The Madrid Half Marathon is back

The legendary Madrid half marathon, which had to be postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic, celebrates its 20th anniversary on 14 November with a renewed, less difficult, faster and more monumental course.

This popular race, with a great atmosphere, an emblematic route, which combines popular athletics and high competition, has its origins in the 20 kilometres Villa de Madrid, the urban race that the Agrupación Deportiva Marathon (Marathon Sports Association) set up in 1989.

The Madrid City Council, which has supported the legendary race since its beginnings, has recognised the Madrid Half Marathon as a sporting activity of special significance for citizens and of general interest for the city last October.

Those who have participated in this race agree that its strong points are the great atmosphere, its emblematic route and the fact that it is a sport that combines popular athletics and high competition. The Madrid Half Marathon is finally back. The long-awaited popular race, which had to be postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic, celebrates its 20th anniversary on 14 November and although it will not be held in spring, the date on which it traditionally takes place, it will be equally welcome.

It is one of the top races on the national circuit and after its last edition in 2019, the international athletics federation, World Athletics, awarded it the silver label, which places it among the best road races on asphalt in the world. The Madrid City Council, which has supported the mythical popular race since its beginnings, recognised the Madrid Half Marathon as a sporting activity of special civic significance and of general interest to the city last October.

Heiress of the 20 km Villa de Madrid

The Madrid half marathon has its origins in the 20km Villa de Madrid, the popular urban race that was started 32 years ago by the Agrupación Deportiva Marathon (ADM), one of the oldest clubs, which has been working for athletics since 1959 and dedicates all its profits to the promotion and practice of this sport.

The first edition of the ‘Los 20 de Madrid’ took place on 9 April 1989, starting on the Paseo de la Castellana, between Cibeles and Colón, with 1120 registered runners, 887 of whom reached the finish line on Avenida Menéndez Pelayo. The winners were Martín Mateo (1h 01:34) who “won with ease”, according to the press, and in the women’s category, Josefa Cruz (1h 12:51), very close with Elena Cobos.

The wonderful 90s

At that time, when registrations were paid in pesetas – 500 pesetas in 1989 – and shoes with Torsion technology – great adaptability to all types of terrain – were in fashion, the golden age of Spanish marathon runners arrived. A decade crowned with great moments such as the mythical triplet of the European Championships in Helsinki 1994 with Martín Fiz, Diego García and Alberto Juzdado on the podium, the double in the World Championships in Athens 1997 with Abel Antón and Martín Fiz, or the Spanish record in Rotterdam 1998 achieved by Fabián Roncero. And the Spanish marathon team received the 1997 Prince of Asturias Award for Sports.

In this victorious atmosphere, the 20 km Villa de Madrid race broke participation records year after year, until it reached 5,693 runners who reached the finish line in 2000. After twelve editions, the ADM race began to be run over the half marathon distance, exactly 21 km and 97 metres. And it continued its trend in crescendo.

The first edition of the Villa de Madrid Half Marathon took place in 2001, with a participation of more than 7,000 runners, of whom 6,716 finished, with victories for the Kenyan Abel Chimukoko (1h03:22) and the Estonian Olympic athlete Jane Salumae (1h13:20). The half marathon took the baton from the Madrid 20 km and kept the start in Bravo Murillo street and the finish line in the temple of athletics, in the track of the old Vallehermoso Stadium, until 2007. The editions with the start and finish line at the El Retiro car park were also legendary. And in terms of participation, 2015 was a record-breaking year with more than 20,000 runners.

detail of press clipping in 1989

Names that make history

In the first editions of the 20 km Villa de Madrid, some of the most outstanding Spanish athletes won, such as Pablo Martín Mateo in 1989, Juan Carlos Montero in 1990 and Cándido Alario in 1992. And in the women’s category, there were numerous national victories: Josefa Cruz, who won three times with victories in 1989, 1994 and 1998; Carmen Mingorance (1990); Aurora Pérez (1992), currently one of the best veteran athletes in the world; Esther Pedrosa (1993); the Spanish marathon record holder Ana Isabel Alonso, winner in 1996; Rocío Ríos with the best time of all the editions (1h08:06) in 1997; and Angelines Rodríguez (1999).

As for the Madrid Half Marathon, African athletes have historically dominated and it is in the women’s category where we find three Spaniards who won: María Ruiz, in 2002; Tina María Ramos, in 2003 and Ana Burgos, in 2007.

The current records for the Madrid Half Marathon are held by Kenyan Kipkemoi Kiprono, who achieved it in 2019 (1h 01:47), and his compatriot Cynthia Jerotich (1h 09:40), who has held it since 2014.

The legendary

The Madrid Half Marathon – as was the case with the Madrid 20 – is a race open to all levels and ages. And if we talk about history, we cannot forget four popular runners, known as ‘the legendary ones’ because they have reached the finish line in every race since 1989: Lucas Alonso, Juan Pedro García, Juan Carlos Muñoz and Alfredo Calderón. This year, coinciding with the celebration of the 20th Madrid Half Marathon, tribute has been paid to them, as it could not be otherwise. And together with them, the two oldest runners of the 2021 edition: Juan Luis Lagartos (80 years old) and Ana Drozdowskyj (69 years old).

At the presentation of the 20th Movistar Madrid Half Marathon on November 10th

A less rough course with its slides

This year, the Movistar Madrid Half Marathon has an improved, faster, more monumental and less difficult course. The starting gun will be fired at 9:00 a.m. on Paseo de la Castellana and Calle de Ortega y Gasset, and the finish line will be moved to Paseo de Recoletos, just before reaching Colón.

The renewed route seeks to soften the profile and reduce the positive slope of the race – the metres of ascent that are accumulated – so that the participants have more options to improve their times and achieve good records. However, always bearing in mind that Madrid is not a flat city and the route combines the attraction of passing through emblematic points of the capital with the slides of the route, those ups and downs that have been part of the race’s identity since its origins.

Thus, up to kilometre 4 it is uphill along the Castellana, passing through the Bernabeu towards Plaza de Castilla. From there, along Bravo Murillo street it is practically downhill, and from kilometre 9 to 12 it is fairly flat, with a climb reaching the Puerta de Alcalá, around kilometre 13.5 and 16. From there, the route to the finish line, which passes through Atocha, Paseo del Prado, Neptuno and Cibeles, is very favourable with a slight climb in the last kilometre.

Parallel to the Madrid Half Marathon, there is also a 5 km race, with start and finish line in Paseo de Recoletos, for those who want to run at a lower pace and at the same time help the Profuturo charity project which, under the slogan, Move for education, works to combat the educational gap in the world.

Each at his own pace

Everything is ready to experience athletics in the best atmosphere. Starting in four waves to be able to run the Madrid Half Marathon from the start. Each one at their own pace or following the guide balloons that are a good reference to reach the finish line in the expected time.

And at the four refreshment points, there will be teams of volunteers with tasks as simple as they are essential, ranging from handing out bottles of water without caps so that they don’t roll on the asphalt and prevent slips, to handing out runners’ bags and handing out well-deserved medals to those who reach the finish line. And if you don’t make it, in this race the saying “the important thing is to participate” is true.

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