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Barcelona will close the centre for Cursa El Corte Inglés, with 50,000 runners and 40 buses affected
Cursa El Corte Inglés will force the closure of major Barcelona routes this Sunday between 5:00 and 14:00, with changes to 40 bus routes and the Metro as the best way to travel around the city.
On Sunday 10 May, Barcelona will see traffic restrictions and changes to 40 bus routes. The Cursa El Corte Inglés will bring together 50,000 runners. The city centre will be blocked off for hours. The metro will be the best alternative.
This Sunday, anyone travelling around Barcelona will need to plan their journeys in advance. The 46th edition of La Cursa El Corte Inglés will turn the centre into an athletics course, with around 50,000 participants and arrangements that will affect travel from early in the morning.
Traffic restrictions will begin at 5:00 and remain in place until 14:00, affecting some of the busiest thoroughfares. The route starts at Plaça de la Reina Maria Cristina and passes through Avinguda Diagonal, Balmes, Rosselló, Bruc, Mallorca, Passeig de Gràcia, Aragó, Calàbria, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Passeig de Sant Joan and Ronda de Sant Pere, finishing at Plaça de Catalunya. All these streets will remain closed to vehicles during the race, reopening progressively once the event ends.
Public transport will also be affected by the changes. Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has announced alterations and restrictions on 40 bus routes, including D40, D50, H6, H8, H10, H12, H16, V3, V5, V7, V9, V11, V13, V15, V17, V19, V21, 6, 7, 19, 22, 24, 27, 33, 34, 39, 47, 54, 55, 59, 63, 67, 68, 78, 113, 141 and the blue and red routes of the Barcelona Bus Turístic. Tram services will also be disrupted. For anyone who needs to travel through the area, the metro is the most reliable option, particularly Maria Cristina station (L3), next to the start of the race.
The Cursa El Corte Inglés has established itself as one of Barcelona's major mass-participation sporting events. Since its first edition, it has combined a festive spirit with large-scale participation, turning the streets into a meeting point for runners of all ages and backgrounds. Beyond sport, the event reflects the city's ability to reinvent its public space and adapt, even if only for a few hours, to a collective celebration that transforms urban routine.
Cursa El Corte Inglés 10 May 2026. 40k runners from Diagonal 617 to Plaça Catalunya (9:00); closures 5:00–14:00, 40 bus routes diverted, metro L3 key. Travel for Cursa Barcelona: TMB free for runners, Trambaix suspended between Francesc Macià and Zona Universitària; TMB app for updates.