History of the Elche Half Marathon, the Oldest in the World

This year's edition of the world's oldest Half Marathon has been postponed due to the Covid-19 epidemic. There is no date yet, and it will be held after the summer...

So, the Elche Half Marathon will not be held this coming Sunday, March 15th.

The Elche Half Marathon turns 48 years old

The start is at 10 AM on Paseo de la Estación. Have your running shoes ready to run among palm trees.

The Elche International Half Marathon is a race recognized by the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation.

Therefore, a Day License is mandatory to participate. This license is mandatory for both non-federated runners (RFEA or FACV) and those who do not have the Runner's Plus Card.

The 48th edition will be held in 2020.

48 editions that signify 48 years of history for a popular race considered the oldest Half Marathon in the world.

The organization will donate €1 per participant who finishes the race to a charitable organization to be determined for the 2020 edition.

Although registrations are now closed, there is one last chance to sign up. This is the Late Registration:

• It costs €25 for both federated and non-federated runners.
• It can be done at the Runner's Fair (on March 13 and 14, 2020) until places run out.
• We recommend registering on Friday afternoon.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RUNNING CATALOG!

The Origins of the Elche Half Marathon

The story dates back to 1964 when Manuel Jaen, who was in charge of athletics in Elche, wanted to organize a Marathon race.

However, given the difficulties such a competition entailed, he thought it might be a good idea to hold the event in two stages, running 21.097 km on two consecutive Sundays.

Ultimately, this idea was discarded, and it was decided to hold only a half marathon, the first edition of which took place on the first Sunday of April 1968, with José Sempere winning.

The race ran along an urban circuit of 4,240m, which had to be completed five times, starting from the old Train Station and passing through paths among palm groves.

Since then, the Elche race has not missed its appointment on the half marathon calendar.

Is the Elche Half Marathon truly the oldest Half Marathon race in the world?

Yes, it is. Because we are talking about a race organized with the collaboration of various local entities and with open participation for athletes who wished to register.

Among those currently held, it is almost certainly the oldest, although some references suggest that other races over the now popular 21.097km might have been held earlier.

On the website of the Association of Road Race Statisticians (ARRS), older references appear, specifically one dating back to 1956.

When Argentine Osvaldo Suárez, who would later finish 9th in the marathon event at the Rome '60 Olympic Games, ran in a time of 1h08:54 in Santiago de Chile.

Similarly, in 1960, British Brian Hill spent 1h07:01 in a race held in the British town of Romford, and in 1962, American Leonard Edelen also competed in such a race.

All these events were solo races, not formally organized, and not open to all popular runners.

And for all these reasons, no other organization can take away Elche's honor of having organized and held the oldest Half Marathon in the world.

Manolo Jaen's impetus

Anyone wishing to take a short historical journey through the Elche Half Marathon can do so by reading the contribution and research of R.F.E.A. statistician, Ignacio Mansilla, on the origin of this race thanks to its founder Manolo Jaen.

To whom the world of athletics in Elche will always be grateful for his ingenious idea and all his human and sporting dedication to the city of palm trees.

In the image, we can see Manolo Jaén in the lower center of the heart. To his right is the Mayor of Elche, and to his left is the Sports Councillor.

In fact, the city's municipal athletics track bears his name in recognition and gratitude for his contribution to our sport for several decades.

Therefore, we present this interesting document on the origin of this legendary distance and its explanation with certainty, rigor, and study of the oldest Half Marathon in the world.

Another reason not to miss this important event for any long-distance runner, which will be held in March 2020.