The 2017 version of the Donostia/San Sebastian marathon featured two loops over a mostly flat course. The scenery is at times stunning, with great aid station and spectator support. Organization is first class, and the number of runners from all over Europe make for a friendly field. I would run this race again!

Flat, scenic course, with good support/ organization/ crowds. Start and finish at Football stadium which meant facilities were relatively good especially nice in windy/rainy/cold November coastal weather. No gels. Minimal expo. No frills medal. Shirt was additional 10 EUR. This the last larger marathon of the year in Spain, and it´s held in what is arguably the most beautiful city in Spain. However, since late November is hardly tourist season for this surfing mecca, you get very reasonable prices and minimal crowds for lodging, dining (i.e. pintxos), etc. The field is relatively fast (I ran a 3:30 and felt like I was towards the back of the pack). Another commenter said this was the Spanish Championship but I don´t believe that to be true (there were prizes for top Spanish and top Basque finishers, but I don´t consider that a championship). If you´re looking for a late fall destination race in Spain (or Europe as a whole), Valencia is your best bet. However, this race makes for a decent back-up.

I am an unashamed personal best (pb) / personal record (pr) hunter. When deciding whether to run a particular marathon I look at the event's previous results. If lots of people finished in under 3 hours I am interested, if only a few managed then I am not. At the 2013 edition of the San Sebastian Marathon 530 of the 2864 finishers finished in under 3 hours. I am sad to report that I was not amongst them. My system is flawed. It appears that the quality of the field plays as much of a part as the ease of the course! The Spanish championships are held here. The course is flatish and fastish, the spectators were out in force, more music would have been good, the expo was poor, the T shirt was 10 Euros and the organisation was low key but I'm blaming my poor performance on the cold. It was COLD. My Garmin (which has been known let me down) reached 26.2 miles 3 minutes before I crossed the finishing line. San Sebastian is beautiful though even on a grey November day and well worth a visit. The Basque region is renowned for it's cuisine but is no place for a vegan. There is one vegan and two veggie restaurants. You will need to book.