The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 29 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Point-to-point, Elche to Alicante, 20.8 km apart |
| Registration | Open online entry, capped at 6,000 |
| Ballot opens | No ballot |
| Start | Calle Diagonal del Palau, beside the Palacio de Altamira, Elche, 09:00 |
| Finish | Alicante port, Passeig del Port |
| Total finishers | About 3,160 (2025, the first edition) |
| Avg race-day temp | 11 to 20°C (AEMET November normal: average daily minimum and maximum) |
| Cutoff time | 5 hours 30 minutes from the first runner crossing the start mat |
| Free race-day transport | No: organiser coaches from Alicante, €4 each way, booked at registration |
| Course certification | RFEA calendar; homologation of the 2026 route to be confirmed |
History
The Maratón Elche-Alicante is new. Club Atlético Montemar, an Alicante athletics club, created it with the city councils of Elche and Alicante, and the first edition ran on 30 November 2025. The idea was geographic: join the two largest cities in the province over the marathon distance, starting in Elche’s historic centre and finishing at Alicante’s port.
Interest was strong for a first edition. Entries passed 4,000, about a quarter of them from around 50 countries, with British runners the largest foreign group. About 3,500 started and just over 3,100 finished, in cool, clear weather. Kipkirui Langat of Kenya won the men’s race in 2:12:54 and Ethiopia’s Ayehu Tesfahun the women’s in 2:35:03.
The organisers did not keep the inaugural route. The first course left Elche early and finished with a run of short climbs through Alicante, and in May 2026 the councils announced a redesign. The first 20 km now stay in Elche, the middle follows the road east and falls gently towards the coast, and the last 3.5 km run along Alicante’s seafront to the port. The Alicante climbs are gone. Because the route changed so much, the first edition’s winning times are not records for the current course.
The race is on the Spanish federation calendar and the organiser describes the new course as homologated. It has no World Athletics label. With one edition run, its crowd patterns and typical weather are still being established.
The course
The marathon starts on Calle Diagonal del Palau beside the Palacio de Altamira in the centre of Elche and finishes in Alicante’s port, 20.8 km away in a straight line. It is a road course on tarmac, point to point.
The first 20 km stay in Elche, between 74 m and 99 m above sea level. Runners go east on Avenida de la Universitat d’Elx and back, run along Passeig de l’Estació at km 1.8 and km 6.9, then make a loop through the south-east of the city that dips 26 m between km 7.8 and km 14.2, passing about 300 m from the Huerto del Cura palm garden at km 12.4, and climbs 16 m back to the centre by km 16. At km 18 the course heads east on Avenida d’Alacant and leaves the city.
From km 21 it follows the N-340 through Jubalcoi and Torrellano. From km 23.3 the road falls steadily, 78 m over 10.7 km to km 34, an average of 0.7 per cent, and keeps dropping on Avinguda d’Elx into Alicante to a low of 2 m at km 37.7. The course reaches the seafront at Casa Mediterráneo at km 38.6, runs the Explanada de España at km 39.7 and out to the Postiguet beach at km 40.4, then turns back past the port to the finish. The last 3.5 km are flat.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 8: Elche, east and back. The race leaves the Palacio de Altamira at 09:00 from five colour-coded pens. The first kilometre rises 10 m on Avenida de la Llibertat, the high point of the day at 99 m, and the course then heads east past Elx Parc station and out on Avenida de la Universitat d’Elx before turning back west along the same roads. The field is dense and the first control, 40 minutes at 5 km, is no problem for anyone inside the time limit, so do not weave.
Km 8 to 17: the south-east loop. A loop through the south-east of Elche drops 26 m between km 7.8 and km 14.2, passes about 300 m from the Huerto del Cura palm garden at km 12.4, and climbs 16 m back up Carrer Pere Joan Perpinyà to Avenida de la Llibertat by km 16. Neither slope is steep, but the climb back is the only one of note on the course. Crowd support in the city is likely to be at its best here, though one edition gives little evidence of where spectators gather.
Km 17 to 23: out of Elche. The course crosses the centre on Carrer Reina Victoria, heads east on Avenida d’Alacant and joins the N-340 at km 21. The 20 km control closes at 2:40. The first few kilometres of the road are flat.
