The flattest half-marathon in Europe: TotalEnergies Málaga Half Marathon

I took part in the Málaga Half Marathon (Media Maratón ciudad de Málaga sponsored by TotalEnergies) in November 2022. Thinking of entering the next edition? Here’s everything you need to know about this half-marathon race!

Note: There is another half-marathon in Malaga, held at the same time as the Malaga Marathon in December, you can check my blog post about this one here.

Wondering which Malaga Half Marathon you should do? I weigh the pros and cons of each in this blog post.

Media Maratón ciudad de Málaga: key information

This Malaga Half Marathon was traditionally held in March but came back on the post-Covid calendar in November. It attracts thousands of participants from Spain and abroad. We were about 8000 runners!

From 2024, the race will go back to being held in March, like it was pre-pandemic.

I took part in the 2022 edition and I am talking about my experience, please keep in mind that some things may change for future editions of this race.

The flattest half-marathon in Europe?

The 2022 edition of the TotalEnergies Málaga Half Marathon had a brand new course which was *apparently* allowed it to become the new flattest half-marathon in Europe!

The strange thing is, Seville Half Marathon is also saying the same thing. So which one is the flattest? Having done both, I can confirm that these two races are extremely flat and the elevation is pretty much the same (almost non-existent).

Hopefully they course will stay the same for the next editions.

How much does the entry cost?

I paid 28 Euros when I signed up in September and this included my affiliation fee as I am not a member of any running club.

Very often with Spanish races, the earlier you sign up the cheaper the price, so if you’re sure that you’re going to take part in this race I’d recommend buying your entry as soon as possible.

Start time and cut off time

The race starts at 9:00. You have 3 hours to complete the half marathon distance, with 12pm being the cut-off time.

Where are the start and finish lines?

In 2022 the race started and finished on Avenida Alicia de Larrocha which is near the Stadium (Estadio Ciudad de Málaga).

It is a short walk from the Palacio de Deportes metro station (line 2).

How to collect your race number?

You need to collect your race number and goody bag at the expo which is held at the Stadium on the Friday or Saturday.

The expo is open between 10 am and 8pm.

Bring your ID and make sure to have your entry confirmation + assigned bib number on your phone. Once you’ve been given your bib, go pick up your goody bag and Tshirt.

In 2022 the goody bag contained: 2 snacks (vegan cookies/biscuits), a muscle balm, a shampoo sample, arm warmers, a gel and 2 metro tickets so you can get to and back from the race.

I personally decided not to get the Tshirt as I never really wear the race Tshirts.

Media Maratón ciudad de Málaga: on race day

What is the bag drop situation?

You can leave your bag in the Ciudad de Málaga Stadium on race morning. The bag drop opens at 7:30am and closes at 12:30pm.

When collecting your number you also receive a tag to attach to your bag. The bag drop is well organised with different sections based on race numbers and volunteers looking after them.

What time do you need to arrive?

Give yourself about an hour before the start of the race to drop your bag, warm up and visit the portable toilets (there are a bunch by the start line but with 8,000 runners, the queue was huge).

Are there pacers?

Yes! The pacers for the 2022 edition were for 1h25, 1h30, 1h40, 1h50 and 2h

Where are the water and fuel station?

There are a total of 5 water stations. The first one is between 5 and 6km. Then there is one at 10km, 13km, 16km and 18km.

The last 2 stations (15 and 18km) also have Aquarius in paper cups and gels.

What do you get at the finish line?

You receive your medal and a bag containing a bottle of water, a bottle of Powerade, a can of beer and an apple. You can also grab bananas.

What is the course like?

It is of course extremely flat as you’d expect the flattest half in Europe to be! It’s not technical at all, there are only a handful of turns so you can really focus on your pace.

The start was a little congested, especially as there’s a turn shortly after the timing chip but within a couple hundred metres it clears out and you can pass runners if needed.

You can take a quick look at the course from a runner’s point of view here.

It is not the most scenic course with just a few sights, such as the Pompidou Centre and the Port. You won’t see much of the Malaga sights but it’s still very nice to run on roads that are lined with palm trees and to enjoy the beach views.

You can check the course map below (taken from Media Maraton Malaga website) or check my Strava for more insights on the course!

Can you get a PB at Media Maratón ciudad de Málaga?

Oh absolutely! The course was changed this year so that it would be even flatter and faster, allowing many runners to get a new half-marathon PB!

I personally improved my PB by 2 minutes, going from 1:37:33 (set at Royal Parks in London) to 1:35:33 at Malaga Half Marathon.

Media Maratón ciudad de Málaga race review

I filmed the race, check out this vlog :) Race footage starts at 4:34

The positives

The flat course doesn’t disappoint! If you’re looking for a fast half marathon, this is the one.
It was really well organised from the expo to the finish line.
The goody bags were well-filled and it was great to have free metro tickets for the day.
Overall I thought this race was really good value for money. I had an awesome experience and I’ll be there again next year!

Any negatives?

The course is pretty much an out and back and with those, there’s always a risk on a windy day that one half of the course might be really tough. Thankfully there was very little wind this year!
The Aquarius drink was given in paper cups, which are really hard to drink out of when running. I understand that it’s for eco-friendly reasons but I choked on my drink and nearly had to stop. I also wish we had been able to get Aquarius from km 10 instead of 15.
Just FYI, the race photos are not included in the entry, you can buy your race photo pack for 18.99 euros.

Would I recommend doing the Media Maratón ciudad de Málaga?

If you’re looking to set a new half-marathon PB and to race somewhere warm in November, this is the one for you! Overall my experience was fantastic, I had a great day and I’ll be doing this one again.