Seville Marathon 2027: date, course and when to start training (UK runners' guide)

The Seville Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday 21 February 2027, with the start at 8:30am local time, which is 7:30am in the UK. If you want to arrive ready, a 16-week training plan should begin on Monday 2 November 2026, and a 12-week plan on Monday 30 November 2026. Seville has become a favourite with overseas runners: in 2026, more than half of the field, 8,954 runners from over 100 countries, came from outside Spain. It is flat, it is early in the year, the weather is usually kind, and the route takes in some of the most beautiful streets in Spain. Here is everything you need, from entry to the date your training should start.

When is the Seville Marathon 2027 and what time does it start?

The 42nd edition of the race, officially the Zurich Maratón de Sevilla, is confirmed by the organisers for Sunday 21 February 2027. The main start is at 8:30am, with the wheelchair race setting off a minute earlier at 8:29am. Spain is one hour ahead of the UK in February, so friends and family following from home will see the start at 7:30am UK time.

The start is on Avenida de María Luisa, beside the Casino de la Exposición and the edge of María Luisa Park, and the finish is close by on Paseo de las Delicias at Glorieta de Buenos Aires. Having them so close together keeps race morning simple.

Can you still get a place, and how much does it cost?

Entries for 2027 opened in April 2026, first to 2026 runners, then to people on last year's waiting list, then to everyone from 17 April. According to the organisers, all 20,000 places were gone within 10 days, a record for the race and 3,000 more than the 17,000 who entered in 2026. If you do not already have a place, you are not out of options, but you do need to move quickly.

• The official waiting list. Places are released when registered runners cancel using the race's cancellation guarantee. Waiting-list entries were priced at €97.10 at the time of writing, plus the licence fee below. Because that guarantee runs until 17 January 2027, most places are likely to come up before mid-January.
• Packages. The organisers sell a small number of premium bib-and-hotel packages (listed at €995 at the time of writing, with only 30 offered), and they list official tour operators by country, including one that covers the UK. Availability changes, so check before you plan around it.

For reference, general entry for runners from outside Seville province was €82.10 including fees, roughly £69 at mid-October 2026 exchange rates. Most UK runners also pay a €5 one-day Spanish federation licence on top. Entries are personal and cannot be transferred to another runner, so never buy a bib second hand.

Why is Seville called the flattest marathon in Europe?

The organisers describe Seville as the flattest marathon course in Europe, and in their 2026 race report they put the total at only 38 turns and around 10 metres of elevation gain over the full 42.195km. They also point to the course being at sea level and sheltered from the wind. The course is officially measured and certified, so the time you run here is a proper certified marathon result.

The front of the field shows what the conditions allow. The men's course record is 2:03:27, set in 2024, and the 2026 race was decided by a photo finish between two Ethiopian runners who both clocked 2:03:59. In the women's race, Finland's Alisa Vainio won in 2:20:39, a national record. You do not need to be anywhere near that level to benefit. The same flat, cool, sheltered conditions are exactly what help club runners and first-timers hit their target.

What will you see on the Seville course?

The route is a single big loop that takes you through almost every side of the city. From María Luisa Park you head north around the edge of the old town, then come south along the river past the Maestranza bullring and the Torre del Oro, before crossing into the Los Remedios and Triana neighbourhoods. The course then heads out to the Cartuja island area, comes back across the river and works through the wider avenues on the east side of the city.

The second half is where the sightseeing really kicks in. The route sweeps past Plaza de España, one of the most spectacular squares in Spain, before a closing stretch through the historic centre, including the Alameda de Hércules and Avenida de la Constitución beside the cathedral and the Giralda tower. It then returns to Paseo de las Delicias for the finish. Expect some of the biggest crowds in the historic centre, which is a welcome lift when the legs start to protest.

What are the key race logistics?

Here is the practical information in one place, taken from the organisers' regulations and FAQ at the time of writing. Details can change before race weekend, so check the official channels in the final month.

Prices and arrangements change, so check the organisers' official channels for current details. Accurate at the time of writing.

Start pens run from elite through sub-2:45, sub-3:00 and so on in 15-minute steps to sub-4:00, then a final pen for everyone over four hours. You get a faster pen by entering a certified marathon or half marathon time from the last two years. As a guide, the organisers accept a sub-1:45 half for the sub-4:00 pen and a sub-1:35 half for sub-3:30. The FAQ gives 18 January 2027 as the last date to update your time, and pens are not changed at the expo.

What is the weather like in Seville in late February?

Usually very good for running. Long-term averages from AEMET, Spain's national weather service, for Seville Airport show February highs of around 18C and lows of around 7C, with roughly 50mm of rain spread over about six wet days in the month. With an 8:30am start, not long after sunrise, the first hour or so is usually cool, much closer to the overnight low than the afternoon high.

What UK runners tend to underestimate is the sun. After a winter of training in the cold, a clear morning climbing into the mid-teens can feel warm, especially if you finish close to midday. Pack sunscreen and a cap, wear a throwaway layer to the start, drink a little at each aid station, and check the forecast in the final week.