Km 23 to 34: the road to the coast. This is the section to plan for. From km 23.3 the N-340 falls 78 m in 10.7 km through Torrellano, an average of 0.7 per cent, with the steepest kilometre, 14 m, between km 29 and km 30. It feels fast, and it is the easiest place on the course to overcook the pace: hold back until km 30. The road is open and spectators are few. A headwind off the sea would make this the hardest part of the day; a westerly would make it the fastest.
Km 34 to 38.6: into Alicante. The course enters Alicante on Avinguda d’Elx and keeps falling gently, 15 m between km 34.6 and km 37.6, to a low of 2 m. Aid stations are at 34 km and 39 km.
Km 38.6 to 42.2: the seafront. The course reaches the sea at Casa Mediterráneo, runs the palm-lined Explanada de España at km 39.7 and Plaça de la Porta de la Mar at km 40, out along the Postiguet beach under Santa Bárbara castle to a turn beyond km 40.4, and back past the port to the finish on Passeig del Port. It is flat. In the first edition this stretch had climbs; now it does not.
No blue line has been confirmed. Run the tangents and trust the kilometre boards over a GPS watch.
Between 74 m and 99 m: an out-and-back east, a loop south-east that dips 26 m and climbs 16 m back, then out of town. Settle into your pace group.
Open and straight on the N-340, falling 78 m from km 23.3. The fastest-feeling stretch, and the one most likely to cost you later.
Still dropping gently to 2 m at km 37.7. Aid at 34 km and 39 km.
The Explanada, the Postiguet and back into the port. Flat to the line.
Course Map
Twenty kilometres in Elche, the N-340 east to the coast and a seafront finish in Alicante’s port. Tap a marker for the start, the finish, the coach pick-up, the bag points, the runner fair and the stations, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
Pacers run at 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:15 and 4:30 from a single 09:00 start. Pens go by predicted time: red under 3:00, green under 3:30, blue under 4:00, violet under 4:30 and orange over 4:30; the red pen needs a result from the previous three years. There is no pacer slower than 4:30, and the limit is 5:30.
The race starts in Elche and finishes 21 km away at Alicante’s port, and three extras have to be bought at registration to make that work. The coach from Alicante to the start costs €4 and leaves the seafront between 06:15 and 07:30. The bag service costs €1.50 and carries a 40 × 55 cm organiser bag from Elche to Alicante. The return coach to Elche, for runners staying there, also costs €4. None can be added at the expo, and bibs are only collected in Elche on the Friday or Saturday. The simplest plan is to stay in Alicante, buy the coach, run without a bag and walk back from the finish.
The race closes 5 hours 30 minutes after the first runner crosses the start mat, not after each runner’s own start, so runners at the back of the orange pen should allow for the minutes it takes to reach the mat. Controls close at 5 km (0:40), 10 km (1:20), 20 km (2:40), 25 km (3:20), 30 km (4:00), 35 km (4:40) and 40 km (5:20).
November on this coast averages a daily low of about 11°C and a high of about 20°C. The 09:00 start in Elche is usually cool, and at the first edition runners reported about 8°C at the start and 19°C at the finish. By midday, in sun, it can be warm, so runners out for four hours or more should dress for both. Shorts and a vest or light T-shirt suit most.
The early part of the morning is the cold part: runners staying in Alicante take a coach from 06:15 and then wait in Elche. An old layer helps, but no clothing-donation scheme has been published, so check the rules before leaving it anywhere, and remember bags only reach the finish if you paid for the service. The road between the two cities, km 21 to 34, has no shade and nothing to stop the wind; a cap and sunscreen make sense for anyone finishing after noon. Late autumn on this coast also brings occasional heavy rain, so check the forecast in race week and pack a light jacket for the wait.
Entry
Entry is open online, with no ballot, and capped at 6,000. The fee rises in stages tied both to dates and to the number of entries sold: for the current edition €45 for the first 1,000 entries or until the end of March, €55 from the 1,001st entry or from April to the end of July, and €65 from August to mid-November. Runners without a federation licence pay €5 for a one-day RFEA licence. Entrants must be 18 or over.
