Barcelona & Running; what a perfect combination! The city’s unique blend of geography and culture makes it a paradise for runners. Just grab your running shoes and pick your route along the beach, the impressive city streets or up in the mountains for breathtaking vistas. With its mild climate, Barcelona is also the ideal destination for runners all year round.
The city’s vibrant running culture is inclusive, catering to everyone from seasoned marathoners to complete beginners. Whether you’re indulging in your daily running routine or exploring a new way to stay active, Barcelona’s variety of routes, scenic beauty, and welcoming community make it a truly inspiring destination for runners of all levels.
This blog is sponsored by Running Barcelona®.
Running in Barcelona
Events - Running in Barcelona
Barcelona is host to many incredible running events throughout the year. These races are not only a great way to get fit and active, but are also a way of meeting new people, building communities and getting to see the city from a different perspective.
Why not take on one of the most attractive marathon routes in Europe, or enjoy a pleasant run around some of Barcelona’s best scenic routes. Check out some of the most popular races below, running in Barcelona is fun!
Cursa Moritz Sant Antoni
Barcelona’s athletic calendar kicks off in style on 26th January with the Cursa Moritz Sant Antoni. The main attraction is the 10 km race, but what makes this event special is how it brings the whole family together. Kids can join in too, with races designed just for them ranging from a quick 200 m dash for the little ones all the way up to 1.6 km for the older kids.
This year’s edition is mixing things up with the addition of a brand-new 5 km race, which is perfect news for anyone who finds 10km a bit daunting but still wants more of a challenge than the children’s distances. Whether you’re a seasoned runner looking to start your year strong, a beginner taking on your first organised race, or a family wanting to make fitness fun, the Cursa Moritz Sant Antoni delivers that perfect blend of friendly competition and community spirit that makes Barcelona’s running scene so special.
- Children registration from €1, 5 km registration from €10, 10 km registration from €16
- 26th January 2025
- Sant Antoni neighbourhood
- Children: 200 m-1.6 km Adults: 5-10 km
- Cursa Sant Antoni
eDreams Mitja Marató Barcelona
Runners from around the world come together in Barcelona each year to take on a scenic yet fast course through the city centre. The eDreams Mitja Marató Barcelona event will take place this year on Sunday, 16th February, drawing around 30,000 participants to one of Europe’s most iconic half marathons.
The race starts and finishes at Passeig de Picasso, near Parc de la Ciutadella. Participants follow a flat, sea-level route that winds through the city’s most emblematic streets and along its palm-lined avenues.
The event welcomes a dynamic mix of elite athletes, seasoned runners, and enthusiastic newcomers, all eager to test themselves and share in the electric atmosphere. More than just a race, the Mitja Marató is a celebration of endurance, community, and the vibrant spirit of Barcelona.
- 16-18
- 16th February 2025
- City Centre
- 21,0975 km
- eDreams Mitja Marató Barcelona
Zurich Marató de Barcelona
One of the biggest sporting and running events in the city by far is the Barcelona Marathon. The Barcelona Marathon is a 42,195 km race which is becoming a popular classic on the international marathon calendar. It has been run since 1977 on a flat and scenic route through some beautiful parts of Barcelona.
According to runners who have already tackled it, the course of the Zurich Marató Barcelona is one of the most spectacular on Earth. The course winds past major landmarks such as Sagrada Família, Arc de Triomf, and Plaça d’Espanya, giving runners a breathtaking tour of the city’s architectural and cultural highlights.
If you’re taking part in future years, be sure not to miss the traditional Breakfast Run held the day before the marathon, a fun and social warm-up event that adds to the festive atmosphere. Also worth attending is the Pasta Party on the Saturday before race day, where runners gather to fuel up, connect, and share in the excitement ahead of Sunday’s big challenge.
- 65-89
- 16th March 2025
- City Centre
- 42,195 km
- Zurich Marató de Barcelona
Salomon Run Barcelona
The Salomon Run Barcelona 2025 is set to take place on Sunday, 13th April, beginning in the heart of Montjuïc at Plaça Puig i Cadafalch and winding through the scenic slopes, stairways, and hidden paths of Barcelona’s iconic hill. Featuring two main distances, a challenging 10 km with approximately 299 m of elevation gain and a dynamic 5 km option climbing about 114 m.
