Barcelona Marathon

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Barcelona Marathon
Després de la marató - panoramio.jpg
Plaça d'Espanya, the start and finish area, in 2012
DateMarch
LocationBarcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Primary sponsorZurich
Established1978 (44 years ago) (1978)
Course recordsMen's: 2:06:03 (2021)
Kenya Samuel Kosgei
Women's: 2:23:53 (2021)
Ethiopia
Official siteBarcelona Marathon
Participants9,145 finishers (2021)
13,437 (2019)
A young spectator in 2007
Runner carrying a giant prop, 2012

The Zurich Barcelona Marathon (Catalan: Marató Barcelona), formerly the Marathon Catalunya and later the Marató de Catalunya, is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km (26.219 mi) usually held in March in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and first held in 1978 in Palafrugell, Catalonia. The marathon is categorized as a Silver Label Road Race by World Athletics.[1]

History[]

The marathon was first started by a Catalan chemist, Ramón Oliu, after he had run the New York City Marathon in 1976.[2][3] Because there were no marathons in Catalonia at the time, Oliu decided to organize the first one in 1978.[2][4] He held it in Palafrugell because he was unable to obtain a permit to hold it in Barcelona, and he named the race "Catalunya 78".[2][5] This race also has the distinction of being the first popular marathon in Spain, as the Madrid Marathon was held later that same year.[3][6]

The marathon was held in Palafrugell again in 1979 due to a lack of a Barcelonian permit, but was subsequently moved in Barcelona in 1980.[2] The marathon eventually became known as the "Marathon Catalunya".[7]

After a number of intermediate name changes, the name was eventually changed to "Zurich Marató de Barcelona" in 2012.[8]

In 2010, Kenyan won the race in a time of 2:07:30 hours. This was a course record and also the fastest marathon ever run in Spain.[9] Over 10,000 participants took part in the event that year.

The 2020 edition of the race was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the event being rescheduled for 25 October 2020.[10] Runners were also given the option of deferring their entry to the 2021 event, set to be held on 14 March 2021 instead of the revised 2020 date.

On 14 August 2020 the event was again cancelled, and is now set to return on 7 November 2021.[11] Entrants are given the option of free entry in the new date with the possibility of running the half-marathon event in October for free also, or taking a refund, though as of 21 August 2020 many entrants report not having received any information about how to select from the alternative options.

Course[]

The route starts and finishes at Plaça d'Espanya, at the foot of Montjuïc, in the Sants-Montjuïc district. It passes Camp Nou, back to Plaça d'Espanya, past Sagrada Família, near the beach in northeast, around the old city, back to the shore and back to Plaça d'Espanya. It has many straight parts separated by sharp street corners. The route feels flat, but looks more hilly on a height profile diagram. It has some long slow inclines, notably around 25–27 km and 39–41 km.

The marathon course was changed for the 2019 edition of the race, resulting in both course records being broken that year.[12][a]

Winners[]