Two extras have to be bought at registration: the bag transport service from start to finish, €1.50, and the organiser coaches between Alicante and Elche, €4 each way. Neither can be added at the expo.
Details can be changed until mid-November. A change of runner costs €5, plus the day licence if the new runner needs one. There is no refund for a change of plans, but runners with an injury or illness can claim a refund until 1 November with a medical certificate, less a €5 fee. A Dorsal Solidario charity entry is listed on the website; its beneficiary and terms are not published.
The first edition drew more than 4,000 entries without selling out, so there is no need to enter the day registration opens. The better reasons to enter early are the price and the hotel, since rooms by Alicante’s port go first.
| Category | Standard for free base entry |
|---|---|
| Men (all ages) | Under 2:35 in a homologated marathon in the previous three years |
| Women (all ages) | Under 3:20 in a homologated marathon in the previous three years |
Fast runner standards
Men who have run under 2:35 and women under 3:20 in a homologated marathon in the previous three years can ask the organiser for free base entry by sending proof. The thresholds are not age-graded, and there is no good-for-age scheme.
Official Maratón Elche-Alicante site →Race Weekend
Runner fair
Bibs are collected in Elche, not Alicante. The organiser’s website lists the Feria del Corredor on Passeig de l’Estació in Elche on the Friday and Saturday before the race, 10:00 to 20:00; the marathon runs along that street at km 1.8 and km 6.9. No race-day collection has been announced, so runners staying in Alicante need to make the trip on Friday or Saturday.
Passeig de l’Estació is beside Elx Parc station. Cercanías line C-1 runs from Alicante Terminal in about half an hour, roughly hourly at weekends. It makes a good Saturday morning: collect the bib, walk through the palm groves, and take the train back. Bring an official photo ID such as a passport. Someone else can collect for you with a copy of your ID and your authorisation. The pack holds the bib and the technical shirt; medals and the finisher garment come after the race.
The organiser’s February regulations gave a different venue, the Hort del Xocolater in the historic Palmeral, with Friday opening only from 17:00. The website is the newer source, but check the venue in race week.
Getting to the start
The race starts at 09:00 in Elche, and for most visitors the first job of the day is getting there from Alicante.
The organiser coach. Coaches leave from Calle Juan Bautista Lafora at Paseíto Ramiro, opposite the Postiguet car park, from 06:15, departing as they fill, with the last at 07:30. The €4 fare must be bought in advance with the entry. The pick-up is 330 m from the finish, a short walk from hotels around the port and the Explanada. Aim for a coach well before the last one.
The start. The start is on Calle Diagonal del Palau beside the Palacio de Altamira, the fifteenth-century castle in Elche’s old centre. Runners go into five colour-coded pens by predicted time; entrances and closing times are in the runner guide.
Bags. The bag service is paid, €1.50, and only for those who bought it at registration. Runners use the organiser’s 40 × 55 cm bag and hand it in at the trucks in the Candalix car park in Elche before the start. It comes back at Paseo del Puerto Viejo beside the Casino Mediterráneo in Alicante, 100 m from the finish. At the first edition runners reported too few trucks and delays at the finish, so runners staying in Alicante who can start without a bag can skip it.
The finish. The race ends in Alicante’s port on Passeig del Port. Finishers get a medal, a finisher garment, drinks and fruit. Showers are open at the Piscinas Monte Tossal until 14:30, but they are a bus or taxi ride from the port, and most runners will be better off going straight to the hotel. From the finish, hotels around the Explanada, the old centre and Postiguet are a walk of 5 to 20 minutes.
Runners staying in Elche. The organiser’s return coach runs from the Postiguet car park to Calle Señora de la Cabeza with Pizarro in Elche, also €4 and pre-booked, leaving as coaches fill. No pushchairs, no animals and no unauthorised bikes or pacers alongside runners; the race has wheelchair and para categories.
Nutrition on course
There are eight water stations, at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 34 and 39 km, plus drinks and fruit at the finish. The gaps narrow after 30 km, to 4 and 5 km, where they are most useful. Water is Aquabona.
