Barcelona Marathon 2015: Route, Course Map, Times, Event Details

Sunday is a big day in the world of marathons. March 15 will see the running of two major long-distance events in two of the world's great cities.

On the Pacific coast, you have the 30th edition of the Los Angeles Marathon. Halfway around the world, there is the 37th running of the Barcelona Marathon, previously known as the Marathon Catalunya.

According to Time Out London, event organizers expect more than 17,000 people to take part in this year's event.

The Barcelona Marathon doesn't always draw the world's elite distance runners, but it is still a major event capable of drawing a big crowd. Here are the necessary event details.

Route, Course Map

A map of the route can be found at ZurichMaratoBarcelona.com. The course takes a winding, labyrinthine route through the city, starting and ending on the same street, the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristana, near the famous Plaza de Espana.

The event's official Twitter account posted a picture of a blue line running through the city, possibly marking the course:

Start Times

According to the event website, the start time is 8:30 a.m. local time. Runners are divided into six separate categories, ranging from sub-23 (22 years old or younger, naturally) to veterans aged 65 years or older. Per the website, the time limit for the race is six hours.

Notable Event Details

Per the website, there are 41 so-called "animation points" along the course. These animation points serve as spectator attractions and include a wide variety of musicians, dancers and various entertainers. The animation points should serve as a unique way to add local flavor to the marathon, perhaps keeping runners energized if they catch a glimpse or hear a snatch of music.

Last year saw Ethiopia's Girma Getachu Abayu win the men's division with a time of two hours, 10 minutes and 45 second, per ARRS.net. In the elite women's field, Frashiah Waithaka Nyambura of Kenya paced the field with a time of 2:32:36.

The last time a runner from Spain finished first in either division was Griselda Gonzalez back in March 2000.

Runners looking to improve their times may be hoping that Barcelona holds the key to best performances in long-distance events. Florence Kiplagat set a world half-marathon record in Barcelona in mid-February with a time of 1:05:09, per IAAF.org. She had set the previous world record at that same length in Barcelona a year earlier.

While a full marathon is much more grueling, the participants set to run on Sunday can only hope that the flat terrain through this beautiful Spanish city will be as favorable to the full marathoners at it has been to the likes of Kiplagat.