Two of the fastest marathon courses on earth, two very different races. Here's every stat, side by side, to help you pick.
Indicative — based on GPX data. Both courses normalised to start at 0m.
✓ marks the better number on that stat.
Spain's two biggest marathons, and also two of its fastest. Valencia is the flatter and faster of the pair (62m of gain, 2:01:48 course record) against Barcelona's still-quick but hillier profile (135m of gain, 2:04:13). Barcelona's women's course record (2:10:51) is genuinely exceptional, faster even than several Majors.
They also sit at opposite ends of the year — Barcelona in March, Valencia in December — making it entirely realistic to target both in the same season. For the flattest, fastest option, Valencia wins; for a slightly hillier course with its own serious pedigree and Barcelona's coastal scenery, the Catalan capital holds its own.