The official aid diagram shows more than water at the later stations: Powerade from 25 km, a gel at 20 and 30 km, and bananas and dates from 30 km. The diagram is a set of icons, easy to misread, so treat everything beyond water as likely but not guaranteed and carry your own gels. At the first edition runners reported bottled water, isotonic drink, bananas, dates and gels on the course.
The stretch to watch is km 21 to 34, on the exposed road between the two cities, where a warm, sunny day makes every station count. Take water at each one before you feel thirsty. There is no personal-drinks service for ordinary entrants.
| Km | Water | Sports drink | Gel | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Yes | |||
| 10 | Yes | |||
| 15 | Yes | |||
| 20 | Yes | Yes | ||
| 25 | Yes | Powerade | ||
| 30 | Yes | Powerade | Yes | Banana, dates |
| 34 | Yes | Powerade | Banana, dates | |
| 39 | Yes | Powerade | ||
| Finish | Yes | Yes | Fruit |
Spectating
A point-to-point race is harder to follow than a loop, and supporters without a car should plan on two sightings: one in Elche and one in Alicante. The N-340 between the cities is open road with few places to stand.
The best single place is Alicante’s seafront between the Explanada and the port: the course arrives at Casa Mediterráneo at km 38.6, runs the Explanada at km 39.7, goes out to the Postiguet at km 40.4 and comes back past the Meliá hotel at km 41.7 to the finish. For a 4-hour runner, the Explanada comes at about 12:46 and the finish at about 13:00. A runner expected under three hours reaches Alicante at about 11:45, before a supporter who watched the start can get there by train.
- Take the organiser coach or a Cercanías train to Elche for the 09:00 start beside the Palacio de Altamira
- Walk 5 minutes to Passeig de l’Estació for the second pass at km 6.9
- Take Cercanías C-1 from Elx Parc to Alicante Terminal, about half an hour
- Walk 15 minutes to the Explanada for the last kilometres and the finish
- Stay in Alicante
- Watch the runners arrive at Casa Mediterráneo or the Explanada, km 38.6 to 39.7
- Walk to the Postiguet for km 40.4 as they head out
- Walk back towards the port for the finish
- Stand on Passeig de Gómiz by the Postiguet beach
- See runners heading out at about km 40.4 and coming back a few minutes later at about km 41.4
- Walk 5 minutes to the port for the finish
Post-race food
The finish is in the port, and central Alicante’s restaurants start a few minutes’ walk away. Spanish lunch runs from about 14:00, which suits most finishers once they have showered. Late November is outside the beach season, so the seafront is quieter than in summer, but the best-known places fill at weekends.
Dársena, in the marina beside the finish area, is a rice restaurant; rice here is a long lunch shared from the pan and the obvious way to refuel. Nou Manolín, a short walk into the centre, is known for its bar counter of seafood and tapas and a dining room serving rice and fish; it is busy, so book for Sunday. El Portal Taberna & Wines, near the Explanada, serves tapas and larger plates in a more formal setting, better for a celebration dinner than an immediate recovery meal.
Where to Stay
Stay near the finish, which means Alicante, not Elche. The race finishes in Alicante’s port and the organiser coach to the start leaves from the Alicante seafront, 330 m from the finish. A hotel near the port turns a point-to-point race into two short walks: one to the coach before dawn, one back from the finish.
Port, Explanada and Plaça de la Porta de la Mar
The waterfront around the port, the Explanada de España and Plaça de la Porta de la Mar is the best base. The finish is 100 to 300 m from the hotels here, the coach pick-up at Paseíto Ramiro is at the eastern end of the same stretch, and restaurants are everywhere. Saturday night can be busy with bars around the port, so ask for a room away from the street. Price tier: £££ to ££££.
Old centre and the Rambla
Central Alicante around the town hall square and the Rambla Méndez Núñez, a few streets back from the sea, has the widest choice of hotels and is 5 to 15 minutes from the finish and the coach. It is slightly better value than the seafront. The old quarter’s bar streets are loud at weekends; pick a quieter street or a higher room. Price tier: ££ to £££.
