The 7th edition of the Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon was officially presented this morning. The island’s biggest sporting event returns this Saturday April 13 with a record participation of more than 5,000 people.
More than 4,800 athletes will take part in this race over three distances (marathon, 22K and 12K), which will also bring together 600 children in the Santa Eulària Ibiza Kids Run Caixabank.
The main distance will be the first to start. It will start at 3:30 pm from the Port of Ibiza. Then, at 5:15 p.m., the 22K will start from Santa Gertrudis and the 12K from Santa Eulària des Riu.
All the races will finish at sunset, by the sea, at the finish line located in the iconic Santa Eulària des Riu.
A well-established event with an international audience
With the Aguas de Ibiza Grand Luxe Hotel as the stage, the Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon has presented its 2024 edition with the participation of Francisco Larrey, general director of the project; Carmen Ferrer, mayoress of the Santa Eulària des Riu Town Hall; Salvador Losa, councillor of Sports, Youth, Economy and Finance of the Consell de Ibiza; Juan Miguel Costa, director of Tourism of the Consell de Ibiza; Toni Ramón, councillor of Sports of Santa Eulària des Riu; Ana Ferrer, councillor of Sports of the Town Hall of Eivissa; and Francisco Ferrer, deputy director of the Agency of Strategy and Tourism of the Balearic Islands.
Francisco Larrey has expressed his satisfaction “for having maintained a sustained growth in the number of participants,” he said.
Carmen Ferrer, Mayoress of Santa Eulària des Riu, said: “We welcome with enthusiasm a new edition that allows us to promote the municipality as a destination for travellers interested in sport and out of the tourist season. The Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon allows us to show a destination from another perspective, the sporting one; to promote values of healthy living, effort, companionship and fun, but it also allows us to present ourselves to the rest of the world as a friendly, peaceful place with an incredible natural environment for sports and open to the whole family. “It is undoubtedly one of the most original and stimulating ways for many people to discover an island that they might not otherwise value”, he added.
Ana Ferrer, Eivissa Town Councillor for Sports, acknowledged that “we are proud to be part of such a special event with seven editions and breaking all records. The Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon meets all the requirements to be one of the main events on our island every year”.
Juan Miguel Costa, the island’s director of Tourism, added that “the Ibiza that is so hard to make known is known by other faces with events like the Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon. And when they discover it, they realise that there is a wonderful culture and wonderful places”.
Toni Ramón, Santa Eulària des Riu’s Councillor for Sports, emphasised that “the Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon is the result of the combined efforts of everyone and an excellent organisation. It encompasses many sporting events that are very important for the municipality, such as the Santa Eulària Ibiza Kids Run CaixaBank. It also allows us to have a very accessible event for all residents, and this is of great value”.
Salvador Losa, councillor of Sports, Youth, Economy and Finance, in his declarations, said: “There are eight races on the island that have been declared of tourist interest, and the Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon is one of them. In fact, the fact that there are so many athletes who enjoy Ibiza so much and out of season has a very positive impact on the island. We value this event and it is important that the institutions also support this type of event”.
Francisco Ferrer, deputy director of the Balearic Islands Agency for Strategy and Tourism, stressed that “the Balearic Islands Government always supports these events in order to deseasonalise. We try to ensure that there are off-season events like this on all the islands. It is also a good showcase for foreign markets”.
The figures for participation, visitors and international projection have led institutions and organisers to express a common feeling: the satisfaction of seeing the growth of an event that works every year to deseasonalise tourism on the island and to increase the number of visitors.
The Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon in figures
The Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon will have more than 500 people involved in the organization of the event in 2024. An event that, with close to 70% foreign participation, has its main markets in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Ireland.
In addition, the test continues to advance in terms of female participation and each year it gets closer to the desired 50%.
Three distances, one finish line
Three distances, one finish line and the opportunity to enjoy running in a dream setting like the island of Ibiza. The perfect plan for runners of all levels to be the protagonists of an experience that not only covers the most emblematic places on the island, but also surprises with an interior of great natural beauty.
The Santa Eulària Ibiza Marathon is an experience for everyone that begins with the Runner’s Fair and with the solidarity race that, with the help of APNEEF (Association of People with Special Needs of Ibiza and Formentera), the official charity of the event, will inaugurate the day on April 13.
Then, from 10:00 a.m., the Santa Eulària Ibiza Kids Run CaixaBank will welcome 600 children between 2 and 14 years old at the Marina Santa Eulària. Children who will enjoy a non-competitive race that aims to promote sports practice among the little ones.