| In June 2008 a contract was signed for the construction the first
stage of a Sports Centre in Antequera. This will include an indoor 200m
running track, only the third permanent track in Spain after San
Sebastián and Valencia. Stage 2 will include a football pitch surrounded
by an outdoor athletics track. I would not be surprised to see a future
European or World Veterans' Championship taking place here.
The summer road racing season has now finished as it is too hot. From
about mid-May there have been Saturday evening races of varying
distances and qualities, all interesting in the their own ways. Many
races are non-standard distances - they choose the route and then
measure it but there are also many 10k and half-marathon races. It is
also common to have a race from one town to the next. I have now managed
to run a race in each of Andalucía´s eight provinces. Incidentally,
Andalucía is bigger than Ireland.
On 16 March 2008, El Ejido in Almería staged its first half-marathon.
We finished finished by running 300m round the athletics track in the
football stadium, with the spectators sitting in "El Vomitorio". Among
the contents of the goody-bag were 10kg of local produce and a recipe
book. The race started at 10.00 in about 23° and it gradually became
hotter. I was pleased with 1:22:55 to finish 43rd of 304 (1st M50). This
is the first time that I have seen a category "disqualified" in the
results. It had two names but no reasons.
On 6 June 2008 we had a half marathon from Úbeda to Baeza in Jaén at
18:30. The race was run in very hot conditions, especially on the road
between the towns where there was no shelter. It started and finished in
the old parts of the respective towns which meant quite a bit of running
over cobble-stones. 22nd of 346 and 1st M60 in 1:26:41 earned me a
lovely ceramic dish which is now on the wall here. Baeza has a big
training college for the Guardia Civil (National Police) and a coach
load of them arrived to do the race. I was pleased to finish ahead of
all but two of them.
My feet were in bits for several days afterwards. I went to a
chiropodist/podiatrist (it is the same word in Spanish) and drastic
surgery was the remedy. He removed 4 toe-nails as well as dealing with
several blisters and recommended wearing two pairs of socks while
running to avoid friction.
My other half marathon was in Berlin with a group from my club here.
We left 24° and arrived in 4°. The temperature had not increased by the
time we started the race at 10:45 on Sunday 6 April 2008. I ran 1:21:03
(193 of 17604 finishers), 2nd M60 behind an Italian who did not have a
chip time at the 10k point.
The bigger races have a good range of age-groups but some can be
quite quirky, as can the organisation. I have been placed as a M45, M50
and M47¼ as well as M55 and M60. I was on my way to catch a bus from
Pruna to Olvera in Cádiz to race back when I came across the number
distribution by chance so I collected mine. There were no baggage
facilities so I had to run back with my T-shirt etc in my hand. It was
advertised as 8.5k but it took me less than 30 minutes so it was nowhere
near that. I never saw the results.
The 8.2 km in La Roda de Andalucía in Sevilla started in the town but
we soon headed for the olive groves where the firm tracks were like
tarmac. The last km was back in town and we finished outside the Town
Hall. I was 17th (1st M50) in 30:32. Afterwards, we had a 90 minute
presentation ceremony with food and drink laid on. Towards the end of
the proceedings, I was surprised to hear my name being called out. There
was a trophy for the oldest finisher!
A 9.3 km race around Ogíjares in Granada on 31 May 2008 needed a
7-hour round trip (including the race) rather than an overnight stay.
There were cash prizes for the first three in each age-group, €100, €70
and €40. Amazingly, entry was free. Again, I have failed to find the
results but I know that I was first M60.
The 7.5 km race in Cuevas Bajas in Málaga on Saturday 28 June 2008
was due to start at 20:00 but it was so hot (36°C) that they delayed it
for 15 minutes which, as you might expect, made no difference (29:07 for
12th of 42 overall and 2nd M45). The next morning we headed off to
Pedrera for the X Carrera Popular del Deporte y Amistad, the 10th annual
10 km between Pedrera and Gilena (it is run in the opposite direction in
alternate years). It was not quite as hot as the previous evening but it
was still hard going. I ran 37:27 for 30th of 158 overall, 1st M60. This
was an improvement on my previous 10k in Córdoba (38:22). I was
interviewed for local TV afterwards and, fortunately, I kept my Spanish
together to make a few comments.
The last race of the summer was the XX Carrera Popular de Casariche
at 19:30 on Saturday 12 July 2008. When we left home we did not how long
it was going to be. They only decide on the day when they see what the
temperature is. Veterans and women ran 4 times around a 1450m loop for a
5.8km race while senior men did 5 laps. It took me 20:10 which left me
in 9th position out of 87, 2nd M50.
To be continued...
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