One week to go until the La Valette Marathon

The third edition of the La Valette Marathon will take place on Sunday, March 24.

The La Valette Marathon has enjoyed rapid growth during the past three years. In 2022, there were 722 participants, of which 247 were foreign runners.

Last year, the race attracted 909 participants which included 573 foreigners.

This year, the La Valette Marathon shall be a sold-out event as 2,000 participants have registered for the race, of which 1,239 are foreigners.

These three annual events, whose mission statement is placing Malta on the international Sports Tourism map, through an internationally AIMS measured and recognised route, will have enticed no fewer than 5,147 tourists coming to Malta specifically for the La Valette Marathon.

In touristic statistics, these arrivals generated 23,161 accommodation bed nights and 46,323 dining customers at our local eateries, generating €6.1 million in expenditure.

These numbers confirm as to how important the niche market of ‘Sports Tourism’ is to our country.

The following is the list of countries to which participants shall be travelling from, and this includes no less than 50 nations from all across the globe, United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Spain, Greece, France, Hungary, Belgium, United States, Ireland, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Latvia, Portugal, Lithuania, Cyprus, Norway, Croatia, Slovakia, Finland, Netherlands, Ukraine, Bosnia Herzegovina, Colombia, Sweden, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, Denmark, South Africa, Taiwan, Canada, Slovenia, Australia, New Zealand, China, Burundi, Turkey, Kosova, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt and Russia.

The La Valette Marathon is a works in progress project but to keep raising the bar of participants, namely foreigners, there are a few moving parts that really need to be addressed.

First and foremost an education campaign changing the common perception of sports people training on our roads, and an added proactive traffic network strategy that just like all the other traffic-congested cities around the world, a running marathon or a national triathlon are two road-based events that can generate an influx of more than 10,000 participants for a half day event.

Traffic Notice

The above-mentioned foreign nationals are used to having road closures for their respective road-running marathons. Malta being a 27km island cannot close off main roads.

But it would be greatly appreciated if motorists along our roads on Sunday, March 24 respect the list of roads to be avoided, to ensure road safety for the runners and this pre-information campaign is in place to avoid unnecessary traffic delays.

• Triq San Pawl il-Baħar, Manikata will be closed to traffic both ways as from 5am to 8am.

• Kindly avoid Triq Il-Gżejjer Maltin and Triq it-Trunciera in San Pawl il-Baħar and Qawra from 6.30am until 8.30am due to La Valette Marathon.

• Kindy note Triq Il-Kosta Salina, has one lane closed to traffic due to La Valette Marathon from 6.30am to 9.30am.

• Beware of Marathon runners along Triq Dragonara and Triq San Gorg due to La Valette Marathon from 6.30am to 9.30am.

• Avoid Tower Road from Love Sign Spinola to The Point due to La Valette Marathon as from 5am to 10am.

• Triq Ix Xatt Sliema shall be closed for Traffic from Giorgio’s to Alliance Tigne due to the La Valette Marathon and shall be re-opened for traffic from 11am.

• Triq ix-Xatt Sliema shall have its outer lane blocked for runners participating in La Valette Marathon – all traffic shall be diverted to bus lane direction Gżira. This lane shall be reopened for traffic by not later than 11am.

• Triq ix-Xatt Ta’ Xbiex, and Triq ix-Xatt Msida from Gzira to Sa Maison shall have one lane allocated to runners taking part in the La Valette Marathon and shall be reopened for traffic by no later than 12pm.

• Kindly note that runners in the La Valette Marathon shall be using inner lane along Triq L-Indipendenza, Pieta and Triq St Anna, Floriana, so please drive slowly to safeguard these participants please. This shall be reopened for traffic by not later than 12pm.

• Barrier Wharf and Triq L-Assedju il-Kbir shall be closed for traffic as from crucifix wharf towards Valletta Triton Fountains, due to La Valette Marathon. This route shall be reopened for traffic no later than 12pm.

• Please drive slowly along Triq il-Vittmi Furjanizi and Triq L-Għereb and triq il-Moll ic-Ciangatura towards Marsa, due to runners using inner lane participating in the La Valette Marathon. This shall be back to normal no later than 12.30pm.

• Please drive slowly along roads Belt il-Ħażna and Xatt il-Mollijiet, Marsa, due to runners in the La Valette Marathon.

• Please be aware that many participants are running along Labour Road and Vjal Sir Paul Boffa in Marsa, so please respect these participants who are running along the inner or bus lane, due to La Valette Marathon. This road will be back to normal by 1pm.

• Triq Dom Mintoff in Corradino Paola southbound shall be closed for traffic until no later than 12pm, then shall have left lane allocated for runners doing the La Valette Marathon, route will be back to normal by no later than 1pm.

• Please drive slowly along Triq Għajn Dwieli direction southbound as the inner lane shall have runners participating in the La Valette Marathon running this route. Traffic shall be back to normal by no later than 1pm.

• Triq Is-Sur and Xatt Juan B. Azopardo along Senglea Waterfront shall be closed for traffic as from 7.30am to 1pm, due to La Valette Marathon.