How do you get to Seville from the UK?

Most UK runners fly. Seville Airport has direct flights from London and from some regional UK airports, although routes and frequencies change with the season, so check what runs in February before you book. From the airport, a dedicated airport bus and taxis connect you with the city centre. Book early once your place is confirmed.

A few UK-specific basics are worth sorting now:

• Passport. Spain follows Schengen rules, so your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and be valid for at least three months after the day you leave.
• Border checks. The EU's Entry/Exit System means you may need to register fingerprints and a photo at the border, which can add time. Check GOV.UK's Spain travel advice close to your trip, as entry rules for UK visitors are changing.
• Health cover. Take a GHIC or valid EHIC for state healthcare, and buy travel insurance too, as the card does not cover everything.
• Where to stay. Anywhere central works, but somewhere near the start area around María Luisa Park, or near a Metro Line 1 stop such as Puerta de Jerez, Prado de San Sebastián or San Bernardo, keeps race morning simple.

Aim to arrive by Friday or Saturday. You must collect your bib in person at the expo, and there is no race-day pick-up, so a late Saturday-night flight is a risk you do not need.

When should you start training for the Seville Marathon 2027?

Counting back from Sunday 21 February 2027, here are the start dates for the three most common plan lengths. Each plan runs Monday to Sunday, with race day on the final Sunday. As of today, the race is just under 18 weeks away.

If this is your first marathon, the 16-week option is the sweet spot for most people, and our 16-week first marathon training plan for UK beginners lines up neatly with a 2 November start. If you are chasing a time, the complete sub-4 marathon training plan is also a 16-week build. Whichever you pick, plan for Christmas week to be a lighter week rather than pretending it will not happen.

On the waiting list? Train as if you have a place. Places can come through as late as January, and a well-timed plan is much easier to ease back than one started too late.

How do you train through a UK winter for a February marathon?

A February race means your biggest weeks land in January, with dark evenings, cold mornings and the odd icy pavement. A few habits make the block far more manageable:

• Protect the long run. Put it in your diary for the same day each week, ideally in daylight, and build it gradually. Your longest runs will typically fall in late January, before a taper that starts around Monday 1 February.
• Keep most running easy. Seville rewards steady, even running, so most of your miles should be at a comfortable, conversational pace, with one quality session a week such as tempo or marathon-pace work.
• Lift twice a week. Two short strength sessions of squats, lunges, deadlift variations, calf raises and core work help your legs hold their form late in the race. Ease off the heavy work in the final fortnight.
• Use HIIT carefully. A short HIIT session can be a useful fitness boost early in the block, but swap it out as your mileage climbs so it does not eat into recovery.
• Have an indoor plan. A treadmill or home strength session is a perfectly good swap when it is icy.

This is where a hybrid approach earns its place. Edge treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one plan, so your strength days are planned alongside your long run and quality session rather than competing with them. With Edge Pro you get a fully personalised plan, ready within 24 hours, and a real coach to message anytime, which helps when a cold or a work trip knocks a week sideways. Edge also syncs with Strava, Garmin, Apple Health and Coros, so your runs land in one place.

How should you pace and fuel a flat course like Seville?

Flat courses are generous, but they do not forgive a fast start. With no hills to slow you down, it is easy to bank time in the first 10km and pay for it badly after 30km. Aim for even splits, or a slightly quicker second half. The wave start helps, but with 20,000 runners the first kilometre will still be busy, so settle in rather than weaving. The organisers provide pacers from 2:45 to 5:00, which is a simple way to stay honest. Here are the even-pace targets for the most popular groups.

Fuelling is well covered on the course. The organisers' FAQ lists aid stations roughly every 2 to 3km from 4.6km onwards, all with water and an isotonic drink, gels at around halfway and at about 30km, solid food from around 25km, and sponges at two points. Portable toilets sit at the start, the finish and roughly every 5km. Even so, carry the gels you have practised with in your long runs, as a new product on race day is a gamble. If you have run Valencia, the feel will be familiar, and our Valencia Marathon guide covers pacing a pancake-flat course in more detail.

What should you do on race weekend?

• Collect your bib early. The expo is at FIBES, the conference centre on the east side of the city. Go on Friday or early Saturday, bring photo ID and your registration confirmation, and do not spend hours on your feet.
• Use the runner's bag. Only the official bag you get at the expo is accepted at bag drop, and you cannot leave anything from 20 minutes before your wave starts.
• Eat a familiar breakfast. Get up two to three hours before the start and stick to foods you have tested before long runs.
• Take the bus. City buses are free with your bib from 6am to 6pm on race day, and several Metro and commuter train stops are close to the start and finish.

Seville is a brilliant first overseas marathon and a genuine personal best chance. Lock in your start date now, build steadily through the winter, and save the sightseeing for the day after.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.