Iberia Airlines Iberia Plus - Running at MAD and Iberia support (lounge, shower, etc.)

I'll have a long layover (5+ hours) at MAD next month. I'll be arriving in Business (short-haul) and departing in Business Plus (long-haul). I'd like to use a part of the layover time to go running. I'm fine with running outside -- just need a lounge with luggage check and showers, ideally before security (so I don't have to through security in my athletic clothes). Any suggestions?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/9674177-post7.html indicates that the MAD "Business Center" (http://www.businesscenterbarajas.com/) is usable as an arrivals lounge for pax on IB longhaul Business flights. Has anyone here tried this? Reports on FT and elsewhere are few and far between. But note that I'll be a *departing* longhaul Business Plus passenger.

I do have Priority Pass access, which also seems to grant access to Business Center Barajas.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16697950-post17.html (bottom of the post) suggests arriving long-haul Business Plus passengers may not shower at Beauty SPA. But this too doesn't quite fit my requirements -- this is also for arriving long-haul pax.

Alternatively, has anyone heard of running somewhere within T4/T4S? At http://www.benedelman.org/travel/running/ , I show how to run in the T5A-T5B-T5C tunnel at Heathrow. Something similar at MAD would be lovely and very handy! Then I could use the ordinary departure-area lounges for bag storage and shower.

That is a dilemma! I wonder if you can use the Beauty SPA on a fee basis and leave your bag whilst running, then shower and process back through security and out to T4S and Velázquez. Call 917 466 280 to enquire.

And, if you are arriving from Schengen you should be able to access T4 Dalí lounge, as you will be airside - maybe they can cut you some slack on your return from running (iirc, others have reported access even though their ultimate departure was from T4S).

N.B. The Business Centre information is from 2008, and can't be replicated on Iberia's website in my searches. Check this page (http://www.businesscenterbarajas.com/en/) for the AENA Business Centres (Amnios and La Revoltosa). Amnios definitely has showers. They are Priority Pass and Diners Card lounges as well.

Your report on running around MAD (just don't run MAD like a dog! ;)) would certainly be welcome here.

At IAD (I don't know it that well) you should be able to use the BA Galleries Club for departures? I may have misunderstood what is happening there though.

At Madrid, it matters not whether you are short-haul or long-haul business class, as all of the Iberia Lounges have showers ^

If you are arriving Madrid domestic then departing International, then you will have to change from T4 to T4s. This in itself is a long trek and if you manage to run this all the way (including jogging on the spot on the transfer train) and use escalators instead of the lifts, then you will have already got a good 1.5miles under your belt!

Note: If connecting to an International FLight in T4S, the lounge dragons will not let you use T4 Dali and send you to the T4S Valaquez. Ditto coming the other way around.

T4S can be fairly quiet, and if you head downstairs from the Valaquez lounge and out towards the end of the concourse (I forget gate numbers), you will see that they have huge long moving walkways - jog on these the wrong way and then when you reach the end run back to the start of it. I would not recommend this in T4 though, as it is often rammed and you will likely get clocked one for being a nuisance.

Let me know what date you are there as I am often in Barajas and have done the odd running Trip Report on here before

Thanks, folks. Seems like I have two basic options for running at MAD:

1) Groundside. Pay Beauty Spa or Business Center Barajas to use their facilities (shower + bag check). Run outside TBD, but I'm sure I'd be fine somehow.

2) Airside. Surely only possible in T4S. I do remember T4S being rather large and empty. But is it so empty that I'd be able to go running there? That I do not know. I have previously run in terminals, but only during the middle of the night (at SIN, which is open 24 hours a day; where a BA/QF F lounge attendant said I'm not the only one who does this).

I will try one of these (which, TBD) and report back.

Or take the bus to one of the long-stay car parks and do a few laps around there...

I would personally just walk shamelessly through from airside to groundside in running kit and keep my passport/BP with me. If it helps, I have seen a guy parading around T4 in full caterbury skin-tight leggings and top with running shorts over the top and an "Ironman" cap and a camelbak. I have no idea whether he was any good at running or not, I assumed he was going to run home but he got the same flight to Jerez as me and was waiting at baggage reclaim for a massive bag - so the lazy get wasn't running anywhere, he was just waltzing around looking like a right tit.

There is no provision for on foot PAX to get between T4 & T4S. Also there are no pedestrian paths in the T4 area so any running will have to be inside one of the terminals. Although other posters have implied that T4S is quiet enough to do this I must disagree. I have travelled through T4S (apart from the wee small hours) at various times and there are always PAX ambling around randomly! ;)

I succeeded in running groundside at MAD. My write-up (http://www.benedelman.org/travel/running/#mad).

Ah, well, parking lot because of intense sun - not very picturesque, but it does the job.

I've found they're willing to let you use the T4 lounge if you offer a good reason. "I want to go running outside" passes the test.

Great! Thanks for sharing your information, and the blog link will give folks the full information - for MAD T-4 and other locations as well. ^

I succeeded in running groundside at MAD. My write-up (http://www.benedelman.org/travel/running/#mad).