IRONMAN 70.3 Málaga: road closures, bus changes and travel disruption this Sunday

Málaga is preparing for one of its biggest sporting events of the year this Sunday, 18 October. The IRONMAN 70.3 Málaga will bring together thousands of athletes for a competition combining swimming, cycling and running, with significant effects on mobility across the city.

The disruption will not be limited to Sunday itself. Preparations for the event are already affecting pedestrian routes and bus stops, while parking restrictions will begin on Friday night in several areas along the seafront.

Málaga City Council is particularly advising anyone who lives, works or plans to travel through the city centre or the eastern districts to plan journeys in advance.

When is IRONMAN 70.3 Málaga taking place?

The race will take place on Sunday, 18 October 2026.

It will be the first time Málaga city hosts an event under the IRONMAN brand, taking over from Marbella within the organisation’s Spanish calendar.

The 70.3 format consists of three consecutive disciplines:

• 1.9 kilometres of swimming
• 90 kilometres of cycling
• 21.1 kilometres of running

More than 3,000 athletes from around 100 countries are expected to take part.

Paseo del Parque already has restrictions

The first changes began before race day.

From Tuesday 13 until Monday 19 October, pedestrian access along the southern pavement of Paseo del Parque will be affected.

As a result, bus stops located on that side of the avenue in the direction of El Palo will not operate normally.

Affected stops and route terminals will be temporarily relocated to areas including:

• the northern side of Paseo del Parque;
• Plaza de la Marina;
• Alameda Principal;
• Calle Victoria;
• Paseo de Reding.

Anyone who regularly uses buses in this area is advised to check their stop before travelling.

Parking banned from Friday night

Another major restriction begins before the weekend.

From 11:00 pm on Friday, 16 October, parking will be prohibited on several roads included in the race route.

The restriction affects:

• Paseo de la Farola;
• Paseo Marítimo Ciudad de Melilla;
• Calle Bolivia;
• Avenida Salvador Allende.

The parking ban will remain in place until the end of the race on Sunday.

Residents who normally leave their vehicles in these areas will therefore need to move them before the restriction comes into force.

Boquete del Muelle closed for almost the whole of Sunday

One of the areas facing the longest closure will be Boquete del Muelle.

Traffic will be suspended from 5:00 am until 11:59 pm on Sunday 18 October.

During this period, eastbound traffic along Paseo del Parque will be limited to authorised vehicles, public transport and emergency services arriving from Alameda Principal.

Westbound traffic along Paseo del Parque will continue to operate.

Private vehicles arriving from Muelle Heredia will be diverted towards Calle Córdoba under the supervision of the Local Police.

Changes to access at Plaza de la Marina car park

The municipal car park at Plaza de la Marina will also be affected.

Access from Muelle Heredia will be closed during the event.

However, the exit towards Muelle Heredia will remain open, as will access and exit from Alameda Principal.

Anyone planning to use the car park should take these changes into account before heading into the city centre.

La Farola, La Malagueta and the seafront

Between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm, several roads linked to the course will be closed to traffic.

These include:

• Paseo de los Curas, in both directions;
• Paseo de la Farola, in both directions;
• Paseo de Levante;
• Paseo Marítimo Ciudad de Melilla;
• Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso, eastbound.

These restrictions will directly affect travel between the city centre, La Malagueta and much of Málaga’s eastern coastline.

Pedregalejo, El Palo and Avenida Salvador Allende

The cycling section will continue eastwards through Málaga.

Between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm, restrictions will apply on:

• Calle Bolivia;
• Avenida Salvador Allende;
• the N-340 / Carretera de Almería-La Araña, eastbound.

This is likely to be one of the areas where residents in Pedregalejo, El Palo, El Candado and La Araña experience the greatest disruption.

Which roads will remain open?

Despite the closures, several important routes will remain open.

Alameda Principal will continue to carry traffic.

Traffic will also remain possible, subject to specific restrictions, on:

• Paseo del Parque;
• Paseo de Reding;
• Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano;
• Avenida Pintor Joaquín Sorolla.