Key:    Course record

Ed. Year Men's winner Time[b] Women's winner Time[b] Rf.
1 1978  David Patterson (USA) 2:23:15   (ESP) 3:55:33 [13][3]
2 1979  David Patterson (USA) 2:19:37   (ESP) 3:18:48 [13][3]
3 1980  Don Faircloth (GBR) 2:19:42  Joaquima Casas (ESP) 3:09:53 [13][14]
4 1981  Martin Knapp (GBR) 2:18:56  Icíar Martínez (ESP) 2:47:12 [14][15]
5 1982  Michael Pinocci (USA) 2:14:30  Rita Borralho (POR) 2:46:58 [13][3]
6 1983  Allan Zachariasen (DEN) 2:11:05  Anna Domoratskaya (URS) 2:48:21
7 1984  Werner Meier (SUI) 2:14:50  Margaret Lockley (GBR) 2:41:42
8 1985  Rafael García (ESP) 2:18:16  Joaquima Casas (ESP) 2:48:01
9 1986   (BEL) 2:15:45   (GBR) 2:48:22
10 1987   (SWE) 2:13:59  Joaquima Casas (ESP) 2:43:28
11 1988  Fernando Díaz (ESP) 2:19:58   (GBR) 2:45:35
12 1989  Doug Kurtis (USA) 2:16:37   (BEL) 2:37:41
13 1990  Allan Zachariasen (DEN) 2:16:30   (ESP) 2:43:12
14 1991   (JPN) 2:16:32   (JPN) 2:38:37
15 1992  John Burra (TAN) 2:12:46   (TCH) 2:34:07
16 1993   (BRA) 2:13:25  Emma Scaunich (ITA) 2:36:16
17 1994   (ESP) 2:15:14   (RUS) 2:40:30
18 1995   (RUS) 2:21:12  Núria Pastor (ESP) 2:44:19
19 1996   (ESP) 2:16:57   (MLT) 2:48:17
20 1997   (MAR) 2:12:53  Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP) 2:30:06
21 1998   (MAR) 2:09:48  Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP) 2:30:05
22 1999   (KEN) 2:16:24   (ESP) 2:37:56
23 2000   (KEN) 2:12:18  Griselda González (ESP) 2:31:12
24 2001  Benedict Ako (TAN) 2:13:53   (BRA) 2:40:32
25 2002   (KEN) 2:12:07   (UKR) 2:40:33
26 2003  Alberto Juzdado (ESP) 2:10:53  Kenza Wahbi (MAR) 2:38:36
27 2004   (MAR) 2:15:59   (SWE) 2:42:54
2005 not held due to issues with organizers
28 2006   (KEN) 2:12:36   (ETH) 2:41:23
29 2007   (KEN) 2:12:04   (NED) 2:42:03
30 2008  Hosea Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:42   (ETH) 2:42:17
31 2009   (KEN) 2:14:01   (ETH) 2:39:43
32 2010   (KEN) 2:07:30   (ETH) 2:31:50
33 2011  Levi Matebo (KEN) 2:07:31   (SWE) 2:45:31
34 2012  Julius Chepkwony (KEN) 2:11:14   (KEN) 2:26:53
35 2013   (ETH) 2:10:17   (ETH) 2:34:39
36 2014   (ETH) 2:10:45   (KEN) 2:32:26
37 2015   (KEN) 2:08:16   (ETH) 2:28:20
38 2016  Dino Sefir (ETH) 2:09:31   (KEN) 2:25:26
39 2017   (KEN) 2:08:56  Helen Bekele (ETH) 2:25:04
40 2018   (KEN) 2:08:08   (KEN) 2:25:46
41 2019  Alemu Bekele (BHR) 2:06:04   (ETH) 2:24:44 [16][12]
2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic [11]
42 2021  Samuel Kosgei (KEN) 2:06:03   (ETH) 2:23:53

Multiple wins[]

By country[]

Country Total Men's Women's
 Kenya 18 14 4
 Spain 17 5 12
 Ethiopia 12 3 9
 United Kingdom 5 2 3
 United States 4 4 0
 Morocco 4 3 1
 Russia 3 1 2
 Sweden 3 1 2
 Denmark 2 2 0
 Belgium 2 1 1
 Japan 2 1 1
 Tanzania 2 2 0
 Brazil 2 1 1
 Portugal 1 0 1
  Switzerland 1 1 0
 Czech Republic 1 0 1
 Italy 1 0 1
 Malta 1 0 1
 Ukraine 1 0 1
 Netherlands 1 0 1
 Bahrain 1 1 0

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ It was reported that the changes were made "in order to reduce the total elevation changes by more than 10%".[12]
  2. ^ a b h:m:s

References[]

  1. ^ "Events Calendar | World Athletics".
  2. ^ a b c d "Marató de Barcelona - Biblioteca Virtual". Archived from the original on 2020-10-21.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Archived copy". www.zurichmaratobarcelona.es. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Archived copy". www.atletisme.cat. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Així Va Ser la Primera Marató de Catalunya (1978)". 22 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-11-23.
  6. ^ "Barcelona's Marathon | Blog Grand Hotel Central". Archived from the original on 2020-08-08.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". running.es. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Michiels, Frieda and Paul; Minshull, Phil; Gasparovic, Juraj & Loonstra, Klaas (11 March 2009). "Barcelona Marathon". ARRS. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  9. ^ Michiels, Paul & Post, Marty (2011-03-27). All-Comers Records- Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-05-02.
  10. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/07/sports/07reuters-health-coronavirus-barcelona-marathon.html[dead link]
  11. ^ a b https://www.zurichmaratobarcelona.es/eng/saladeprensa_i.html/2136/[dead link]
  12. ^ a b c "Alemu Bekele and Kuftu Tahir make history in Barcelona". Archived from the original on 2020-10-20.
  13. ^ a b c d "Barcelona Marathon". Archived from the original on 2020-10-21.
  14. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). ajuntament.barcelona.cat. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14445368
  16. ^ "Archived copy". zurichmaratobarcelona.es. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
List of winners

External links[]

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