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Valencia, Spain

Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich

How to get into the Valencia Marathon 2026

Race day · in 34 days

Official site(opens in a new tab)

6 official routes into the Valencia Marathon 2026; 1 open now.

Valencia caps the field at 36,000 bibs and fills it in a fixed order: first a four-day loyalty window for anyone who ran with an active entry the previous December, then a free-to-enter ballot for the rest, drawn before a notary who picks a single winning registration number. Ballot winners get a 12-day payment window, and any bib they leave unbought passes to a waiting list of unsuccessful applicants at a higher 200 EUR price. There are no charity entry places at all: the official charity (Casa Caridad Valencia for the 46th edition) is supported by optional donations at registration, matched 50% by the Z Zurich Foundation. Fast runners can bypass the draw with sub-elite bibs, and the only legal way to hand on a bib is the organiser's change-of-holder request.

A 36,000-runner marathon organised by S.D. Correcaminos. Entry opens with a loyalty period for the previous year's runners, then a ballot for the remaining places, with a waiting list for places released later.

Route summary

Open now
1
Opens next
0
Closed
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2 routes unconfirmed

Valencia Marathon 2026 ballot

Who can apply
Must meet the race regulations' participation requirements; one entry per person and not already registered for the race.
Entry fee
€180.00
Opened
Closed
Best for
Most first-time Valencia entrants, since every place not taken in the loyalty window is allocated through this notary-supervised draw.
How competitive
Not published by the organiser
Tips
Entering costs nothing beyond a 5 EUR card hold released within 15 days, whatever the result. You may apply alone or in a group of up to three, but the organiser states a group has exactly the same odds as an individual and each member must confirm by email and carry their own hold. Only one entry per person is allowed and duplicates void every entry, so double-check your name, birth date and document number before submitting. Winners have 12 days to buy the 180 EUR bib before it drops to the waiting list.

Valencia Marathon sub-elite bibs

Who can apply
Men under 30:00 (10K), 1h06:00 (half) or 2h20:00 (marathon); women under 35:30, 1h17:30 or 2h45:00; run in 2024, 2025 or 2026 on an approved course in an event on the official World Athletics calendar.
Entry fee
Not yet published by the organiser
Opened
Closes
Not yet published by the organiser
Best for
Men under 2h20 or women under 2h45 in the marathon (or the matching 10K and half-marathon marks) who want a bib without the ballot.
How competitive
Not published by the organiser
Tips
Article 6.4 accepts times from the last three years set in World Athletics calendar events on approved courses: men 30:00, 1h06:00 or 2h20:00, women 35:30, 1h17:30 or 2h45:00. These bibs go in order of request from early May until they run out, are personal and cannot be transferred, and come with no personal refreshments or expenses. The regulations name no application channel or price for these bibs, so neither is stated here.

Valencia Marathon tour operators

Who can apply
Not yet published by the organiser
Package price
Not yet published by the organiser
Opens
Not yet published by the organiser
Closes
Not yet published by the organiser
Best for
Runners abroad who missed the Valencia draw and want a guaranteed bib bundled with a hotel and race-weekend travel.
How competitive
Not published by the organiser
Tips
The organiser's page lists the operators recognised for the year by country, and says their travel packs include a guaranteed bib while each operator still has stock, even when the race itself is sold out. Packs on that page also mention hotel-to-start transfers for hotels more than 2 km away, late checkout and an early runners' breakfast. Any agency missing from the list that offers bibs is not official.

Valencia Marathon loyalty period

Who can apply
Active registration for the Valencia Marathon 2025 that was not cancelled or transferred.
Entry fee
Not yet published by the organiser
Opened
Closed
Best for
Runners who held a Valencia Marathon bib in their own name for the previous edition and want to return without facing the draw.
How competitive
Not published by the organiser
Tips
The loyalty window has run for four days starting the week after race day, so it only helps if your previous entry stayed active: an entry cancelled for injury, handed on through a change of holder or refunded loses loyalty access, although that runner can still try the ballot. Bib prices are tiered (80 EUR for bibs 1 to 10,000, 180 EUR above that) and the organiser does not say which tier loyalty bibs fall in.

Valencia Marathon waiting list

Who can apply
Runners who entered the 2026 ballot and were not drawn.
Entry fee
€200.00
Opens
Not yet published by the organiser
Closes
Not yet published by the organiser
Best for
Unsuccessful Valencia ballot applicants who registered for the waiting list and can pay quickly when an email offer arrives.
How competitive
Not published by the organiser
Tips
Only people who lost the draw can join, and the organiser is not taking new waiting-list registrations once it closes. Bibs freed by withdrawals, and ballot bibs handed back through a change of holder, go down the list in order at 200 EUR plus the day licence. The offer email gives at least 24 hours before the bib moves to the next person, and the link in your waiting-list email shows your current position.

