Barcelona Half Marathon 2027

The Barcelona Half Marathon is Spain’s biggest half and the home of the men’s world record: in February 2025 Jacob Kiplimo ran 56:42 here, a world record. The 2026 race on 15 February drew a record 36,000 runners: around 40% women and 40% from abroad, from 93 countries. Hagos Gebrhiwet won in 58:05, and Loice Chemnung set a women’s course record of 1:04:01. For 2027, capacity grows to 40,000, and every bib sold within a week of entries opening in May 2026.

The race has been held since 1991 and has been a World Athletics Gold Label road race since 2018. Its official name is now the Hyundai Mitja Marató Barcelona by Brooks.

The course

It’s a single loop that starts and finishes on Passeig de Picasso, beside Parc de la Ciutadella. The organisers describe it as fully urban, running through the heart of the city and along its coast. In 2026 the route passed Sagrada Família, Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça d’Espanya, the Columbus monument and the Arc de Triomf, and the last kilometres ran beside the sea. Check the official map for 2027 in case of changes.

The course is flat, so hills aren’t the problem. Wind is. Gebrhiwet said the wind in the final stretch cost him a sub-58 in 2026. If the forecast is breezy, stay in a group along the seafront and save something for the last few kilometres.

Corrals

Runners start in colour-coded corrals and can only enter the corral that matches their bib. You can drop back to a slower corral whenever you like, but moving forward needs approval: email the organisers well before race week. The sub-elite corral needs proof of a result from the last two years: under 30:00 for 10K, 1:05 for the half or 2:15 for the marathon for men, and under 35:00, 1:15 or 2:35 for women.

If you have a bib

• Collect it early if you care about your T-shirt size. Shirts are handed out in order of arrival while each size lasts, and sizes aren’t guaranteed. Thursday afternoon is your best chance.
• Headphones aren’t banned, but the organisers ask you not to wear them so you can hear safety instructions. Elite runners can’t use them under federation rules.
• Medal engraving is available straight after the finish, or you can order it later from the website.
• There’s an official app so friends and family can follow you live.

If you don’t

The 2027 race sold out through normal entry, so the only realistic option is the organisers’ official Marketplace, where runners who can’t start pass on their places. Transfers close at the end of January, so don’t leave it until race week.