Valencia Half Marathon 2026: date and registration

Plan your race pace

The next edition of Valencia’s major 21K will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, over an officially measured distance of 21,097.5 meters. Organizers have set a maximum field of 25,000 bibs and will apply a different registration system from previous years, with a priority phase for 2025 participants followed by a ballot for the remaining applicants.

The change mainly affects runners without a guaranteed place. Ballot registration will be free of charge, although it will require a temporary 5-euro hold on an active bank card. The race will start on Avenida de Tarongers in Valencia and will once again offer an almost flat urban course, with only 16 meters of elevation gain according to the information published for the event.

Race date, schedule and setting

The race is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2026, with Avenida de Tarongers as its main reference point. Available information places the general event window between 8:25 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., although the exact start time for each wave or category may depend on the final information released by the organizers.

The official course length is 21,097.5 meters, the standard distance for a half marathon. It is an asphalt circuit designed to support a steady pace, with broad avenues and very little elevation change. This combination makes the event attractive to elite athletes and recreational runners looking to improve their personal best.

Valencia also provides a recognizable setting, with the route running through an open urban environment and along major roads near some of the city’s best-known areas. The appeal is not only visual. The wide course, generally mild autumn weather and long organizational tradition create a continuous corridor toward the clock.

How priority registration works

The first opportunity belongs to runners who held an active registration in their own name for the 2025 edition and did not give it up. The loyalty phase is scheduled from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, 2025, over four days. Runners did not need to collect their bib or start the race: the decisive factor is that the registration remained active and was not canceled because of injury, a name change or use of a refund service.

This priority is not automatic. Eligible runners must complete registration within the stated period. Anyone who misses those four days may still enter the general ballot, but will lose the guarantee of a place in the priority phase.

The measure recognizes returning participants while reducing the pressure created by opening a high-demand race to everyone at once. Organizers have therefore separated loyalty access from open allocation rather than concentrating the entire process in the first minutes of a sale.

The ballot for the general public

If bibs remain after the priority phase, ballot registration will open from 11 a.m. on Nov. 4 until 10:59 a.m. on Nov. 14. The ballot is intended for people without a place who want to compete for one of the remaining spots. Participation is individual and nontransferable, although groups of up to three people may also be registered.

Registration has no cost, but the organizer will place a 5-euro hold for a maximum of 15 days on the card provided. This is not a participation fee. The amount should be released automatically after that period, regardless of whether the applicant is selected. Without an active card and the corresponding bank authorization, the registration will not be valid.

The mechanism is designed to confirm genuine interest and prevent automated or duplicate applications. Only one entry is allowed per person. Organizers may review matching personal details, email addresses, registration patterns or IP addresses and cancel applications that breach the rules.

Key dates after the ballot

The draw is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2025, with results sent the following day, Nov. 18. The draw will take place before a notary when applications exceed the number of available places. Starting with the selected number, the required consecutive entries will be allocated until the remaining quota is filled.

Selected applicants will have 12 days, from Nov. 18 to Nov. 30, to purchase their bib and complete registration. The email will include the instructions needed to access the process. Being selected is not enough: if the purchase is not completed on time, the reservation is canceled and the guaranteed place is lost.

From Nov. 30 onward, unused spots will move to the official waiting list. Later vacancies will be assigned according to the order in which runners joined that list, rather than through another open sale. The system leaves a secondary route to the start line while keeping each bib traceable.

Required information and registration limits

The form requires the runner’s full name, national identity card or passport number, date of birth and email address. These details must belong to the person who will race because the information is tied to the registration and cannot be freely changed during the purchase process.

The restriction is intended to prevent one person from collecting entries under different identities or informally transferring a ballot bib. Only reasonable corrections may be considered, such as an obvious typing error or an updated passport number, always at the organizer’s discretion.

Groups may include up to three runners. Each participant must provide personal details and use a different email address. After registration, the added runners will receive a message to confirm their intention to participate. A group has the same chances as an individual entry: joining together does not improve the odds, but it allows runners to seek a shared allocation if the relevant number is selected.

