The event, featuring 21K and 10K races, will hold its next edition on 21 November 2026, when it is expected to set new records for participation and international representation
Benidorm City Council will present the ‘Benidorm Tourism City Awards 2026’ to the Benidorm Half running event (International Category), McDonald’s Spain and its ‘Mitiquísimo’ promotional campaign (National Category), and companies ALE-HOP (Regional Category) and Autocares Grupo Benidorm (Local Category). The Special Mention will go to local businesswoman Antonia Aguilar Masanet, owner of Hotel Palmeral and other local tourism-related projects. The decision was unanimously approved by the Council Spokespersons’ Committee following a proposal by Mayor Toni Pérez.
The awards will be presented at an official ceremony on Friday 25 September, as part of the programme of activities organised by the City Council to mark World Tourism Day, celebrated worldwide on 27 September. Prior to this, the proposal put forward by the Council Spokespersons’ Committee will be formally approved by the City Council at its ordinary plenary session next Monday, 31 August.
Toni Pérez publicly congratulated all the winners on behalf of the city, describing them as “people and companies thoroughly deserving of this recognition, who have stood out in their respective fields for their work and commitment to the development of Benidorm as a destination.”
The event has its origins in a race whose first official edition was held in 1984. Following a radical change in concept in 2018 under the management of Tour-Sport Promociones Deportivas, with the race starting at sunset to make the most of the city’s urban lighting and its iconic skyline, the Benidorm Half has established itself as the largest race in terms of registered participants in the province of Alicante and one of the most attractive running events in Spain, driven above all by international participation.
Featuring both a half marathon and a 10K race, the event, held every November, attracted more than 9,000 athletes in its most recent edition. More than half were international runners, with a particularly large delegation from the United Kingdom, which accounted for more than 4,000 participants, followed by runners from Ireland, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The motion to be approved at next Monday’s plenary session to grant the event the ‘Benidorm Tourism City Award’ in the International Category highlights that the Benidorm Half “has successfully expanded its reach, attracting runners and accompanying visitors from numerous countries and turning sport into a genuine tourism experience, strengthening Benidorm’s image as an active, healthy and year-round destination.” It also states that “its capacity for growth, international profile and high organisational standards make the Benidorm Half an excellent example of the link between sport and tourism, helping to diversify and enrich the destination’s offering while promoting Benidorm’s image internationally.”
The 2026 Benidorm Half, which will take place on 21 November, is currently open for registration. The event has a strong international profile and is included in the national competition calendar of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA).
The Benidorm Half has grown exponentially since the event was taken over by organiser Tour-Sport Promociones Deportivas, with the support of Benidorm City Council. In the most recent edition, held in November 2025, the event attracted 9,132 registered runners, comfortably surpassing its previous record of 6,500 participants, set in 2024. The aim for the 2026 race is to significantly exceed that figure.
Another particularly significant statistic highlights the international character of the Benidorm Half. Of the 9,132 registered runners in 2025, 4,616 participants, or 50.5%, came from outside Spain. Most notably, 4,043 runners were from the United Kingdom.
Other significant international representations included Ireland (108 runners), Norway (74), Belgium (72), the Netherlands (72), Poland (42), Italy (38), Germany (23), France (22) and Sweden (18), among many other countries.
A detailed analysis of the Spanish participation shows that, of the 4,516 registered Spanish runners, 1,934 came from the province of Alicante, accounting for 42% of all Spanish participants, while the remaining 2,582 came from 46 other Spanish provinces. The top five provinces, with Alicante leading the ranking, were Alicante (1,934), Valencia (704), Madrid (463), Albacete (424) and Murcia (184).
More information at www.benidormhalf.com.