The last of these will also have a special traffic measure in place to help maintain access towards eastern Málaga.

Reversible lane on Avenida Pintor Joaquín Sorolla

A reversible lane will be introduced on Avenida Pintor Joaquín Sorolla.

It will operate between the El Morlaco junction and Calle Pez Plata, under Local Police supervision.

The lane will allow both EMT buses and private vehicles to travel towards the eastern part of the city.

Normal traffic conditions are expected to return from around 3:00 pm.

Changes to Málaga city buses

The IRONMAN route affects several roads normally used by EMT buses, meaning some services will temporarily change their routes and stops.

One of the main changes affects Paseo del Parque, where stops on the southern side in the eastbound direction are suspended while the event infrastructure is in place.

Stops along parts of the seafront and Avenida Salvador Allende will also be temporarily unavailable during the race.

The City Council recommends checking the latest information from EMT Málaga before travelling, as routes may be adjusted while the event is under way.

Metropolitan buses will continue to use Muelle Heredia

For metropolitan bus services, Muelle Heredia station will remain operational.

Stops located inside the station will continue to function.

A special turn will also be introduced on Avenida Manuel Agustín Heredia to make it easier for metropolitan buses to leave the area towards the north of the city.

However, metropolitan stops on Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso and Avenida Salvador Allende will be suspended during the restrictions.

Pedestrians will also be affected

Not all the changes concern vehicles.

Part of the running course will use areas normally reserved for pedestrians, including:

• the southern pavement of Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso;
• the southern pavement of Paseo Marítimo Ciudad de Melilla;
• Paseo Matías Prats.

To maintain access to restaurants, homes and businesses, controlled crossing points will be created.

These crossings will be managed by Local Police, Civil Protection, volunteers and event staff.

They will mainly operate between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Restrictions for residents along the eastern coastline

One of the most important warnings is aimed at people living south of Calle Bolivia, Avenida Salvador Allende and the N-340 up to El Candado.

During the race, between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm, private vehicle access will be heavily restricted.

In some sections, only emergency vehicles will be allowed through.

The City Council therefore recommends that residents and workers who need to use their cars organise journeys before 7:00 am or after 3:00 pm, whenever possible.

What will happen in La Araña?

The La Araña neighbourhood will also have specific restrictions.

The section of the N-340/Carretera de Almería running through the area will be restricted to traffic eastbound between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Vehicles will still be allowed to leave the neighbourhood.

However, entering by car will be limited, except in emergency situations and always under the instructions of Local Police officers.

As an alternative, drivers are advised to use the parking area near the westbound exit, close to the cement factory access, and continue on foot.

More than 3,000 participants

Beyond the mobility changes, the IRONMAN will be one of Málaga’s biggest international sporting events of 2026.

Organisers expect more than 3,000 athletes from close to 100 countries.

Participants will complete a total distance of 113 kilometres, combining swimming, cycling and running.

The Málaga race will also close the Spanish IRONMAN 70.3 season.

What to do if you need to travel around Málaga on Sunday

The main recommendation is to avoid leaving journeys through affected areas to the last minute.

If you need to travel between the city centre and eastern Málaga during the morning or early afternoon, it is advisable to:

• check traffic conditions before setting off;
• review EMT service changes;
• avoid the race route unless access is essential;
• use alternative roads;
• follow Local Police instructions and temporary signage;
• bring journeys forward or delay them where possible.

The most significant restrictions will be concentrated on Sunday morning and early afternoon and will begin to ease gradually from around 3:00 pm, although some closures will remain for longer.

A different Sunday for Málaga city centre and the eastern seafront

IRONMAN 70.3 will turn Málaga’s coastline into a major sporting circuit for several hours.

The race will offer spectators the chance to follow thousands of international athletes along a route that passes through some of the city’s best-known areas.

At the same time, it will require a major reorganisation of mobility from the city centre all the way to La Araña.

For residents and visitors, knowing the road closures, parking restrictions and bus changes in advance will be the easiest way to avoid problems during the day.