the runners ample opportunities for sightseeing while running! What I found lacking, though, was a bit more information from the organizers before the race - how to get to the expo, start, etc. And maybe some emails containing more general information, which help to boost morale and get runners into the spirit of the race, so to speak. I will recommend this to anyone contemplating running a marathon in Barcelona. Will definitely return!
C. J. from Cairo, but American (3/10/2011) "Fantastic First-Marathon Experience" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and it was a fantastic experience. I thought the course was great, the spectators were so supportive, and the city is wonderful. This year's race coincided with the Carnival, so at the start there were still club kids out in their costumes cheering for us. I liked that it stayed inside the city. There were lots of runners, so there were always people around, and going through the Gothic Neighborhood at the end was fun, though in places the spectators were crowded in so much that only two runners could get through. I ran this after not training for 5 weeks due to an ankle injury, and my time was great. I thought the course seemed quite flat.
M. A. from North Carolina, USA (3/6/2011) "Barcelona is a worthy race" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first European marathon and I am very glad I did it. I recommend this marathon to those interested in a European marathon. Overall a solid B+ race. If you want to run a marathon in Europe, this is a good one. Here are the details: Expo B typical. Packet picket was easy. Typical vendors and typical stalls. Pre-Race A at the bag drop area there was a large area to wait inside until right before the race. Considering it was in the mid-40s this was a very nice benefit. Start A lots of people around to cheer you on. Very organized. 15,000 runners through the start line in less than 10 minutes. Crowds C there are plenty of people at the start and finish and a few areas during the race, but, overall you are running through a major city without a lot of cheering. Aid Stations A I thought I would hate having stations every 5k (3.1 miles), but, when you can swing through and grab a bottle of water and a bottle of Power Aide you realize it is great. You can sip along the way. They did try at some stations to give you cups of Power Aide, but bottles were readily available. Forgetting the environmental impact, if every marathon offered bottles of water and Power Aide every 5k, it would be great. (I am a convert!) Course B+ you hit all the main sites in Barcelona and it is relatively flat. There are a few long rises and declines but overall it works, except one thing; the finish. The last two miles are uphill. And while the incline is not too significant, it is miles 24 26.2. Ugh. For that reason alone, I could not give it an A. Finish A- forgetting the course for a moment, the finish is very good. Big crowds and loud music. Post-race B- water, Aide, fruit and nuts. Nothing special, nothing bad. Seemed easy for folks to find family. Weather A started in upper 40s and finished in the upper 50s. Sunny. Very typical weather for this time of year.
S. K. from London, England (11/12/2010) "The perfect run?" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I personally could not recommend this marathon enough. I have run a couple of other marathons in European cities but found this head and shoulders above the others. I have never been so relaxed around a run, which meant I could thoroughly enjoy myself throughout. As a foreigner running a marathon, I would recommend Barcelona because: Firstly, the race is a circuit, which means you begin and finish in the same place. This allows people to organize and agree on meeting spots with friends and family before the race has begun. In my experience with point-to-point marathons, this is invariably harder to achieve and can result in undue worry. Secondly, and seemingly unique, the expo is in the same place as the start and finish. This allowed me to book a hotel 5 minutes away from the start, the finish and the expo. It relieved all the stress of getting to the start line and meant I was only (a now) 15-minute walk from the shower when I finished The appeal of the city speaks for itself, and the marathon allows runners to experience all of them. I loved the T-shirt that they provided and enjoyed the breakfast run as well - coincidentally in the same place as the start, finish and expo.... Finally, I loved starting the run to a number of fountains exploding to Freddie Mercury's "Barcelona" and running past the Nou Camp....

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