Marathon Pride in Valencia

The main event of the Ciudad del Running continues to evolve and break records, and we talked to its communication director, Álex Heras, to analyze what to expect from its immediate future.

On February 26, the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich announced that it was sold out. 35,000 race bibs were dispensed, 85 days after Sisay Lemma smashed the course record with a stratospheric time of 2.01:47 for the sixth fastest time ever.

This is the sixth consecutive year in which the event has sold out, in a context in which the bulk of sporting events are languishing after the post-confinement euphoria of 2021.

The event blast has been accompanied by the evolution of SPORCKS. Always linked to the great Valencian running event, the sports socks company, from the fair itself and in direct contact with its runners, has been an exceptional witness of the expansion of an event that is an international benchmark and a source of pride for an entire city.

A bright future

The second event with the greatest economic impact on Valencia (31 million euros in tourist spending in 2023) and a record-breaker (32,455 registered participants, 17% more than in 2022), the Valencia Marathon has a bright future ahead of it.

We sat down with Álex Heras, its communications director, to analyze what we can expect from the marathon that never tires of growing and that is knocking on the door of the Majors.

"For 2024, we basically have two objectives. On the one hand, we want to maintain the maximum level of quality shown in our satisfaction surveys so that participants achieve their personal goals (46% of them do, according to the data) and enjoy the City of Running. The other objective aims at the elite and is to get Valencia to hold the world marathon record,” said Heras.

The future strategy of the Valencia Marathon is clear: “To offer the highest quality experience to our runners.” In this sense, the organization assumes that “the standards are already very high” but it is working to improve: "Our future objectives are focused on satisfying the 35,000 runners we have at present. Valencia is ambitious and wants to remain in the world's top at all levels."

An international fair

The Runner's Fair is one of the vital aspects for the organization of the Trinidad Alfonso Zurich Valencia Marathon. Taking care of the contact of the runners with the races, in addition to the commercial aspect, is the letter of introduction of the event and its evolution in the great appointment of the City of Running, with its transfer to the fairgrounds of Valencia, is a leap forward.

"The move from the City of Arts and Sciences to the Valencia Fair was a thoughtful and necessary decision. The growth of the event at all levels, but mainly participative and with the entry of brands such as New Balance, invited us to change space in the search for functionality. 60,000 people visit us, and the experience has been very satisfactory. The runners have valued it as such. In this regard, seeing brands with Valencian roots such as SPORKCS being shown in this increasingly international space is a source of satisfaction," adds Álex Heras in closing.

On December 1, 2024, a new edition of the Valencia Marathon is on the horizon. A prize of 1 million euros for the runner who makes history by beating the world record, 35,000 hopes confirmed at the start and SPORKCS will once again be welcoming all participants at its Fair.