When it was first held, Adolfo Suárez was president of the government, the autonomous communities were only a project on paper and there were only two television channels. He On May 21, 1978, the first Madrid marathon began., with more than 7,500 runners. Of course, this is the oldest such test in the capital, as well as one of the oldest on the continent.
On April 28, it will celebrate its 46th edition. And yesterday, all the details of Zurich Rock and Roll Running Series Madrid, during an event organized at the CentroCentro Music Box Auditorium, located in the Cibeles Palace, and attended by the vice-mayor and deputy mayor, Inma Sanz, and the delegated councilor for Sports, Sonia Cea. Record numbers are expected: 40,000 runners, compared to 34,000 in 2023, coming from more than 100 countries and part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, the largest running circuit in the world, and which will have an impact on the city. of more than 48 million euros, according to data from the organization itself.
Everyone will participate in three distances: 42 kilometers (marathon), 21 km (half marathon) and a ten kilometer amateur race. Of course, registrations have been sold out for days.
One reason to celebrate, says the organization, is “the increase in female participation: They already represent 34% of total registrations (increase of 2% compared to the 2023 edition), with 16% women in the marathon, 36% in the half-marathon and 54% in the 10K. In the short test, this is the second year in a row that there are more women than men on the list of participants.
Recoletos Walk
The tour will be the usual tour and will be an excuse to visit the most touristy places in the city. The race will start at the Plaza de Gregorio Marañón and will pass through, among others, the Paseo de la Castellana, the Plaza de España, the Plaza de Callao and the Puerta del Sol. The final point will be on the Recoletos promenade.
Thus, runners will pass by monuments and places as historic as the Almudena Cathedral, Plaza de la Villa, Puerta del Sol or the fountains of Cybele and Neptune; places like the National Librarythe museums of Prado and Reina Sofía, Plaza de Callao and the Temple of Debod; and points of interest such as the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, Plaza de Castilla and the Cuatro Torres complex.
As well as being a competitive sporting event, it is also a great social event. And all along the route, you can enjoy around thirty entertainment points, where a total of 17 music groups: Bella Vista, Café Polar, D’baldomeros, Diversos, En Vano, Ladmiro, Manic Vice, Manía, Marga Sur, Medicane Madrid, Pm, Roto, Sweet Q, The Middle, The Greentones, Ultima Bala and Ultimo Deseo.
Runners’ Lounge
Entrance, April 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., It will take place at Ifema Expodepor, the runners’ lounge, where all participants will be able to collect the runner’s number, the chip and the bag with their shirt, which has become a collector’s item for fans.
Sanz thanked the 40,000 registered participants for their dedication, and in particular “the 11,000 courageous people who registered for the marathon, because all runners know that there are many marathons easier than the one in Madrid, without so many elevation changes”, but not “as beautiful.” . It’s not in vain, it’s one more offer that the capital has been integrating into its catalog for years. “It is also a particularly attractive destination for what we call tourist running. There is no better way to know the corners of the capital than by discovering them at one of the three distances of this sporting event”, said the deputy mayor.
International image
Concerning the latter, the race marketing team is present in more than thirty international shows. The aim is to promote Madrid as a sports tourist destination. Runners from cities like New York, Chicago, Florence, Washington, Paris, Milan, among others, will try to beat their personal best here.
Another aspect taken into account during the test is the environment. The organization of the event, Mapoma, was recognized in this edition with the Sustainable Event Certificate from the Spanish Association of Standardization and Certification Aeonor, considering that the Madrid Marathon is a pioneer in sustainability measures. In fact, in 2023 they officially certified the carbon footprint of the event. The Madrid Marathon is the only marathon in the world to currently have this certification.