"When I started running, people told me I was crazy."

BarcelonaRain greeted participants arriving in Barcelona this Sunday for the 46th edition of the Zurich Marathon, which has become one of the most popular marathons in the world, with 60% of participants from abroad and a record number of bib numbers sold: 27,000. At the presentation event at the Torre Glòries, the favorites in the men's and women's categories took advantage of the views to take selfies in front of the city they hope to conquer. The lineup is top-notch, with names like Vicoty Chepngeno, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, who already finished second in Barcelona in 2023; Viola Chepngeno and Linet Masai in the women's category; and Kenyan Samwek Nyamai Mailu, currently among the top ten fastest runners in the world, competing on a Sunday expected to be cold but not rainy. This marathon will also be the Catalan championship and, for the first time in twenty years, a Spanish marathon.

The test begins Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on Passeig de Gràcia, between Plaça Catalunya and Gran Via, finishing at the Arc de Triomf. This year, for the second time, the race features a fast-paced route through the city center, passing iconic sites like the Sagrada Família, but with some new features due to the construction work in the Montjuïc area. The men's record was set last year by Eritrean-born Swiss Tadesse Abraham, with a time of 2:05:11, and the best women's record is held by Zeineba Yimer (Ethiopia), with a time of 2:19:44. This year's men's race saw the last-minute withdrawal of Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie, who refused to take a doping test.

"We already have the best half marathon in the world, and we don't want to stop improving the marathon," commented the Councilor for Sports, David Escudé, at the presentation event. "We've grown by 7,000 bibs in one year; we're close to 30,000 participants, with a route that, unlike others, is entirely within the city. Some marathons are named after cities the race doesn't pass through. In Barcelona, it's entirely within the city. And we've grown in young people and by 5," added Escudé. This figure is higher than the average for the Valencia Marathon, the marathon with the most entries in Spain, where the average is 21% female. But lower than the New York Marathon, where the figure rises to 36% female. For the Catalan event, it's still a significant increase, since in the first popular marathon held in Spain, in Palafrugell in 1978, only three women participated, all three of them Catalan.

Running the first Barcelona Marathon at 60 years old

Beyond the favorites, the Marató is special for personal stories like Carme Expósito's. "This year I'll be 60 years old, and my knees aren't responding as well as I'd like; I don't know if I'll be able to prepare for any more marathons. So I want to do my last marathon in the city where I was born," explains this psychologist specializing in palliative care who has lived in Vilanova i la Geltrú for many years. "I've done a few marathons before, like Paris or Valencia. A year ago, I was going with my partner to do the Vienna marathon, but two weeks before he left, he felt ill and ended up in surgery. We had a big scare. Now he can't do marathons anymore. I liked doing them together; it will be more difficult alone. So I want more. So I want more."

Carmen admits that for a long time people told her she was crazy. "Thirty years ago, it wasn't very common to see a woman training. They asked me if I was crazy, that I might get upset going places alone. It's not easy to prepare for marathons when you're a woman; you have to take care of the children, be at home, and work. That's what happened years ago. Now you find groups of women training;

"I would only do a marathon again if I were invited to New York."

In her case, it all started when she took her children to roller hockey training, a beloved sport at home, as one of her two sons is now a referee. "The mothers were there doing nothing. So I suggested going for a run. The others ended up at the bar, and I was exercising," she jokes. For the last five months, she has trained along the Vilanova seafront, as far as Calafell and Coma-ruga, thinking about this marathon, which will surely be her last. "I would only consider it if someone invited me to do it in New York, which is very expensive," she adds. "But I will keep running. It's a way of life and it prepares you for life's obstacles," she concludes.

Carme will be part of the group of experienced women in a marathon in which most of the entrants are under 40 years old. Some, however, have been doing it all their lives, like 75-year-old Norwegian Vera Nystad, who already did it last year and will repeat it in 2025. This year the event will also feature seven female hares out of a total of 35, the highest number in the history of this event. In addition, the DONAnt Pas initiative is being launched to raise awareness and promote the running female beyond this specific test.

"In terms of events, we are working hard to give it more visibility, and thus offer references to the new generations. DAnt Pas is another example, and we are convinced that it is the path we must follow to position our city as a reference for the running "female," said David Escudé. This initiative has included training with the support of Pro AM Training – the triathlon club that has designed the training plans for the 2025 Barcelona half marathon and marathon –, talks and a strengthened training schedule for the future.