The event is more than just a run, it’s an urban trail adventure. Runners tackle steep inclines and descents while taking in panoramic views of the city and exploring less-traveled corners of Montjuïc, including nearby cultural landmarks like the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and Poble Espanyol. The atmosphere is electric, as nearly 3,500 participants flood the course, crowned by the final spectacle (the Vertical Salomon Run), where 32 men and 32 women race up the monumental stairs in a head-to-head showdown.
The Salomon Run Barcelona is the perfect blend of trail challenge and city flair, a must-do for anyone seeking a unique running experience in Barcelona.
- Free - 17
- 13th April 2025
- City Centre
- 5 - 10 km
- Salomon run Barcelona
Cursa El Corte Inglés
The 45th edition of the Cursa El Corte Inglés takes place on Sunday, 11th May, with a mass start at 9:00 am from Avinguda Diagonal, in front of the El Corte Inglés department store. The race is free, open to all, and raises funds for the Fundació Xana, which supports seriously ill children and their families. Expect a festive and inclusive atmosphere, with many runners in costumes, families and wheelchair participants, plus support from over 1,000 volunteers and organisers.
The Cursa El Corte Inglés 10 km run is one of the most popular running in Barcelona events and one of the biggest in Europe. The all time record number of runners in this race (also a Guinness World Record), was when the 1994 Cursa Corte Ingles registered a grand total of 109,457 runners.
- Free
- 11th May 2025
- City Centre
- 10 km
- Cursa El Corte Inglés
Cursa de la Mercé
The 47th edition of the Cursa de la Mercé returns in September 2025 as part of Barcelona’s iconic La Mercè festival, filling the city’s streets with thousands of runners celebrating sport, community, and tradition. This year’s event will once again feature the classic 10 km and 2 km races, and for the second year in a row, it will include the Cursa Familiar (a non-competitive category open to participants of all ages).
This is not a free event, but rather one with a small charitable registration fee that supports local causes. Participants in the 10 km race pay €5, which is donated to Salut Mental Catalunya, an organisation promoting mental health awareness and support. Additionally, runners must use a timing chip, and those without a personal yellow chip can purchase a single-use white chip for €2.
Reinforcing its commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and social engagement, Grupo Bimbo has signed on as the main sponsor for the third consecutive year. The partnership supports the race’s mission to make sport more accessible and community-focused.
In 2024, the event drew over 13,000 participants, including a record-breaking 37% women, a milestone the organisers hope to surpass in 2025. With growing popularity and a festive atmosphere, the Cursa de la Mercè continues to stand out as one of Barcelona’s most beloved and participatory races. It’s the perfect opportunity to ease back into training after the summer break.
- 5-7
- September 2025
- City Centre
- 10 km
- Cursa de la Mercé
Vueling Cursa de Bombers
Every year, the Vueling Fire Department Race Barcelona brings together a striking display of strength, solidarity, and endurance as around 300 firefighters participate in full uniform. These runners include members of the Barcelona Fire Brigade, the Catalan Generalitat, AENA, and colleagues from fire services across various European countries. Most of them take on the challenge wearing their full regulatory intervention gear, turning the event into a true test of both physical and mental toughness.
This visually powerful and emotionally charged event not only honours the profession but also inspires the crowd and fellow participants. The race has steadily grown in popularity and is now the second-largest in Spain in terms of participation, surpassed only by Madrid’s San Silvestre Vallecana. With its unique spirit and powerful symbolism, the Vueling Firefighters’ race is a standout moment in Barcelona’s annual sporting calendar.
- 18.50
- 9th November 2025
- City Centre
- 10 km
- Vueling Cursa de Bombers
Carrera de la Mujer
The Carrera de la Mujer Barcelona 2025, also known as the “Mujer Barcelona Central Lechera Asturiana,” is scheduled for Sunday, 16th November 2025, and continues its tradition as a vibrant, all-women’s 8 km run. The event draws tens of thousands of participants who unite under a shared cause: promoting women’s health and supporting the fight against breast cancer and gender-based violence.
This year, runners will once again enjoy a festive running experience, complete with pre-race expos, fitness activities, and a celebratory post-run festival. The event is supported by a range of sponsors, including Central Lechera Asturianas as title sponsor, with backing from Oysho, Santander, and Volvo, ensuring strong community and institutional commitment.
Whether you’re running for fitness, empowerment, or charity, the Carrera de la Mujer Barcelona offers a welcoming and enthusiastic environment for women of all ages and abilities.
- 16
- 16th November 2025
- City Centre
- 8 km
- Carrera de la Mujer
Jean Bouin run
The annual Jean Bouin run will take place on 30th November 2025. As the oldest running race in Barcelona, this year over 15,000 runners will come together to celebrate this years 102nd edition. The race is open to people of nearly all ages and experience levels, as there are a variety of race lengths and categories to choose from.
