Bilbao Night Half Marathon 2027

Bilbao races at night. The event, now called the TotalEnergies Bilbao Night Running Fest and carrying a World Athletics Label, has dropped its full marathon. That makes the half marathon the main distance, run alongside the 10K Carrera Pirata. Both races are single laps, with staggered starts from 19:00 on Saturday 17 October 2026, beginning at San Mamés stadium.

Entry

Entries closed on 15 September (€29 until the end of August, then €35). If you don’t already have a bib, check the official channels for transfer options. You must be 18 or over for the half, or 16 for the 10K with parental permission.

Cut-offs and pacing

The overall limit is 2 h 45 min, but there’s also a km 10 checkpoint at 1:30. Runners who pass it later are disqualified. That’s 9:00/km, so most people won’t be affected. Walk-run runners should still note it.

Pacers run the half from 1:25 to 2:00. Drinks stations with water, isotonic drink and gels are at km 6, 10, 14 and 18.

Saturday-night routine

An evening start changes your whole race day:

• Bib pickup is at the Euskalduna Palace: Friday 16 October 15:30–20:30, or Saturday 17 October 10:00–18:30. Collect it on Friday so you can rest on Saturday.
• Have a normal lunch around 13:00–14:00, then a light snack about two hours before the start.
• Changing rooms are open from 17:00 to 23:00, and there’s a bag drop.
• Wear some reflective or bright kit if you’ll be walking back through the city after the finish.

Every finisher gets a technical shirt, a medal and a diploma. There are trophies for the top three overall and for veteran categories from 35.

Why run at night?

The city streets and the estuary look different after dark, and a night race feels more like a festival than a morning race. It also frees up your Sunday. Stay the extra night and spend it in the Casco Viejo before heading home.

My race: the 10K in 2025

I ran the 10K here in October 2025, alongside the half, and set a PB (the video is further down this page). My notes are from the 10K, so the half marathon finish area may be a little different:

• The post-race bag was generous: more fruit than I’m used to, plus water, juice and isotonic drink. It was much better than what I got at some bigger races.
• The medal was nice.
• Medal engraving was offered, but the queue was so long that I didn’t wait. If you want your time engraved, expect to queue, or check whether you can order it later.