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.
Two Mediterranean capital marathons with contrasting profiles. Rome actually nets uphill overall (+55m net) with 190m of gain, making it one of the tougher non-Major European courses; Barcelona is considerably flatter (135m of gain) and faster, with a 2:04:13 men's course record and a genuinely quick 2:10:51 women's record.
Both run in March, so picking between them (rather than combining both in one spring) is the realistic choice for most runners. If pure speed and a flatter route matter more, Barcelona has the edge; if running past the Colosseum and through 2,000 years of history is the draw regardless of the net uphill finish, Rome is unmatched for atmosphere.