Ibiza Kids Marathon
Every spring, around April time, Santa Eulalia comes together for the local marathon weekend, and while the longer distances draw adult runners from beyond Ibiza, the children’s race at the far end of the marina, near the Aguas de Ibiza hotel, always feels like the heart of the day for local families seeking fun things to do in Ibiza with kids.
Everyone arrives early, gathering along the port as bibs are pinned and laces retied. The races are organised by age group, each with its own short distance, but it never feels overly structured. Some children line up eagerly at the front, others hang back beside their parents, taking it all in. Many run together, hand in hand with their parents, the whole event unfolding gently rather than competitively.
When it starts, it’s simple. A burst of movement, a mix of determination and distraction, children running in their own way, some fast, some stopping, some falling, some turning to check who’s nearby. The adults line the mini-route and cheer them on, not just their own but everyone’s. It’s relaxed, friendly, and entirely unforced.
There’s a familiarity to it. You recognise faces from school, from the beach, from everyday life on the island. It’s one of those moments where everything overlaps without needing to be arranged. Residents return to it each year, and through the winter months, local running groups like Island Runners Ibiza train steadily in preparation, bringing a sense of continuity that carries through into the spring.
By late morning, the kid’s races are done and the pace of the day softens. Families drift away from the marina, some heading home, others staying out, the afternoon gradually opening up.
Later, the focus shifts towards the promenade for the adult run. The finish line for the main race draws people down to the seafront, where the family-friendly atmosphere builds again. Drummers mark the arrivals, their rhythm carrying across the water as runners come in along the final stretch. Along the edge of the promenade, the restaurants fill early and stay full, tables spilling outwards as the day unfolds.
Down on the beach, families and visitors watch from the sand, cheering, following the movement along the beachfront as the runners return. It feels easy, social, a natural extension of the day rather than a separate event.
The children’s race is just one part of it, but it sets the tone. It’s open, free (for kids), and uncomplicated, something to take part in without pressure. For kids growing up here, it becomes part of the rhythm of the year as we head into the next summer season, one of those days that signals the shift, when the island begins to feel more outward again.
Just one of the simple things to do in Ibiza with kids, a family-friendly annual Ibiza ritual, one that we all return to, year after year.
Ibiza Kids Marathon
A spring ritual in Santa Eulalia, where children run along the marina and families gather by the sea for one of the most loved things to do in Ibiza with kids.