With the rooftops of Barcelona’s Palau Nacional as a backdrop, the Montjuïc fountains going at full blast and excitement in the air, over 19,000 runners gathered in Plaça Espanya for the start of the 2015 Zurich Barcelona Marathon, one of the city’s biggest running events.
It’s been staged in various forms since 1978, and today attracts participants from all over the world, with 42 percent of the entrants travelling from abroad to take part, ranging from elite competitors to marathon veterans and first-timers. To help them get into the swing of things, there’s the traditional Breakfast Run the day before the big event, along the final 4km of the 1992 Olympic marathon, and a pasta party, part of the Zurich Runners’ Fair. The race itself is run over the classic 42.195km distance, taking in plenty of the city’s sights, from the Camp Nou stadium to the Sagrada Família, and there’s plenty of encouragement for flagging spirits along the way – last year there were 51 cheering points with music at each one.
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