Barcelona Marathon 2027 : the course km by km, race week and travel

Barcelona front-loads its hills, and they are small. The whole course climbs 58.5 m, and 41.5 m of that comes in the first half, on the long cross-town streets of the Eixample. The high point, 34.7 m, is near La Pedrera at about km 15.7. From there the road falls 31 m to the port by km 24, then holds within a few metres of sea level for 12 km along the seafront and out along the Diagonal. The only surprise is the end: the last 6 km climb about 11 m to the Arc de Triomf, which is gentle on paper and real in the legs.

The course starts on Passeig de Gràcia and finishes by the Arc de Triomf, about 1.1 km apart, after two out-and-back turns. It no longer starts and finishes at Plaça d’Espanya: works there forced the organiser to rethink the route, as Ara reported before the 2026 race. The kilometres and heights below are measured along the organiser’s course map of 15 March 2026, which is the map on its course page for 2027, on Spain’s national 5 m elevation model. The organiser has not said whether anything changes for 2027, so check the course page before you plan your pacing.

Km 0 to 2.2: the start and the run east

The start line is on Passeig de Gràcia between Plaça de Catalunya and Gran Via, at 22.9 m. After about 175 m the course turns onto Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and runs east along it for 1.5 km, losing about 5 m, then turns a short way up Carrer de la Marina to Carrer d’Aragó. This is the crowded opening, and the gentle drop invites a fast first kilometre.

Km 2.2 to 10.5: across the Eixample and back

Carrer d’Aragó carries the course 3 km west, straight across the grid, and it gains about 11 m on the way. At about km 3.8 it crosses Passeig de Gràcia beside Gaudí’s Casa Batlló. A short link on Carrer de Viladomat at about km 5.2 turns the race onto Carrer de València, which brings it all the way back east for 5.2 km. València peaks at about 32 m near km 6.8, then falls about 15 m to its lowest at about km 10.1, so the second half of this stretch is a long, easy descent. At about km 10.4 the course crosses Santiago Calatrava’s Pont de Bac de Roda.

Km 10.5 to 15.7: the main climb

This is the only real climb of the race. Felip II, Josep Estivill, Gran de la Sagrera and Garcilaso lead into Avinguda Meridiana, which brings the course back toward the centre to Carrer de Mallorca at about km 12.8. Mallorca then runs west for 4.4 km, past the Sagrada Família at about km 14.2. Between km 10 and km 16 the road gains 21.1 m with only 3.2 m of descent, and it tops out at 34.7 m at about km 15.7, close to La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia. That is over a third of the race’s climbing in a seventh of its distance. Because it rises so gradually, it is easy to chase pace here; effort is the better guide.

Km 15.7 to 24: down to the port

Once over the top, the course comes down with hardly a break. Mallorca runs on to Carrer de Calàbria at about km 17.2, which drops to Gran Via, and Gran Via brings the race back east to Plaça de la Universitat and the historic university building at about km 19. A short out-and-back on Ronda de la Universitat turns at the edge of Plaça de Catalunya at about km 19.4, a few hundred metres from where the race began. Ronda de Sant Antoni and Carrer de Sepúlveda then lead west, and halfway falls around the corner from Carrer de Rocafort into Carrer de Floridablanca. Comte d’Urgell and Manso bring the course to Avinguda del Paral·lel at about km 22.4, and the Paral·lel runs straight down to the waterfront, losing about 8 m in 1.5 km. From km 16 to km 25 the road descends 31.2 m and climbs only 2.1 m.

Km 24 to 31: the port, Ciutadella and the seafront

At about km 24.1 the course passes the Columbus Monument at the foot of La Rambla and follows Passeig de Colom along the old port. Passeig d’Isabel II, Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera, Passeig de Picasso and Passeig de Pujades take it past Parc de la Ciutadella at about km 26, and Carrer de la Marina brings it back to the sea at the Port Olímpic, by the Hotel Arts tower, at about km 27.4. Avinguda del Litoral then runs nearly 3 km along the seafront, and Carrer de Josep Pla and Passeig del Taulat bring the course to the Fòrum at about km 31. This whole stretch sits between about 4 m and 8 m above the sea, as flat as a city marathon gets, and exposed to any wind off the water.

Km 31 to 36: the Diagonal out and back

At Plaça de Llevant the course turns onto Avinguda Diagonal and runs out 2.3 km toward Torre Glòries, turning at about km 33.3, then comes back along the same avenue to Carrer de Llull at about km 35.1. On the way out you see the faster runners coming back, and on the way back you see everyone still heading out. It is flat, with about 1 m of climbing in 4 km. The lowest point of the whole race, about 3 m above the sea, comes soon after, at about km 36.3 on Carrer de Llull.

Km 36 to the finish: the last rise

The last kilometres wind back toward the centre on Llull, Llacuna, Pallars, Pamplona and Salvador Espriu, then north on Carrer de la Marina from about km 39.1. From the low at km 36.3 the road climbs 11.6 m to a local high of 14.5 m at about km 41.5, and most of that, about 8 m, comes in the last 3 km, on Marina, Almogàvers, Roger de Flor and Ausiàs Marc. Carrer del Bruc and Ronda de Sant Pere bring the course to the line by the Arc de Triomf, at 13.4 m, 9.5 m lower than the start. Save something for it: it is the only real climb of the second half.

The organiser had published most of its 2027 race-week details by the end of October 2026, but not the expo venue, the bag drop or the racebook. Check the bib pick-up page again in the weeks before the race.

Expo Sports and your bib

Bibs and chips are handed out only in person at Expo Sports, the runners’ fair, and never on race day. Collection runs on Thursday 11 March from 3pm (the bib page still marks the Thursday as to be confirmed), and on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 March from 9am to 8pm. The last chance is 8pm on the Saturday, so a runner flying in on the Sunday morning cannot run. The expo page lists the fair itself open until 9pm. Bring photo ID (the organiser asks for a national identity card) and the email that shows your bib number. Another person can collect your bib if you authorise them, carrying your receipt and ID. The venue was still “coming soon” in October 2026.

The expo also has a stand for engraving your finisher medal, and there is another near the finish line on race day.

Corrals, pacers and the start

The start is organised in colour-coded corrals chosen at registration, and you may only enter the corral of your own colour. Changes close on 31 January 2027. Wheelchair athletes start at 8.25am, five minutes before the main start, and blind athletes start at a time they choose when they register.

The organiser runs 35 pacers on seven target times: 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, 4:00 and 4:30.

The time limit is six hours from the moment the last runner crosses the start line, and the race ends at 4pm. Runners overtaken by the closing vehicles are disqualified.

Aid on the course and at the finish

The regulation puts drinks stations at km 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 and then about every 2.5 km to km 40, with drinks and food at the finish. The organiser’s FAQ, which still carries an older edition’s dates, lists the km 20 point with toilets, water, isotonic drink, nuts, grapes, bananas, medical services and a gel. The finisher medal is handed out once you pass the last refreshment point after the line.

The Saturday before

On the Saturday morning a free, non-competitive 4 km Breakfast Run leaves from the Puig i Cadafalch towers on Montjuïc at 9.30am, limited to 2,000 entries, and its registration showed as sold out in September 2026. The kids’ races run on Passeig de Lluís Companys, by the finish, the same morning.