Postiguet and Raval Roig
The Postiguet beach end of the centre is closest to the coach pick-up and on the course at km 40.4. The walk back from the finish is flat and short. Some hotels here sit on the slopes below Santa Bárbara castle; avoid anything uphill if post-race stairs are a concern. Price tier: ££ to £££.
Around Alicante Terminal station
Hotels near the main station are about 1.4 km from the finish. They suit the airport bus and the Saturday train to Elche for bib collection, and are usually cheaper, but the race-morning walk to the coach is longer and the walk back after the race is not a pleasure. Price tier: ££.
Central Elche and the Palmeral
Staying in Elche removes the race-morning coach: the start is beside the Palacio de Altamira and the runner fair is in town. The cost comes after the finish, when you are in Alicante and your hotel is 20 km away. The organiser’s return coach costs €4 and leaves as it fills. Best for runners travelling with someone who can manage bags and transport. Price tier: ££.
Alicante reported hotel occupancy around 85% on the first race weekend. November is outside the beach season, but rooms by the port go first. Book a cancellable room when you enter, and buy the coach ticket at the same time.
Recommended hotels
On the waterfront at the port, 13 m from the course at km 41.7 and about as close to the finish as a hotel gets. The coach pick-up is 400 m away. Expect the highest prices of the weekend.
On the square the course crosses at km 40, between the port and the Postiguet beach, close to both the finish and the coach departure point. A busy waterfront spot, so ask for a quiet room.
On the town hall square in the old centre, 80 m from the course at km 39.9 and a flat walk from the port. The old centre can be noisy at weekends.
At the foot of the Rambla by the Explanada, 60 m from the course at km 39.7, on flat ground between the port and the old centre.
Booking timeline
Registration opens in February and runs to mid-November, with no ballot. The fee rises at fixed dates and after the first 1,000 entries, so entering in spring saves €10 to €20. Book a cancellable hotel by Alicante’s port at the same time: the first edition drew more than 4,000 entries and filled the city’s hotels on race weekend. Buy the extras when you register, the €4 coach and the €1.50 bag service; neither can be added at the expo.
Flights from the UK to Alicante-Elche Airport are plentiful, though winter schedules are thinner than summer ones; check your route before committing. Late November is outside the beach season, which usually keeps fares reasonable. Plan to be in the area by Saturday, because bibs are only collected in Elche on Friday or Saturday.
See & Do
The finish is on Alicante’s waterfront, so the first three are within about a kilometre of the line. The Palmeral is back in Elche and makes a good Saturday when collecting the bib.
Explanada de España
The palm-lined promenade along the harbour, paved with a wave-pattern mosaic, which the race runs at km 39.7. Flat, with benches and cafés, and the easiest walk in the city on post-race legs.
Castillo de Santa Bárbara
The castle on Mount Benacantil above the Postiguet beach, with views over the city and the bay. A lift inside the mountain from the beach end saves the steep climb; check that it is running before going.
MARQ, Museo Arqueológico de Alicante
The provincial archaeology museum, an indoor option for a wet day after the race. Check Monday opening.
Palmeral of Elche
The UNESCO-listed palm groves spread through Elche; the course passes within about 300 m of the Huerto del Cura at km 12.4. Best seen on foot on Saturday when collecting the bib, or on a slower day after the race.
After the Race
Late November on the Costa Blanca is out of season: quiet beaches, cafés with room to sit and afternoons around 20°C. The TRAM runs up the coast from Alicante to Villajoyosa and on towards Altea, boats go out to Tabarca, and Elche’s palm groves are half an hour away by train. All four trips are gentle on the legs; Altea is the only one with a hill, and it gets a night.
Go back to the palm groves at walking pace, without a race number: the Huerto del Cura, the municipal park and the Palacio de Altamira museum where the race started.
Fishermen’s houses painted in bright colours along the beach and a chocolate factory with its own museum. A flat seafront and a quiet town in late November.
A small walled island off the coast, with a village of a few dozen residents and level paths around its edge. Winter sailings are fewer, so check the timetable.
A whitewashed hill town with a blue-domed church, and a flat seafront below it. One night gives time to see the old town slowly and stay by the sea.