Palma de Mallorca, 21 October 2024

The TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca 2024 shines as a global sporting event

  • 8.478 runners from 75 countries participated, highlighting the race‘s international appeal
  • TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel and over 500 TUI colleagues led by example and joined in
  • The event exemplifies TUI’s commitment to the local community in Mallorca and sustainable tourism

The TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca 2024 concluded triumphantly this past Sunday, marking another year of extraordinary participation. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the biggest running event in the Balearic Islands, attracted more than 8,400 athletes, 44% of which were female – the highest for a marathon in Spain. With representation from 75 countries the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca once again cemented its status as a premier international marathon. The streets of Palma came alive with a dynamic blend of athleticism, excitement, and the support of thousands of family members and friends cheering from the sidelines.

The 42 km marathon route, which meandered along the scenic coastline and passed iconic landmarks such as Palma Cathedral, La Llotja, and Es Baluard, was just one highlight of the day. Participants also enjoyed a half-marathon and a 9 km race, offering varied options for both seasoned marathoners and casual runners. Notably, around 500 TUI employees took part, including TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel, Chief Strategy Officer, Peter Krueger, and TUI Musement CEO, Peter Ulwahn, who ran side by side with colleagues, visitors and the local community after Sybille Reiß, Chief People Officer, fired the starter pistol.

Sebastian Ebel highlighted: "We are incredibly proud of the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca’s success. It demonstrates the unifying power of sports and reinforces TUI’s commitment to the Balearic Islands. This event is an important platform for showcasing how we can merge tourism with meaningful local experiences. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants, spectators, and our partners for making the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca truly unforgettable. This year I completed the 9km, maybe next year I’ll go for the half marathon!"

Winners of the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca 2024

The TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca concluded with an impressive display of athletic prowess, with winners from various countries, reflecting the global nature of the marathon in celebrating achievements of athletes worldwide. The top three marathon finishers received awards presented by TUI, the title sponsor of the event.  

Winning the female run was Annika Uckel from Germany, clinching first place, followed closely by Belgium’s Hannelore Olleunis, and Canada’s Shannon Kelsey Schilthuis securing third. In the men’s race, Aziz Boutoiz of Morocco emerged victorious, with second place claimed by local Mallorcan runner Toni Roca, and third by Thomas Kjetland from Norway. In the half-marathon, British runner Jemima Cooper won the women's category, while Italian Luca Cantoni triumphed in the men's. For the 9km, German runner René Menzel was the fastest male, while French athlete Liv Westphal won the women's category.

TUI’s Drive for Sports Initiatives and Sustainable Tourism

The TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca exemplified the powerful synergy between sports and tourism, and how it can invigorate local communities, attract visitors, and offer highlight the cultural essence of a destination. The event also demonstrated TUI's commitment to working closely with local partners to create experiences that inspire travel and promote sustainable tourism. Innovative measures have ensured the event cointinues to champion sustainbaility, including finisher t-shirts, runners bags, packaging and the medal ribbons being made from recycled and biodegradable materials, a more paperless approach, and a comprehensive recycling and waste collection plan. The entire on-sites, managed by Kumulus, one of the leading sports agencies in Mallorca, was conducted digitally rather than using printed materials.

The sponsorship of the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca, which continues through 2025 and 2026, marks the beginning of a broader, global strategy in sports sponsorship, including other international events, such as the upcoming TUI Rhodes Marathon in April 2025, which is expected to gather over 3,500 runners from 50 countries on the historic island of Rhodes.

About TUI Group

The TUI Group is one of the world's leading tourism groups and operates worldwide. The Group is headquartered in Germany. TUI shares are listed in the MDAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover. TUI Group offers its 19 million customers integrated services from a single source and forms the entire tourism value chain under one roof. The Group owns over 400 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue and Robinson and 17 cruise ships, ranging from the MS Europa and MS Europa 2 in the luxury class and expedition ships in the HANSEATIC class to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships operated by Marella Cruises in the UK. The Group also includes Europe's leading tour operator brands and online marketing platforms, for example for hotel-only or flight-only offers, five airlines with more than 130 modern medium- and long-haul aircraft and around 1,200 travel agencies. In addition to expanding its core business with hotels and cruises via successful joint ventures and activities in vacation destinations, TUI is increasingly focusing on the expansion of digital platforms. The Group is transforming itself into a global tourism platform company.  

Global responsibility for sustainable economic, environmental and social action is at the heart of our corporate culture. With projects in 25 countries, the TUI Care Foundation initiated by TUI focuses on the positive effects of tourism, on education and training and on strengthening environmental and social standards. In this way, it supports the development of vacation destinations. The globally active TUI Care Foundation initiates projects that create new opportunities for the next generation.