Valencia Marathon pace plan
Your plan for 4:00:00
Average 5:41/kmTarget paces keep the effort even: slower on the climbs, quicker on the descents.
Section by section
- km 0–4.6 · +2 m / −7 m
Montolivet bridge to the seafront
5:40/kmThrough 4.6 km at 0:26:04
A wide, crowded start. Let the field spread out, settle into goal effort and avoid weaving between runners to win back a few seconds you have not really lost.
- km 4.6–12 · +20 m / −8 m
Tarongers and the northern loop
5:43/kmThrough 12 km at 1:08:21
Long, straight avenues where it is easy to switch off. Find a steady rhythm, run the shortest line through the turns and start drinking early.
- km 12–21.5 · +8 m / −16 m
Alameda, Blasco Ibáñez and Cabanyal
5:40/kmThrough 21.5 km at 2:02:15
Big crowds along the boulevards. Enjoy the noise but keep the effort at goal level; halfway, near Cabanyal, should still feel comfortably controlled.
- km 21.5–31 · +25 m / −7 m
Port avenue, Turia gardens and old town
5:43/kmThrough 31 km at 2:56:34
Quieter stretches by the port and the old riverbed, then tighter corners in the old town. Concentrate on rhythm through the turns and keep fuelling on schedule.
- km 31–42.2 · +10 m / −27 m
Western avenues and back to the City of Arts
5:40/kmThrough 42.2 km at 4:00:00 · finish
Fatigue starts to bite on the wide western avenues, then the road runs gently downhill through the centre, so the last kilometres come a touch quicker at the same effort. Hold your form, let the crowds carry you and save the kick for the blue finish walkway over the water.
Show all splits
| km | Pace | Elev. | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:40 | −1 m | 0:05:40 |
| 2 | 5:39 | −2 m | 0:11:19 |
| 3 | 5:40 | −1 m | 0:16:59 |
| 4 | 5:40 | −1 m | 0:22:39 |
| 5 | 5:42 | +1 m | 0:28:21 |
| 6 | 5:43 | +2 m | 0:34:04 |
| 7 | 5:47 | +6 m | 0:39:51 |
| 8 | 5:42 | 0 m | 0:45:33 |
| 9 | 5:39 | −3 m | 0:51:12 |
| 10 | 5:40 | −1 m | 0:56:52 |
| 11 | 5:42 | +1 m | 1:02:34 |
| 12 | 5:47 | +6 m | 1:08:21 |
| 13 | 5:40 | −1 m | 1:14:01 |
| 14 | 5:41 | 0 m | 1:19:42 |
| 15 | 5:42 | +1 m | 1:25:24 |
| 16 | 5:38 | −4 m | 1:31:02 |
| 17 | 5:40 | −2 m | 1:36:42 |
| 18 | 5:41 | 0 m | 1:42:23 |
| 19 | 5:39 | −3 m | 1:48:02 |
| 20 | 5:39 | −2 m | 1:53:41 |
| 21 | 5:43 | +2 m | 1:59:24 |
| 22 | 5:43 | +2 m | 2:05:07 |
| 23 | 5:44 | +3 m | 2:10:51 |
| 24 | 5:43 | +2 m | 2:16:34 |
| 25 | 5:38 | −4 m | 2:22:12 |
| 26 | 5:42 | +1 m | 2:27:54 |
| 27 | 5:43 | +2 m | 2:33:37 |
| 28 | 5:45 | +4 m | 2:39:22 |
| 29 | 5:46 | +5 m | 2:45:08 |
| 30 | 5:47 | +6 m | 2:50:55 |
| 31 | 5:39 | −2 m | 2:56:34 |
| 32 | 5:38 | −3 m | 3:02:12 |
| 33 | 5:41 | 0 m | 3:07:53 |
| 34 | 5:43 | +3 m | 3:13:36 |
| 35 | 5:43 | +2 m | 3:19:19 |
| 36 | 5:40 | −2 m | 3:24:59 |
| 37 | 5:44 | +3 m | 3:30:43 |
| 38 | 5:40 | −1 m | 3:36:23 |
| 39 | 5:39 | −2 m | 3:42:02 |
| 40 | 5:39 | −3 m | 3:47:41 |
| 41 | 5:35 | −8 m | 3:53:16 |
| 42 | 5:38 | −5 m | 3:58:54 |
| 42.2 | 5:38 | −1 m | 4:00:00 |
About the Valencia Marathon course
The Valencia Marathon takes place in early December and starts and finishes at the City of Arts and Sciences, the futuristic complex built in the old bed of the River Turia. The final metres are run on a raised blue walkway over the water beside the Hemisfèric, one of the most distinctive finishes in the sport. The course is a single loop threaded through much of the city. From the Montolivet bridge it heads towards the port and the beach, swings north along wide avenues to Benimaclet, returns along the Alameda and Blasco Ibáñez, and passes halfway in the old fishing quarter of Cabanyal. The second half follows the port avenue and the Turia gardens, winds through the old town, and loops out along the broad western avenues before coming back through the centre to the finish. The course has a reputation as one of the fastest in the world, and the terrain explains much of it: the whole route stays within a few tens of metres of sea level, with no climb worth the name. That is why this plan is close to even. Splits still vary by a few seconds per kilometre either way, from the slight rise towards the west of the city and the gentle run back down to the finish. The challenge here is patience, not hills.
FAQs
How flat is the Valencia Marathon?
Very. The route stays between sea level and about 30 metres, and the effort model behind this plan puts the cost of the terrain at well under a minute for a 3:30 runner. For pacing purposes you can treat it as flat.
Should I run even splits in Valencia?
Yes. With so little elevation change, even effort and even pace are almost the same thing here. The biggest risk is starting too fast in the crowded first few kilometres.
Where does the race usually get hard?
Usually after 30 km, on the long western avenues, where the crowds thin out a little and fatigue builds. Keep fuelling through the second half so you still have energy for the run back through the centre.