The Valencia International Grand Prix 2026 took place on January 31 at the Palau Velódromo Luis Puig, turning the city into the epicentre of indoor athletics. Known worldwide for its marathons and road races, Valencia made its debut on the World Athletics Indoor Tour calendar with a meeting that brought together 150 athletes from 22 countries.
Below, we recap how the event was organised, the standout results, and what this milestone means for the future of Spanish athletics.
A meeting with international ambition
Organised by SD Correcaminos and the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation, the Valencia GP was created with the clear ambition of becoming a global reference in indoor competition. The day began with development races for younger categories, and from 18:25 onwards the international programme delivered a packed schedule: 60 m sprint, 60 m hurdles, 800 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m, long jump, triple jump and pole vault.
The organisers’ goal is simple: to make Valencia a must-stop for athletes around the world during the indoor season.
In the pre-event press conference, Spain’s headline athletes —Quique Llopis, Adrián Ben, Jaël-Sakura Bestué and Rocío Arroyo— shared their excitement.
Llopis said he felt extremely confident in his preparation, aiming to get closer to the Spanish record in the 60 m hurdles. Bestué, one of Europe’s fastest sprinters, arrived looking to improve on her 7.18 s personal best. Middle-distance runner Adrián Ben came straight from a training camp in South Africa with hopes of breaking 3:37 over 1,500 m, while Arroyo dreamed of securing the qualifying standard for the World Championships.
All signs pointed to a spectacular evening — and the meeting delivered.
Key results and standout moments
More than 2,000 spectators filled the stands of the Luis Puig arena, and the meeting produced several memorable performances. These were the most celebrated events of the night:
- Men’s 60 m hurdles: local hero Quique Llopis thrilled the crowd with 7.53 s. Just five hundredths shy of the Spanish record (7.48 s), he still claimed a convincing victory.
- Men’s 1,500 m: Olympic 800 m champion Mariano García stepped up in distance and won in 3:37.22, ahead of Martín Segurola (3:37.57) and Adrián Ben (3:37.59).
- Women’s 800 m: Rocío Arroyo captured gold in a tight finish, setting a personal best of 2:04.15, followed by Lorea Ibarzabal (2:04.30) and Poland’s Julia Jagusciik (2:04.31).
- Men’s 800 m: Ethiopia’s General Berhanu Ayansa took the win in 1:46.61, with Spain’s Pablo Sánchez-Valladares finishing second (1:47.40).
- Women’s 60 m sprint: Jaël-Sakura Bestué confirmed her strong form with 7.24 s, finishing close to her season peak.
- Women’s 60 m hurdles: Valencia’s Claudia Villalante surprised with 8.15 s, the fastest Spanish time of the year.
- Women’s 3,000 m: Italy’s Micol Majori dominated in 8:51.50, while Spain’s U20 runner Claudia Gutiérrez placed eighth with a national record for her age group.
- Long jump: Jaime Guerra won the men’s competition with 7.95 m. In the women’s event, Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala took victory with 6.39 m.
- Women’s pole vault: Mónica Clemente claimed first place after clearing 4.40 m, her best indoor mark.
The abundance of personal bests and qualifying performances highlights the excellent health of Spanish athletics, with the National Indoor Championships approaching and the 2027 European Indoor Championships also set to be held at Luis Puig.
Spanish athletes in the spotlight
Beyond the numbers, the Valencia GP was a powerful showcase of confidence and depth. Quique Llopis confirmed he is ready to fight for international medals, while Mariano García proved his move up to 1,500 m could open new opportunities indoors.
Jaël Bestué continues to establish herself as Spain’s leading sprinter, and Rocío Arroyo emerged as one of the country’s brightest prospects in the women’s 800 m.
The next generation was also on display, with breakthrough performances from Claudia Villalante and young distance runner Claudia Gutiérrez.
How to prepare for indoor racing
Indoor competitions are more explosive and technical than road running. If you want to race indoors or improve your performances under the roof, keep these tips in mind:
- Work on technique and cadence: indoor tracks have tighter bends, so efficiency matters.
- Add interval sessions: short repeats of 200–400 m with limited recovery boost both speed and endurance.
- Train on the track: adapting to banking and indoor racing dynamics makes a real difference.
- Strength and plyometrics: improve explosiveness for fast starts and mid-race surges.
- Plan with technology: apps like SnapRace help you schedule workouts, analyse progress and track your training.
If you want to dive deeper into quality training methods, check out our guide on fartlek workouts, a perfect approach for mixing pace changes both on the track and on the road.
Looking ahead: future editions and growth
The success of the Valencia International Grand Prix 2026 confirms that the city is ready to host top-level athletics events. February will bring the Spanish National Indoor Championships, and in 2027 the Luis Puig arena will stage the European Indoor Championships.
For recreational runners, following this meeting is pure inspiration: it shows how strong Spanish athletics has become and how, with consistent effort and smart planning, big goals are within reach.
If you want to experience that same energy, join the journey by downloading SnapRace, where you can create challenges, log your sessions and share your progress with the community.
Ready to test your speed indoors? See you at the next Valencia Grand Prix!