BRINGING BACK THE INTERNATIONAL RACES Oh how I miss these run-cations (running+vacation). International Rock n Roll (RnR) races are slowly dying out, so I had to register for this one before it became a distant memory. (This is for 2022) RIP RnR Lisbon, Nice, Edinburgh, Dublin, Vancouver, Chengdu, Mexico City, and all the other races I have missed. RnR Madrid offered a 10K, half and full marathon all on Sunday. There were no "remix challenges," ie run one race on Saturday, then a different one on Sunday to earn another medal for doing multiple races in one weekend. THANK YOU RNR GODS The expo was held at IFEMA building 12, and thank you RnR Gods for making it easy to get to! I was totally smelly, jet-lagged, and dragging along my luggage at the expo. Instead of complicated and expensive transfers, it was seriously the first stop off the metro from the airport. (But after that, figuring out which building was a different story, but at least you are in the area!) The expo was held on Friday-Saturday from 10-8pm. Expos are hardly ever open that late, so that was also a pleasant surprise as well. QR code All runners were given a QR code a couple weeks before the race. The QR code was basically your ticket into convention center. Non-runners attending the expo were required to obtain a QR code as well. At the entrance of the expo, they had a QR scanner which was probably used at one point, and that was that. BOOTH HOPPING Beyond the entrance, there were photo opps for the 10K, 21K and 42K. As you descend down, you will be greeted with designated booths for each distance. I had no idea what my bib number was, so the volunteer scanned my QR code, checked my ID (via passport because upon registration I had to input it) and handed me a fancy envelope with my bib inside. The next booth provided a bag of fuel goodies, and the booth after that I obtained the official bag for gear check (you cannot use just any bag). The last and final booth was for your shirt. COOL SHIRT I really liked how each shirt was differentiated by their distances. 10K was yellow, 21K was pink and 42K was maroon. The quality and fit of the shirts were quite impressive, and it really gave off a European vibe. In the US, I would usually opt for a small, but for EU standards I figured I would be fatter so I chose a medium. I did see a booth where you would be able to exchange your shirt for a different size, but no one was there. Luckily the fit of the shirt was fine. I would have loved to try on a smaller size to know where I fit in EU sizing, but I guess I will never know. It's going to be a week of wine and tapas, so a medium will have to do for now. ;) EXPO, SMEXPO The first stop beyond the endless booths was the Adidas Store; one of the sponsors of the race. Their souvenir selection was lacking. They only had 1 shirt dedicated to the race, and discounted swag from last year. The rest of the expo was pretty much like every other expo -- various fitness booths, opportunities to sign up future races, nutrition, blah, blah. I probably spent a total of 15-20 minutes at the expo. GETTING TO THE RACE The 10K started at 8am, while the half and full started at 9am at The Paseo de la Castellana (Plaza de Gregorio Marañón). With all the one-way streets, and street closures I would recommend using the metro to get there. It was a nightmare trying to Uber to the race, and I almost missed the race. The price I paid for being lazy. THE COURSE Weather was perfect, and I enjoyed the course, especially the support. There were a lot of water stations with snacks, and staff on rollerblades spraying some type of pain relief on runners. FYI, International races tend to hand out full size bottles vs cups. Madrid surely takes care of their people! For some reason, the runners gave off a different vibe too. You can tell people trained for this, accessorized accordingly and took it seriously. It's hard to explain. Maybe I am just used to running alongside with entitled, and fat Americans that complain about everything. jk. There was even a finishing area for people without bibs. You know, if you want to run for funzies. FINISHING CHUTE The finish line was at the Paseo de Recoletos (Between Plaza de Cibeles y Plaza de Colón). Once you get your medal, volunteers mark it on your bib. As you continue down the finishing chute, you are handed a bag filled with goodies. Since I didn't get anything at the expo, the goodie bag (in addition to the shirt and medal) became my souvenir. I liked how the bag just read RnR Madrid. I enjoyed the bag so much, I grabbed another one... and another one.... and another one, and then pretty much basked in the sun in front of the fountain by the Columbus Statue. As I was pretending not to die from exhaustion, a staff photographer took photos of me in all my marathon glory... so who knows, I may be the next face of RnR Madrid! lol. jk. I wouldn't mind running this race again. If you need a run-cation, this is your race. read more

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This was my first international marathon, and I had a good time. The race was organized and went through various areas of Madrid. You could choose either the marathon or the 10k to complete. I would highly recommend the race. Course: Really hilly. Whoever created the course wanted to punish us since the last mile had a lot of incline! Otherwise, be sure to practice on rolling hills. You get a good snapshot of Madrid by running through the various areas. Communication: There were some email communications, but I checked Facebook every couple days to see if there were updates. Bib Pick Up/Expo: The expo was at the Recinto Ferial de la Casa de Campo, Pabellon de la in La Pipa Pavillion. The expo went from Thursday to Saturday. This was not near the main areas of Sol or Gran Via. It was highly recommended to take the metro to get here. The expo was large and had lots of local vendors. We didn't have any issues with picking up our bibs especially since we weren't fluent in Spanish. Bring a copy of your registration and your passport. The bibs didn't have our names on them. To see if your bib chip works, you have to go through a bib check. The volunteer scans your bib and then you can see your name appear on the tv screens. Pretty nifty. You also pick up your Adidas racing shirts at the expo. The shirts were pretty nice. Women had tank tops while men had t-shirts. I really like my tank top! Bag check: Available if you needed it. Water Station/Volunteers/Crowds: There were plenty of water stations available which occurred every 3km for the marathon. The stations had electrolytes and bottles of water. Crowds were on the side of the roads for more populated areas. It was cool to hear the various cheering slogans, such as ¡Ánimo! Swag: Technical t-shirt or tank top, medal, backpack, and a ticket to the free pasta party on the day before the race. The pasta party was fun. Even though the line was long, the flow of people went quickly. We received a bowl of marinara pasta with sausage, bread, orange, and your choice of drinks. There was a commentator in the dining area, and we also heard music from bands. Post-Race Expo: Plenty of sections to hydrate. Plus, there was a section to get fruit, carbs, and snacks. The volunteers were generous with the snacks since we got nuts, crackers, and juice boxes. Yum! Price: We registered early so the cost of the marathon was around 36 euros (around $56 USD). read more

Madrid Maratón - expo - Local Flavor Near Me - Madrid, M

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