Malaga vs Valencia half marathon: which one should you run?

Are you hesitating between Malaga and Valencia Half Marathon? After running both, here are my honest thoughts about these two races and their respective selling points.

Malaga vs Valencia half marathon

The dates

Valencia half marathon takes place towards the end of October. In 2024, it is scheduled for the 27th October.

Malaga half marathon was also in Fall for the past 2 years, but from this year onwards it will go back to its pre-Covid schedule, taking place in March. The 2024 edition will be on the 10th of March.

Note: there is another half marathon in Malaga, which takes places on the same day of the Malaga marathon every December. I ran this one twice, check out my review here.

The price

Valencia half marathon is significantly more expensive. I signed up for both races in 2024 as soon as the entries opened, taking advantage of early bird prices.

I paid 43€ for Valencia and 21€ for Malaga, which is over 50% cheaper!

The course

Both are extremely flat with smooth tarmac all the way. I believe that Malaga half marathon is slightly flatter (it is apparently the flattest half in Europe) but the incredible field makes Valencia faster. It is according to their Instagram the “The fastest half marathon in the world”.

You can check the course on my Strava for Valencia here and Malaga here. These were both from 2023. Both have extremely high PB potential.

The field

Valencia is undoubtedly the biggest one out of the two races and attracts a more prestigious field. We were around 20,000 runners at the start line in Valencia and 7,000 in Malaga.

That being said, Malaga half marathon is growing in popularity every year and it ticks all the boxes to become a key race on the elite runners’ calendars.

From my own experience in 2023, I was in a pack almost all the way in Valencia. There are so many runners that you’re likely to always have people running at the same pace around you.

It’s not quite the same in Malaga because the field is much smaller for now. If the organisers manage to increase their maximum capacity, there is no doubt that Malaga will attract many more runners in the future.

The weather conditions

Your chances of good weather are high for both races. The only tangible risk in Malaga is the wind, as it’s an out and back race and on a windy day, one half of the race might prove to be challenging with head wind.

Should you run Malaga or Valencia half marathon?

You can of course do both, especially as these races no longer take place on the same month. But if you need to choose one, here are some key elements to consider.

Sign up for Valencia half marathon if:

You’re attempting to complete the Super Halfs Series
You entered Valencia Marathon and need a tune-up half marathon race in your training plan
You prefer running in a pack for as long as possible

Sign up for Malaga half marathon if:

You’re looking to attempt to get a half marathon PB in the first quarter of the year or need a tune up race in the build up to a Spring marathon.
You prefer smaller races with less than 10,000 runners
You want the best value for money. Malaga Half is an excellent event without the high price tag.

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