THE ZURICH MARATÓ BARCELONA 2019 CHANGES THE CIRCUIT TO MAKE IT EVEN FASTER
21/11/2018
The altimetry is reduced and the most complicated drafts are softened. “The popular runners won’t have the hardness of the last 3 kilometres” assures Jaume Leiva about the change that concerns the Avenue Paral.lel.
The 41st edition of the Zurich Marató Barcelona to take place next 10th of March 2019, has important modifications. After 13 years with almost the same route and without important modifications, the organization of the race has decided to include different variations to get a faster circuit.
The main keys of the changes have been to reduce the altimetry of the circuit and to avoid some of the most complicated drafts there were. At the same time, there will be wider and straighter streets to allow the runner to run to a strong and constant pace.
Some of the main modifications of the route are situated around Km 2.5. If in the last edition the race was rising to Avenue Diagonal, in 2019 it will go by Travessera de les Corts, leaving the Camp Nou to the left. This way, the drafts in Avinguda Madrid and Numancia are eliminated and a long straight is offered to facilitate the pace of the runners.
Jaume Leiva, flaming winner of the Behobia-San Sebastián, examined the new route and assures that “some drafts, that were quite strong, have been eliminated”. He doesn’t exactly know how many seconds a runner can gain with these modifications, he considers that “it will be a favourable change for all the athletes, of different levels”.
Another one of the outstanding changes is situated around the km 10. In Passeig de Gràcia, the races were rising to Diagonal, now, they will turn for the street Aragón to the left and will continue by the street Mallorca and Valencia, to continue by Avenue Meridiana. “This modification contributes a section of the route very favourable”, indicates Leiva.
From here, the rest of the circuit is practically equal to that of the last edition, though there is lengthened the section of the Avenue (going and return) and the raise to the Avenue Paral.lel is changed. Next 10th of March, the runners won’t have the hardness of the last 3 km until the finish line.
The change in the circuit, which will take the runners to Ronda Sant Pau and street Sepúlveda, will make this raise more pleasant and attends to one of the main requests of the popular runner: “Popular runners won’t have the hardness of the last 3 km until the finish line” assures Leiva. After this last turn, the runners will face the last meters before crossing the finish line, situated in Avenue Reina Mª Cristina.
New emblematic points of the city are included
The new route of the Zurich Marató Barcelona will continue offering the pass along some of the most tourists monuments of the city. The change of the route modifies some of these points to include new ones.
In 2019, the runners will run close to places as Plaça Espanya, Camp Nou, Parc Joan Miró, Passeig de Gràcia (Casa Batlló), Rambla Catalunya, Sagrada Familia, Calatrava’s Bridge, Glories Tower, Forum, beaches of Barcelona, Parc Ciutadella, Arch of Triumph, Plaça Catalunya, Monument to Colon or Sant Antoni’s market.
Altimetry of the Zurich Marató Barcelona 2019:
Positive difference: 176m (25m less than in the edition 2018)
Maximum slope: 2,5€ / -3,8%
Average slope: 0,7% / -0,8%
