Tom's Story: My First Marathon at the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca

Hey everyone, Tom here.

A lot of you have been asking about my race in Mallorca last month—especially since it was my very first marathon! It was an incredible (and tough!) experience, and I wanted to share the full, unfiltered story with all of you, especially if you're looking for an amazing race recommendation outside of the "big majors".

Full transparency: The title sponsor is TUI, the corporation I work for. This meant I had the amazing luck to run with 500 other TUI colleagues from all over the world, including some of my own amazing team members.

The Pre-Race Vibe (and Questionable Prep)

We flew in on Friday morning, and the airport was already buzzing with marathon vibes. We headed to our hotels, which were located directly at the... well, let's just say Ballermann. 😉 You'd expect perfect pre-race prep, but we still "explored" the local bar scene on Friday night. All part of the experience, right?

On Saturday, we drove into the city to pick up our bibs. If you've ever been to Palma, you know how magical the cathedral is, and it's right at the heart of the race expo. The weather was brilliant, and the city was full of good energy. It was so cool meeting people with different goals, all getting ready for the 10k, half-marathon, or the full marathon.

Race Day: Sun, Hills, and "SURVIVE"

Sunday morning. I was nervous, but I actually managed to get some good sleep. After a shuttle ride to the start and the obligatory wait in the toilet line, I found my spot. The sunrise over the port was absolutely beautiful. 8,400 people were ready to kick things off, and so were we.

I felt good, but I had one clear game plan: SURVIVE. I just kept telling myself, "Do not go out too fast". This was a little tricky as the different distance groups ran together, but it was manageable.

The course was two loops: from the start, along the beautiful port, back to the start, and from there... into old town Palma. Oh, and that's where the elevation kicked in. 442m in total! That was tough.

• Loop 1: No problem. I felt strong, fueled well, stuck to my pace, and the celebration from the crowds on the sides was amazing.
• Loop 2: This is where things got real. The majority of people had finished their 10k or half marathon, the temperature was rising to 25 degrees, and my body just got more and more tired.

But, my mind game was strong. I felt good mentally and ate everything possible, sticking to my gel plan.

Then, Km 32 hit. My body started hurting. My knees felt weak, and I had to start taking some walking breaks. I looked around, and I was not the only one fighting. That last 10k, heading back into the old town for those hills one last time, was a serious battle.

The last 1-2km, though, just felt magical. My AirPods gave up right at that moment, but it was perfect—it let me experience the finish line completely raw. My colleagues were there waiting and cheering, and an unbelievable feeling of success just overcame me.

I will never, ever forget this race, and it definitely won't be my last marathon. ...but I think I need a flat one next time to gain a bit of time "back" 😉.

If you're looking for a challenging but beautiful race in a stunning location, I can't recommend this one enough.

If you have more questions about the race or my prep, just drop me a message!
Cheers, Tom