The current projection points to 12,500 participants for an event with a strong international profile, featuring 21K and 10K distances, to be held on 21 November
The Benidorm Half has already reached 9,000 registered runners, with more than two months still to go before the 2026 edition. With registration still open and considerable time remaining, the event has already matched its all-time record for entries. However, that figure is expected to be comfortably surpassed, with the organisers, Tour-Sport Promociones Deportivas, projecting that registrations could reach 12,500 based on the current pace compared with last year.
The Benidorm Half has established itself as a leading event on the running scene in the province of Alicante, with a significant presence in the Valencian Community and on Spain’s national racing calendar. It is, in fact, included in the national calendar of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA). The 2026 edition will take place on Saturday 21 November, featuring its two distances, the 21K and the 10K.
Race director Fernando Brotons expressed his satisfaction at the event’s growth, noting: “It was unthinkable when we took over the race in 2018. At that time, we had 1,600 runners across the two distances. To have experienced this growth and to be reaching these figures today is something we are very proud of.”
“Achieving this has been the result of a number of strategic decisions. One of the most important was to give the race a stronger tourism focus, reinforcing the event with one of Tour-Sport’s core principles: its tourism dimension. We moved the race to Saturday afternoon instead of Sunday morning, which encourages participants travelling from outside the area to stay longer and, in turn, makes the event more attractive,” Brotons explains.
He also highlighted another key pillar of the event: its international profile, which is particularly evident at the Benidorm Half. “International participation is key. We focused especially on the UK. This year we are going to surpass 5,000 British runners who have actually travelled from the United Kingdom, in addition to the many other international runners coming from other countries.
“That experiential element is something I would particularly highlight. It is not simply about coming to run a race and spending the weekend in a top tourist destination; it is also about enjoying the whole experience, including the ‘tapa half marathon’ that we have organised for years, the spectacular start, the spectacular finish and the race village we put on.”
Fernando Brotons also expressed his gratitude, stressing that this growth is “thanks to the work of many people, not just Tour-Sport. Benidorm Town Council and its Department of Sport, Visit Benidorm, and everyone who has supported us from the beginning, when we were a very small race, and who believed in us and wanted to be part of the journey.
“It has taken the work of many people to reach these figures. We have not only become the biggest race in the province of Alicante; after the major Spanish cities – Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and San Sebastián, which host the country’s biggest races – I believe we are now on the next tier below them. And we are probably a unique case in terms of having such a high proportion of international participants from a single country, namely the United Kingdom.”
At the end of August, Benidorm Town Council announced the winners of the 2026 ‘Benidorm Tourism City Awards’, with the Benidorm Half receiving the award in the international category. The race held its first official edition in 1984 and underwent a radical change of concept in 2018 under Tour-Sport Promociones Deportivas. With the start moved to sunset to make the most of the city’s urban lighting and its iconic skyline, the Benidorm Half has established itself as the most important race in the province of Alicante in terms of registered participants and one of the most attractive races in Spain, driven above all by its international following.
The Benidorm Half has grown exponentially since Tour-Sport took over its management with the support of Benidorm Town Council. In last year’s edition, held in November 2025, the event attracted 9,132 registered runners, comfortably breaking its previous record of 6,500, set in 2024. Naturally, the goal for the 2026 race is to significantly improve on that figure, with current projections indicating that registrations could reach 12,500.
Last year also produced another highly significant figure in terms of the Benidorm Half’s international appeal. Of the 9,132 registered runners, 4,616 participants – 50.5% – were from outside Spain. A total of 4,043 runners were British. For the 2026 edition, the number of British runners has already surpassed 5,000.
In addition to the British contingent, the 2025 edition attracted significant numbers of runners from countries including Ireland (108), Norway (74), Belgium (72), the Netherlands (72), Poland (42), Italy (38), Germany (23) and France (22), among many others.
A closer look at the Spanish participation figures shows that, of the 4,516 registered Spanish runners, 1,934 came from the province of Alicante (42% of the total Spanish entry), while the remaining 2,582 travelled from 46 other Spanish provinces. Alicante topped the list, followed by Valencia (704), Madrid (463), Albacete (424) and Murcia (184).
More information: www.benidormhalf.com.