What happens if you already have a place

Anyone already registered for the race cannot enter the ballot. This rule prevents the same person from holding both a confirmed place and an additional draw opportunity. If duplicate entries are detected, organizers may cancel all applications linked to that person, even when different email addresses were used.

A new entry also replaces an earlier one when a runner registers again, either individually or as part of another group. Only the most recent participation remains active. This is particularly important for runners who change groups during the registration window.

Processing another person’s data requires prior consent. Anyone adding a relative or friend must ensure that this authorization exists. The process is not an open reservation for names that have not been confirmed, but an individual declaration of interest in taking part.

Waiting list, name changes and SuperVoucher

Runners who are not selected may join the official waiting list. If withdrawals occur later, ballot places will be offered according to the relevant waiting-list order. Some bibs are also managed by authorized agencies and official tour operators, although their terms may include travel services and do not constitute a standard individual registration.

Bibs purchased through the priority phase and the ballot may allow name changes from Feb. 1, in accordance with the organizer’s rules. When a ballot place is canceled because of a name change, the bib will be offered exclusively to people on the waiting list who did not receive a place, following the order established by the process.

Runners holding a SuperVoucher from the SuperHalfs circuit do not need to enter the ballot to secure participation. They may use the benefit during 2026, subject to the program’s applicable conditions. This route is separate from both loyalty registration and the ordinary ballot.

A course built for fast running

The Valencia race is part of the SuperHalfs circuit and holds a World Athletics Gold Label, a distinction linked to sporting and organizational quality. It has also been recognized several times as one of Spain’s leading half marathons. Its reputation rests on a rare combination of mass participation, international presence and a course suited to fast times.

World records achieved in the city have strengthened that identity. Letesenbet Gidey set the women’s record in 2021 with 1:02:52, while Yomif Kejelcha established the men’s record in 2024 with 57:30. Race information also states that eight of the 10 fastest marks in half marathon history have been achieved in Valencia.

These figures do not make the course automatically easy. Running 21.1 kilometers requires sound pacing, adaptation to a dense field and concentration when the urban scenery seems unchanged. The low elevation helps, but the clock always charges for an overly fast start or inadequate preparation.

Practical preparation for race day

The autumn date allows runners to organize a specific training block through the summer and the first weeks of September. A general preparation may gradually increase volume while combining easy runs, controlled-pace sessions and a long run. Appropriate intensity and workload depend on each runner’s experience, health and sporting history.

The flat route encourages a steady pace from the opening kilometers, but the start can be fast because of the large field. A cautious approach is to leave some margin early and assess the body’s response after kilometer 12 or 14. In a half marathon, a few extra seconds early can protect several minutes late in the race.

Nutrition and hydration should be tested during training. Race day is not the time to try a new gel, shirt or pair of shoes. Breakfast, equipment and the amount of fluid tolerated should be familiar, especially for runners traveling from another city and sleeping in an unfamiliar environment.

The day before also matters. Collecting the bib, checking access points, understanding public transportation and preparing clothes reduces decisions in the early morning. Road closures may change travel plans, so runners should consult the municipal and race information released in the days before the event.

Why this edition represents a major change

The new registration system reflects a broader transformation affecting high-demand races. When the number of applicants greatly exceeds capacity, an immediate opening may reward connection speed more than continuity, planning or sporting interest. A ballot does not remove the disappointment of missing out, but it distributes the opportunity more evenly.

The combination of loyalty access, ballot and waiting list creates three different routes to the start line. Each has its own rules and deadlines, and that will be the main challenge for runners: not confusing registration with bib purchase or missing a required step within the stated period.

With 25,000 places, a confirmed date and a course known for speed, the 2026 edition will attract enormous attention in the Valencian Community and beyond. The race is no longer decided only on the asphalt. For many participants, the first kilometer will begin weeks earlier, in front of a form, a deadline and a registration number.