The race is named after the French athlete, Jean Bouin, who held various world records between 1911 and 1913 and was the runner-up in the Stockholm Olympics of 1912. The first edition of the race took place in 1920. The Jean Bouin run was initiated by three journalists and sports promoters, passionate about athletics. Runners will run past some of Barcelona’s most beautiful locations, such as Parc de la Ciutadella, Arc de Triomf, the port of Barcelona and Plaza Espanya.
- 5 km registration €15, 10 km registration €17
- 30th November 2025
- City Centre
- 5 - 10 km
- Jean Bouin run
Cursa dels Nassos
Say farewell to last year with the annual Cursa dels Nassos (a 10km charity race), which takes place on New Year’s Eve.. The run has a distinctly celebratory atmosphere with many runners in fancy dress to match the festive spirit. Either for sport or for burning those extra calories gained over the Christmas period.
The race is part of the tradition of L’Home dels Nassos, a mythical figure that symbolises the end of the year and is part of Catalan folklore. The mythical figure can be admired at the special parade where he is portrayed as a friendly ‘capgròs,’ a man with a giant head.
The race is open to anyone who wants to participate.
- 16
- 31st December 2025
- City Centre
- 10 km
- Cursa dels Nassos
Trails - Running in Barcelona
Running in Barcelona: The seaside routes
In addition to the many routes to try out in the city or mountain areas of Barcelona, let’s not forget about the abundance of beautiful routes along the coast. These routes are mostly paved paths, nothing too strenuous and are suitable for people at all levels. Just imagine, going for a nice relaxing jog along the sea front, with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face.
Running in Barcelona: Carretera de les Aigües
If you’re looking for an ideal running in Barcelona get away, we would recommend going to the zona alta . Halfway up Tibidabo hill you will find perhaps the most beautiful natural sports street in the world “la Carretera de les Aigües”. The combination of running (or walking or cycling) in nature with trees, birds, fresh air and sometimes even wild boars around you, with the constant view over the city of Barcelona and the sea makes it a unique place to get out and go for a run!
- Start: Tibidabo
- Length: 10km (markings every 0.5km)
- Sand and loose stones
- Light trail shoes
Costa Brava GR 92
The GR 92 is a sunny, Mediterranean coastal trail along the Costa Brava and offers not only a wonderful landscape with sun and sea, but also many cultural and historical highlights along the way! This route alternates between customs roads along the coast, flat stages and more “mountainous” sections which offer excellent sea views.
- Start: Costa Brava, Portbou
- Length: 187.5km (marked with red and white stripes)
Running Barcelona® has been founded by a lover of sports, Dutch born, Koen Willems.
Running Barcelona® offers every runner, from beginner to expert, a range of services to enjoy life, enjoy Barcelona… and enjoy running in Barcelona!
Its aim is to support the growth of running as a sport, for enjoyment and as part of a healthy lifestyle. With services focused on training, physiotherapy, tours and coaching in Barcelona. With Running Barcelona®, Koen will help you enjoy running to the fullest. The training with him will not only help you get better, but also relax, breathe, and enjoy. The philosophy of Running Barcelona® is “Running without Suffering”!
Koen has lived in Barcelona for over 10 years and has seen the evolution of the different places to run. After studying Physiotherapy, Psychology and Health Sciences, he worked in the Netherlands first, then in the USA, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. After coming to Barcelona, founding Running Barcelona® combined his two passions, running and treating. His vision is that good health makes you enjoy sport and daily life activities in the best way possible. If you have the willpower to do it, there will always be a way to reach your goal. Koen will help you to focus.
Running in Barcelona may seem easy and natural but like any sport, if you practise it without some techniques, you can hurt yourself. Unfortunately up to 90% of runners have bad technique and end up injured. To avoid this, we suggest you come in for a session. It is important to know how your body reacts, how to position yourself, how to breathe.
This is why Koen will first work on the core-muscles. If you have good control of this central part of your body, you will see the changes in your posture and in the footstep. Secondly, with some tips and doing specific exercises on the running technique, you will enjoy running in no time! As a last step, a training programme can be offered which will be supported by additional physiotherapy or coaching.
You can book an appointment for an initial session by sending us an email, calling us, or Whatsapping us. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.
c/Puig-reig 10 I, 08006 Barcelona
info@runningbarcelona.com
+34 931 05 01 59
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