This Sunday, Valencia will once again be in the spotlight thanks to one of the year’s most anticipated sporting events. The city will host its 45th marathon, bringing together tens of thousands of participants from around the world. Starting Friday, major changes to traffic organization will take effect, and many familiar routes throughout the city will be temporarily inaccessible to motorists and public transportation riders.
Organizers expect around 36,000 runners from 150 countries to take part this year. To ensure safety and order on the streets, more than 500 police officers, as well as volunteers and civil protection personnel, will be deployed. The marathon will kick off at 8:15 a.m. at Plaza del Maratón, with the finish line set at the iconic Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Traffic is expected to return to normal only after 3:00 p.m.
Traffic restrictions
The first closures will begin on Friday evening, December 5, when the Puente de Montolivet bridge will be closed to traffic in both directions from 10:00 p.m. Access to Professor López Piñero Street toward the city center will also be restricted at this time as the starting arch is assembled. On Avenidas Germans Maristes and Institut Obrer de València, traffic will be shut down in stages: from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday, and then again from 10:00 p.m. Saturday until 2:00 p.m. Sunday. Note that intersecting streets will reopen to traffic from 10:30 a.m., and the section between Ausiàs March and Bomber Ramón Duart will be accessible from 1:00 p.m.
On Saturday, December 6, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Alameda Avenue will be closed between Plaza Europa and the l’Assut de l’Or bridge for a children’s mini-marathon. That same day, from 9:00 p.m., Alcalde Reig street will be closed between Avenida La Plata and the Regne bridge towards the city center. On Sunday, just before the main race, restrictions will take effect one hour before the start. During the marathon, traffic flow will be adjusted in the Menéndez Pidal–Tirso de Molina underpass to make it easier for vehicles to travel from the south to the north of the city.
Public transportation
On marathon day, EMT València bus routes will be significantly reduced. Lines C1, 19, 30, 31, 32, 40, 67, 70, 71, 73, C2, 81, 92, 93, 94, 95, and 98 will be temporarily suspended. Those planning to reach the start or finish are advised to use lines 35, 99, and C3. Metro and tram services will also be affected: line 4 will not run between Pont de Fusta and Doctor Lluch from 8:00 to 11:20, line 6 from 7:30 to 11:20, line 8 will start operating only from 12:30, and line 10 (Alacant–Natzaret) will run only between Alacant–Amado Granell–Montolivet until 10:00, after which full service will resume.
To make things easier for residents and visitors arriving by car, special parking lots will open at 6:00 a.m. near Oceanogràfic and the Aqua shopping center. Parking at the city cemetery (Cementerio General) is also recommended, where you can take bus 99, as well as the lot on Les Barraques del Figuero street in the Natzaret area, which is served by bus 4 to the city center.
Pedestrian crossings and online navigation
During the marathon, three special pedestrian crossings will be organized: in the Xàtiva metro underpass, and at the intersections of Colón–Sorní and Colón–Porta de la Mar. Each crossing will be staffed by volunteers and civil protection officers to ensure safety and order. All traffic changes and up-to-date information about congestion can be tracked in real time through city apps and popular navigation services.
City authorities urge residents to plan their routes in advance and allow for possible delays. Throughout the day, traffic in the city center and surrounding areas will be complicated, and many usual routes may be unavailable. Organizers remind everyone that all measures are aimed at ensuring the safety of participants and spectators, as well as making the sports celebration as comfortable as possible for all.
If you didn’t know, Maratón Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Zurich is the largest running event in Spain, attracting a record number of participants and spectators every year. It is organized by the S.D. Correcaminos sports club in collaboration with the municipal sports foundation. The Valencia marathon is renowned not only for its scale, but also for its high level of organization and its fast, picturesque course that runs through the city’s most iconic landmarks. In recent years, the race has consistently ranked among the best marathons in Europe according to both professional athletes and amateurs.
