Are you one of the 28,000 lucky ones who have registered for the Edreams Mitja Marató de Barcelona by Brooks? Well, you might be interested in this: an analysis of the route by compressing and trying to summarise all the information gathered over the last few years about the race. And you will also have a lot of graphics (strategy, altimetry km by km, cheat sheet, mistakes to avoid…).
To do this, I have mounted the map above hyper large (just click on it to see it in its original size and save it, if you want, as a review) to show you the key points of the circuit. You have it in English, but soon also in Catalan and Spanish. Y, además, puedes You can also download the track here.
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BCN Half Marathon: the route
CASTELLANO · CATALÀ · ENGLISH
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE MAP OR CLICK ON THIS LINK
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SALIDA A KM 1,8: The first two kilometres are very flat but the start is a bit complicated, so the best strategy is to be careful and not get obsessed with overtaking people.
- START: The adventure begins with a right turn after 200 metres. Massive and complicated start. Extreme caution and calm down.
- PASSEIG ISABEL II / COLOM (KM 0,2 TO 1,8): Very long straight where the wind can appear and with stretches of variable width. The idea is to find our place and pace within the group.
KM 1,8 to 4: Two kilometres uphill to take it easy, this is the longest uphill section of the race. Run at a comfortable pace without pushing yourself too hard.
- PARAL·LEL (KM 1,8 TO 2,4): Long false flat stretch. Comfortable pace.
- RONDA SANT PAU (KM 2,4 TO 3,3): Long straight with less and more gradient. Comfortable pace without forcing.
- SEPÚLVEDA (KM 3,3 TO 4): Another long straight from less steep to more steep. Comfortable pace without forcing.
- ENTENÇA (KM 4 TO 4,1): Short straight but with a soft climb.
KM 4 to 7,5: Very wide avenue and then streets with a favourable profile. Here you can run at race pace
- GRAN VIA (KM 4,1 TO 6,6): A tobogganing winding section at the start and then very flat where you can maintain your running pace without any problems.
- BAILÉN / LLUÍS COMPANYS (KM 6,6 TO 7,5): Favourable profile (soft downhill) where we can go a little faster.
KM 7,5 to 10: Quite a favourable profile on wide roads. There’s no secret, just keep working your legs here.
- BUENAVENTURA M. / PALLARS (KM 7,5 TO 9,2): Very long and fairly flat straight except for a gentle up and down at the start of Pallars.
- LLACUNA (KM 9,2 TO 10): Another long straight with hardly any impact on the elevation gain.
KM 10 to 13: We continue along long straights and an almost 100% flat profile. We continue with the strategy of maintaining a constant pace.
- PERÚ / JOSEP PLA / MARROC (KM 10 TO 12,2): Flat throughout except for the short final climb at Marroc Street.
- RAMBLA PRIM (KM 12,2 TO 13,1): A favourable section where there’s usually some shade. To take a breather or recover a few seconds off the time before tackling the long out and back of Diagonal Mar.
KM 13 to 17: Four kilometres, almost 3 of them on the out and back section, conditioned by the wind. Diagonal Mar (to which a loop is added at the end) can take forever and its coda at Passeig del Taulat can be the final straw. It’s necessary to adapt the pace.
- DIAGONAL MAR + BUCLE (KM 13,1 TO 16,5): One of the heaviest and most monotonous zones where keeping a cool mind plays a fundamental role in an out-and-back section with a loop through Lope de Vega and Pallars. The wind may be blowing, so it would be ideal to look for companions to take shelter from it. Even if it is not 100% flat, it is an area where you can go at your own pace. Watch out for the bike lane separators on the ground in the first and last metres of the avenue.
- TAULAT / JOSEP PLA (KM 16,5, TO 17,1): It starts with 300 metres of false flat that weighs on the legs. Then it is flat.
KM 17 to 20: Three fateful kilometres, conditioned by the wind, the heat and a tiny steep climb that breaks the pace. There was no choice but to adapt the pace to the wind and seek shelter by forming groups of runners.
- LITORAL (KM 17,1 TO 20): The section most exposed to the wind, it pays to do it accompanied by people to take shelter. Here there is a short but leg-breaking climb. If you get into a crisis, think that you are very close to the finish line.
KM 20 to META: Almost half a km on very soft downhill, 300-metres of slightly steep uphill and a 400-metre straight to the finish. If you are fresh, you have to give it your all here. If you are tired, it’s best not to push too hard.
