The Jean Bouinthe longest-running asphalt athletic race in Barcelona -its first edition dates back to 1920- and the one with the most editions to its credit in all of Spain, has celebrated its 100th edition in the smell of crowds.
17,000 runners Combined between the Open 5k and 10k events (open to all types of participants), to which we must add the hundreds that have been listed in the promotion events and the elite men’s and women’s races, they have managed to make the anniversary become the edition with the most participation in its history.
A day dedicated entirely to road athletics that neither the popular runners nor the smallest ones have wanted to miss and, much less, the top-level athletes who began their sports careers here, as is the case of Nacho Cáceres – participating in the Open event – or Carlos Castillejo , now from within the organization, or from current figures such as the Catalan Esther Guerrero and silver at the Budapest World Cup Mo Katir, which they repeat again in the professional test.
Sunday began with the popular tests, called Open, with distances of 5 kilometers (with 3,300 registered and more than 2,566 runners crossing under the Arc de Triomfa tribute to the first editions of the test that had the finish line right there) and 10 kilometers (with no less than 14,000 bibs listed and 11,169 passing Maria Cristina’s finish line), the poster had been posted days ago of everything sold, doubling the figures of the previous edition.
As a tribute to the anniversary of this edition, the runners were able to enjoy before starting the performance of a soprano who sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and the ‘Barcelona’ by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé to immediately begin a massive test of a more festive nature than those restricted to the elites, but where a lot of running has been done, even more so taking into account that this year it debuted a smoother and faster circuit than in previous editions but that Even so, it has a quite demanding ending.
Sergojins goes under 30 minutes
This has been confirmed in the winners’ mark. In it Open 10k in the men’s category, the runner from the La Sansi club, the Latvian Dmitrijs Serjogins -a regular at the Barcelona races-, has stopped the clock in a wonderful 29 minutes and 42 seconds. A fantastic time considering that the previous time it went below 30 minutes here was in 2017 with the Olympian Carles Castillejo, who still holds the record for the test.
After him has arrived the Catalan Ironwill Solideo runner Pol Espinosawith a time of 29 minutes and 52 seconds, and completing the podium was the eternal Reyes Estevezwho at 47 years old is experiencing a second youth in his sporting career by switching to asphalt events and who has spent 30 minutes and 1 second letting himself go in the last meters.
Cristina Silva achieves the double
In the women’s category, the victory has fallen to another regular at races in the metropolitan area and winner last year right here, the Ironwill Solideo athlete Cristina Silva, which has been the only one that today has gone under 35 minutes in the 10,000 meters of this new route with a time of 34 minutes and 39 seconds and demonstrating that she continues to maintain great form.
After her has arrived Anna Beltran, with a magnificent time of 35 minutes and 13 seconds. And in third position was a teammate of the winner, Ariadna Fenes, with a time of 35 minutes and 23 seconds.
A 5k with 48% women
At the shortest distance, the Open 5kwith a female participation that was close to 48% and in a really fast circuit, among women the first to complete the circuit was Rebecca Suarez, the only one that has gone under 17 minutes using a time of 16 minutes and 54 seconds. Then they arrived Marina Martinezwith a time of 17 minutes and 3 seconds, and the Unió Colomenca athlete Elisa Melilli She was third with a time of 17 minutes and 35 seconds.
In the men’s category, the victory went to the athlete from Hospitalet Atletisme Brahim Fatehwho reached Passeig Lluis Companys in just 14 minutes and 26 seconds, in a fairly even fight with the Joventut Atlètica Sabadell runner Miquel Borràs, who crossed the finish line just 6 seconds later (14 minutes and 32 seconds). And 9 seconds later, in third position and completing the men’s podium, he has placed Adrian Guirado (14 minutes and 33 seconds).
Find yourself in the photos
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In EL PERIÓDICO we will offer you throughout the morning a extensive photo gallery which collects the best moments of the sports competition and, also, of all the popular runners who have placed their bibs on their chests to enjoy the festive and healthy atmosphere of one of the most crowded events in the city.
You can also consult here the Open 5k results and here the Open 10k results.