Valencia Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
A loop from the City of Arts and Sciences through the old town and the port, finishing on the famous blue carpet over the complex's reflecting pool — currently the fastest big-city marathon in the world, with a men's course record inside 2:02. Dead flat, cool December air, and dense pace groups from 2:20 to 4:30 make it a PR course at every ability level.
The Valencia Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast — rated 1/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 260 ft (80 m) and loses 280 ft (90 m), with roughly level start to finish. Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 32 (near mile 20), demanding about 2% more effort than the same distance on flat ground. The steepest pitch on course reaches 4.5%.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Valencia, Spain |
| Total ascent | 260 ft (80 m) |
| Total descent | 280 ft (90 m) |
| Net elevation | -23 ft (-7 m) |
| Steepest grade | 4.5% |
| Difficulty | 1/5 |
| Field size | ≈35,000 runners |
| Race day | First Sunday of December |
| Elevation from | IGN MDT05 (Spain, 5 m) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:44 | 9:13 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:44 |
| 2 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 11:20 |
| 3 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 16:55 |
| 4 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 22:35 |
| 5 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -1 ft (0 m) | 28:16 |
| 6 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 33:57 |
| 7 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 39:46 |
| 8 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 45:31 |
| 9 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 51:09 |
| 10 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 56:47 |
| 11 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:02:32 |
| 12 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:08:19 |
| 13 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:13:59 |
| 14 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 1:19:42 |
| 15 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:25:27 |
| 16 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:31:12 |
| 17 | 5:34 | 8:58 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 1:36:46 |
| 18 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:42:30 |
| 19 | 5:36 | 9:00 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:48:06 |
| 20 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:53:43 |
| 21 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 1:59:22 |
| 22 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:05:01 |
| 23 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:10:43 |
| 24 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:16:27 |
| 25 | 5:48 | 9:21 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:22:16 |
| 26 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:28:01 |
| 27 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:33:46 |
| 28 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 2:39:32 |
| 29 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:45:09 |
| 30 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:50:53 |
| 31 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:56:41 |
| 32 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:02:28 |
| 33 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +15 ft (+4 m) | 3:08:17 |
| 34 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:14:02 |
| 35 | 5:42 | 9:11 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:19:44 |
| 36 | 5:36 | 9:00 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 3:25:19 |
| 37 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:30:59 |
| 38 | 5:34 | 8:57 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:36:32 |
| 39 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 3:42:07 |
| 40 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:47:45 |
| 41 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:53:23 |
| 42 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 3:58:54 |
| 42.2 | 5:36 | 9:01 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Valencia Marathon flat or hilly?
The Valencia Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast (1/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 260 ft (80 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Valencia Marathon have?
About 260 ft (80 m) of total ascent and 280 ft (90 m) of descent, for a net change of -23 ft (-7 m). Elevation is sampled from IGN MDT05 (Spain, 5 m) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Valencia Marathon course?
Kilometre 32 (near mile 20) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 2% more effort than flat running. The steepest grade on course is 4.5%.
When is the Valencia Marathon?
The Valencia Marathon is typically held on the first Sunday of December. The next edition is expected around December 6, 2026. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Valencia Marathon?
The field is roughly 35,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Valencia Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Valencia race
Marathons with a similar profile
- Mesa Marathon — 260 ft (80 m) ascent
- Chevron Houston Marathon — 270 ft (80 m) ascent
- Osaka Marathon — 240 ft (70 m) ascent
- Berlin Marathon — 230 ft (70 m) ascent
How Valencia Marathon ranks
- Flattest marathon courses — ranked 7 of 20 (260 ft (80 m) of climbing)
- Marathons with the hardest finish — ranked 10 of 10 (hardest at km 32 (mile 20) — 2% over flat effort)
- Biggest marathons by field size — ranked 8 of 20 (≈35,000 runners)
Official race site: https://www.valenciaciudaddelrunning.com/en/marathon/marathon/