- MARINA (KM 20 TO 20,8): The start of Marina is a slight downhill (give yourself a break) but the finish is a slight uphill (regulate).
- PUJADES (KM 20,8 TO 21,097): A straight that should be taken from less to more. Full speed ahead!
The course explained
Green: Flats, descents or very soft slopes
Ambar: uphills and sections that must be taken with caution
1/ START & FIRTS METERS
km 0 TO 1,8
Starting from Passeig Picasso, we avoid the narrowness and the first instantaneous turn of other editions. Now we go straight out for about 200 metres and then turn right, and then for about 600 metres we have plenty of width to run. But then it narrows again until you reach Colón, so running these first few metres comfortably is going to be quite difficult. You probably won’t get the one you’re looking for but that’s normal, the accelerate/brake moments, some zig zags and the typical person who wants to pass at all costs will prevent us from running calmly.
2/ PARAL·LEL TO GRAN VIA
Km 1,8 TO 4
The way to connect Paral-lel with Gran Via is where most of the climb is. It consists of a very gentle first stretch along Paral-lel, turn onto Ronda Sant Pau (which starts gently and then gets a bit steeper), turn back onto Sepúlveda (also gentle at the start and a bit more demanding at the end) and briefly take Entença.
As it comes very early on, the chances of wreaking havoc on the physical and moral of the riders are residual if we have a minimum of head. Even so, losing a few seconds is a good solution to face the rest of the race with guarantees.
3/ GRAN VIA TO POBLE NOU
Km 4 TO 8
This is a zone to get into a race rhythm and only change it when we can gain a few seconds to make up for the seconds we have lost at the beginning. This last point will come in handy in the Bailén section, which is a wide and slightly downhill stretch.
Keep your mind fresh, keep your pace steady and make sure you are alert when you spot the first aid station (right in the middle of Gran Via). This is the moment when we will see if our body is really ready for historic feats or if we have to be satisfied with the formality of reaching the finish line (mind you, for many that is already a great victory, but for me it is still a great victory).
4/ SANT MARTÍ
Km 8 TO 13,5
Five kilometres to confirm our sensations and race pace.
After crossing Marina we start Pallars with the first steep climb: 100m quite gentle and which is compensated by the descent that follows. Then it’s all rhythm for several kilometres (the aforementioned Pallars, Llacuna and Peru (watch out for the wind here); this is where the second refreshment post will be located) until we reach Josep Pla, which this time we will take towards the sea to connect with Marroc, where at the end of this there is a small steep slope.
And to finish, we have Rambla Prim, which is very flat and you can run at race pace.
5/ DIAGONAL MAR
Km 13,5 TO 17
The uphill and downhill section tries to emulate one of the key moments of the Marató but, fortunately, we will suffer much less time and kilometres (there will be three, to be specific) and this year halfway through the route we will enter through Poblenou, which will make it a little less monotonous.
It’s a good time to give encouragement to the runners you come across or to welcome them if you don’t make a good face at that time. In other words, here legs and head are working flat out not to fall apart. I would extend the agony to Passeig Taulat, a ragged street with very little animation, and on top of that it’s a slight uphill.
6/ PASSEIG GARCIA FARIA & PASSEIG MARÍTIM
Km 17 TO 20
The typical wind of the coastal area is the only enemy that can set you back in your aspirations (if you are a little weak, take shelter behind other runners and try to form a group). If it doesn’t appear you have a first downhill stretch where you can show off, just before the steep slope of Carrer Litoral, which is very short but breaks a rhythm that you have to recover immediately as you skirt Bogatell beach.
7/ MARINA
Km 20 TO 20,8
It starts downhill and although it climbs very slightly at the end, I wouldn’t think twice: go for it and pick up the pace. Here you have to make up those missing seconds or, if you already have the time in your favour, finish it off by making it even more extraordinary.
8/ FINISH STRAIGHT
Km 20,8 TO FINISH
Now it’s no longer the eternal 600 and a bit metres to the finish arch, but about half of it, about 300 metres. So as soon as you turn, you can more or less make out the finishing arches to face the final sprint. It’s a straight line of progressively accelerating the pace until you have no choice but to give your all. The Mitja is yours. Congratulations!
Infographics, maps and cheat sheets
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