Elche-Alicante International Marathon 2026

This is a genuinely unusual race: in a straight line, Elche and Alicante are only about 28 km apart — barely more than a half marathon. To offer a proper 42.195 km certified marathon, the organizers have deliberately designed a winding route through both cities rather than a direct line, and for this 2nd edition (2026) they've substantially redesigned the course to make it faster and flatter than last year's.The start is in Elche, on Calle Diagonal del Palau next to the Palacio Altamira (one of the city's most iconic historic buildings). The first 20 km run entirely through Elche's urban center, and this year's big new addition is that the course now passes through El Palmeral, Elche's UNESCO World Heritage palm grove — the largest in Europe (with some 200,000 palm trees). It's the first time the race has run through this landmark, and it promises to be one of the most photogenic stretches of the whole event.The next 18 km form the interurban section connecting both cities: flat, with a gentle downhill grade, running from the outskirts of Elche to Casa Mediterráneo, already in Alicante territory. It's the quietest, least "monumental" stretch — but also the fastest, built specifically for chasing personal bests.The final 4 km mark the biggest change from 2025: last year the course continued 8 km further into Alicante's urban center, including several climbs. This year that section has been cut to remove the hills, and instead runners head straight through the Explanada de España (under its iconic palm trees and wavy mosaic pavement), Plaza del Mar and Avenida Juan Bautista Lafora, turn around near the old Playa del Cocó, and head back along Postiguet beach (Paseo de Gómiz) to the finish line at Plaza del Puerto, next to Muelle 12. In total: 32 km in Elche and 10 km in Alicante.In short: a marathon explicitly designed to be fast and flat — organizers describe it as one of the quickest in Spain — with a culturally rich opening stretch (Palmeral included) and a seaside Mediterranean finish. One caveat: since this is a brand-new route, it's still pending official RFEA certification, expected from September 2026 onward.Bib collectionThe bib/chip and runner's bag are collected at the Runner's Expo in Elche (the exact location varies between sources: the official rulebook says Hort del Xocolater, in the historic Palmeral, while the website says Paseo de la Estación — worth confirming closer to race day). Expected schedule: Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28, continuous hours. An official ID (passport, national ID) is required; if a third party picks up your bib, they need a photocopy of your ID and the authorization form downloadable from the official site. The bib includes a built-in timing chip strip and must not be folded or altered.Unlike some other marathons (Malaga, for instance), this race does allow transferring your bib to another runner before registration closes, for a €5 fee.RegistrationPricing works in tiers rather than a single date window: €45 for the first 1,000 entries or until March 31, 2026; €55 from entry 1,001 or from April 1 through July 30, 2026 (the tier currently in effect); and €65 from August 1 through November 15, 2026, or until the 6,000-bib cap is reached. On top of these prices, a mandatory €5 day license applies if you don't hold a valid athletics federation license. There's a nice touch for elite amateur runners too: anyone who's run a certified marathon in under 2:35 (men) or 3:20 (women) in the last 3 years gets free entry, subject to email verification by the organizers.