Toledo Marathon not certified: PSOE demands councillor’s removal

The first Toledo Imperial Marathon will take place on Sunday 15 November 2026, starting at 9:00, without certification from the Castilla-La Mancha Athletics Federation. Its times will therefore have no federation validity and cannot be used as qualifying marks for national championships. The lack of certification does not prevent the race from going ahead, and it has more than 3,000 entrants.

On 9 November the PSOE called for the immediate resignation of Rubén Lozano, Toledo’s councillor for sport, over the controversy about the certification. The Socialists asked the mayor, Carlos Velázquez, to dismiss him if he does not step down.

The Federation has complained that the race does not appear on the national calendar, while the current rules no longer mention certification. As of 10 November, neither the City Council nor the councillor had publicly responded to the call for his resignation.

The complaint about certification and race times

In a statement, the Federation asked the City Council to correct the rules immediately, as Article 2 announced a certified course. The Federation said the organisers have neither applied for nor obtained that certification, which is essential for times to count towards entry to championships and federation competitions. It also asked for all the public information about the race to be updated.

The PSOE deputy spokesman, Pablo García, politically accused Lozano of defrauding the entrants. He also warned of the uncertainty among participants (more than 3,200 from 22 countries, according to the PSOE) who had paid their entry fee, booked accommodation and spent months preparing for the race.

The Federation also warned that some runners may have given up on other certified marathons, such as Ciudad Real, relying on the information published by Toledo.

The efforts made and the cost of certification

The Federation said it sent Lozano the paperwork to start the certification process in February 2026 and sent it again in September, receiving no reply on either occasion.

In October, several runners, some of them aiming for a valid time for the Spanish Marathon Championship, asked about the race after noticing it did not appear on the national calendar. According to the Federation, the councillor then replied that the race was not certified because of the cost of the procedure.

The Federation puts that cost at around 2,200 euros and considers it a necessary investment to give athletes guarantees and avoid confusion. García contrasted that figure with the roughly 9,000 euros that, he said, the race launch event in December 2025 would have cost, and with the approximately 160,000 euros expected to be raised from entry fees.

The organisation and potential profits

García questioned the guarantees and oversight of the organisation, which has been awarded to a private company.

According to García, Lozano announced that any profits from the marathon would go to the collaborating sports clubs. The deputy spokesman demanded that the councillor prove this: “Let him put it in writing, let him have it audited and let him prove it, everything else is a fraud.” He also called for sports management based on transparency, respect for organisations and accountability.

The PSOE argued that “this is not an administrative error, it is a lack of respect for the runners, for the regional Federation and for the city of Toledo itself”. García added: “Sport in Toledo belongs to the clubs, the runners and the families. It does not belong to Rubén Lozano.”

Opposition criticism and the Federation’s offer

Izquierda Unida has also condemned the case. Its councillor, Txema Fernández, criticised the City Council for not covering the certification cost when, in his words, close to 9,000 euros was spent on the December launch event.

The Federation’s provincial delegate, José Saldaña, considered it especially serious to announce the course’s certification before it had been made official, given the harm to runners who entered relying on those conditions.

The Federation regretted that the city has not taken the opportunity to bring its marathon into federation athletics, but reiterated its willingness to work with the City Council to achieve this in future editions.

Start times and road closures for the race

The race will cover the 42 kilometres and 195 metres of the marathon distance. Among the entrants, around 1,400 runners have been reported in the individual category, about 600 in pairs and some 1,200 in teams of four.

The individual start will be at 9:00, followed by the handbike category at 9:12. Pairs and Ekiden teams of four will set off at 9:15. In the pairs category, each participant will run 21 kilometres and the relay point will be in the car park next to the train station.

Bib collection will take place at the Colegio San Patricio on 12, 13 and 14 November. On the 13th it will be in the afternoon, and on the 14th from 11:00 to 19:00.

The Carretera del Valle road will be closed on 15 November from 7:00 until approximately 10:30. In the finish area, the closure will begin at 15:00 on Saturday and last until approximately 18:00 on Sunday.