Valencia Marathon change of bib holder

Who can apply
Must be nominated by a registered runner who requests the change of holder.
Entry fee
Not yet published by the organiser
Opened
Closes
Best for
A runner who knows a registered Valencia entrant willing to nominate them through the official change-of-owner request.
How competitive
Not published by the organiser
Tips
The current holder starts the change in the Runner's Area from 1 February; you then register and pay the price of the bib tier in force, while they are refunded within 30 days less a 5 EUR fee (that fee applies until 6 November, with a 25 EUR reprint charge later in November). Ballot bibs released this way go to the waiting list rather than to a named friend, so a nomination realistically needs a loyalty-period bib. Impersonating another runner can bring a four-year registration ban.

Which Valencia Marathon route suits you?

Anyone can apply
  • BallotMost first-time Valencia entrants, since every place not taken in the loyalty window is allocated through this notary-supervised draw.
  • Sub-elite bibsMen under 2h20 or women under 2h45 in the marathon (or the matching 10K and half-marathon marks) who want a bib without the ballot.
  • Loyalty period for 2025 runnersRunners who held a Valencia Marathon bib in their own name for the previous edition and want to return without facing the draw.
  • Official waiting listUnsuccessful Valencia ballot applicants who registered for the waiting list and can pay quickly when an email offer arrives.
  • Official change of bib holderA runner who knows a registered Valencia entrant willing to nominate them through the official change-of-owner request.
Runners from overseas
  • BallotMost first-time Valencia entrants, since every place not taken in the loyalty window is allocated through this notary-supervised draw.
  • International travel partnersRunners abroad who missed the Valencia draw and want a guaranteed bib bundled with a hotel and race-weekend travel.
Runners with a qualifying time
  • Sub-elite bibsMen under 2h20 or women under 2h45 in the marathon (or the matching 10K and half-marathon marks) who want a bib without the ballot.
Runners who want a guaranteed place

Entering the Valencia Marathon from overseas

Article 2 of the regulations admits foreign athletes who comply with RFEA and World Athletics rules and are over 18 on race day, and anyone without a federation licence pays a mandatory 5 EUR day licence on top of the bib price. The ballot form asks for your ID or passport number, which cannot be changed later, and IP and duplication checks cancel anyone found entering twice. If the draw goes against you, the organiser points overseas runners to its list of official tour operators, grouped by country, which hold guaranteed bibs inside travel packs even after the race sells out. Only tickets.valenciaciudaddelrunning.com sells bibs directly; report any agency not on the official list offering bibs to travel@valenciaciudaddelrunning.com.

Valencia Marathon 2027 ballot: dates coming soon

The organiser has not announced the Valencia Marathon 2027 entry dates yet. We don't guess them: here is what is known so far.

  • The 2026 Ballot ran 16 Dec 2025, 10:00 UTC – 26 Dec 2025, 09:59 UTC.
  • The 2026 Sub-elite bibs opened 2 May 2026.
  • The 2026 Loyalty period for 2025 runners ran 11 Dec 2025 – 15 Dec 2025.
  • The 2026 Official change of bib holder runs 1 Feb 2026 – 6 Nov 2026.

Valencia Marathon FAQ

How do I get into the Valencia Marathon 2026?

There are 6 official routes into the Valencia Marathon 2026: ballot, sub-elite bibs, tour operators, loyalty period, waiting list and change of bib holder. Open now: Official change of bib holder.

When does the Valencia Marathon 2026 ballot open and close?

The 2026 Ballot ran 16 Dec 2025, 10:00 UTC – 26 Dec 2025, 09:59 UTC.

Is there a qualifying time for the Valencia Marathon?

Yes. Sub-elite bibs: Men under 30:00 (10K), 1h06:00 (half) or 2h20:00 (marathon); women under 35:30, 1h17:30 or 2h45:00; run in 2024, 2025 or 2026 on an approved course in an event on the official World Athletics calendar.

Can overseas runners enter the Valencia Marathon?

Official tour operators sell travel packages that include an entry (International travel partners).

Can I transfer my Valencia Marathon place?

Only through the organiser's official scheme. Official change of bib holder: closes 6 Nov 2026.

Does entering the Valencia Marathon ballot as a group improve my chances?

No. Groups of up to three can enter together, but the organiser states your chances are exactly the same as entering individually. Every group member must confirm by email, and a separate 5 EUR card hold is taken for each person.

Can I get my money back if I cannot run Valencia?

Under the 2026 regulations, injured runners with a medical certificate get 75% back until 7 September and 50% until 6 November, and pregnancy gives a full refund less a 5 EUR fee. Refund insurance, which can only be bought when you register, returns 80% of the price (excluding the insurance) for any reason until 29 November.

How old do I have to be to run the Valencia Marathon?

Article 2 of the regulations requires runners, including foreign athletes, to be over 18 years of age on race day.

Get into the Valencia Marathon

We'll email you when any official route into the Valencia Marathon opens or is announced.