The Cursa Diagonal DiR Guardia Urbana will return on Sunday, May 21, reaching its ninth edition. Thus, for one day, Diagonal will exchange traffic for runners and noise for applause, becoming a perfect space to enjoy sports in the Catalan capital. Participating runners will be able, through this event, to enjoy the most emblematic streets with complete freedom of movement and as they never can.
The race is open to everyone, from professional runners to beginners, with very diverse age profiles: young, old, experts, and amateurs. In fact, so much so that there will be six categories: Junior, Senior, Veterans, A, B, C, and D. In addition, all participants will receive an Asics t-shirt, as it is one of this year's sponsors.
The director of the Cursa Diagonal DiR Guardia Urbana, Jordi Soler, emphasizes that this race allows for an invaluable activity such as "running through the streets of Barcelona." "There is nothing more precious than being able to run from one end of the city to the other," he explains, also highlighting the possibility of doing it downhill.
In fact, this race is planned along 10 kilometers in a maximum time of one and a half hours, with a route through Barcelona's emblematic Avenida Diagonal from mountain to sea, with the starting point at Palau Reial at 8:30 in the morning, and the finish line at Passeig de Garcia Fària, in Mar Bella.
Specifically, runners will cross the entire Diagonal to Passeig de Gràcia, where they will go down to turn onto Valencia street until turning again at Castillejos. Once at the height of Bolivia, runners will skirt Glòries, passing in front of Encants and Torre Glòries and rejoining Diagonal, which they will run along to Josep Pla street, practically at the finish line.
"At Clubs DiR we are very proud to organize this race," highlights Soler, who emphasizes the fact that it is a race open to everyone, homologated, under the regulations of the Catalan Athletics Federation.
An experience to share
Thus, the user experience, apart from being able to run through the streets, also consists of sharing with "friends, acquaintances, people greeted, partner and family a morning of joint and collective sport." For Soler, this race can be enjoyed both as a fun experience and taken as a personal challenge. The public can also find in this sporting event "a way to start Sunday with energy," added to the experiences during the Runner's Fair.
In his opinion, the Cursa Diagonal DiR Guardia Urbana "primarily conveys personal improvement and doing sport and health accompanied by friends, acquaintances, family and partner, as the case may be." Although the two editions during the pandemic had to be canceled, for Soler, it is a fully consolidated race in its ninth edition.
Last year, Reyes Estévez was proclaimed champion in the male category, with a time of 30:35. In the female category, for her part, the Norwegian runner Oda Hove won the prize, thanks to her time of 35:05.
This year, the two-time Guinness World Record holder in a wheelchair marathon, Èric Domingo, will participate in the Cursa. He will do so with his mother Silvia, who has suffered from multiple sclerosis for years and which is why Éric began participating with her in races. In addition, the former professional athlete, champion of several European championships in the 1,500 category, Reyes Estévez, will be the headliner.
An edition full of novelties
As for this year's novelties, they include a round table on Friday afternoon at the Runner's Fair with Reyes Estévez and Eric Domingo, a new Asics t-shirt, a very complete runner's bag, and the live broadcast of the race on social media. "Also, some more novelties pending confirmation," explains Soler.
The Cursa Diagonal DiR Guardia Urbana is a certified race, timed by the Championchip company. This year there will be two aid stations: at kilometer five and at the finish line, as well as medical assistance.
Last year, despite having suspended the race for two consecutive years due to the pandemic, the eighth edition was very special, as the desire to once again traverse the city from end to end by the more than 7,500 registered athletes, crossing Diagonal Avenue, was palpable in the atmosphere.
Cursa Kids
In parallel, DiR also organizes the Cursa Kids, on May 20. A sports festival for the whole family, which will take place around the Piscinas y Deportes Park, next to the Diagonal DiR club. This year, the Cursa Kids makes a donation to the Special Olympics entity included in the registration and optional in the 10-kilometer race.
This celebration will have several categories depending on the participants: Parents and children (minis group 2), where parents and children born between 2021 and 2022 will run; Parents and children (minis group 1), with parents and children born between 2019 and 2021; Pre-benjamins, children born between 2016 and 2018; Benjamins; between 2014 and 2015; Alevines, between 2012 and 2013 and Infantiles, between 2010 and 2011.
Each of these categories will start the race at a different time (specifically from 10:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.). Similarly, it should be noted that the race distance will also differ depending on the category: for the Parents and Children, Pre-Benjamin and Benjamin categories, the distance will be 400 meters (equivalent to one lap of the circuit); for the Alevín category it will be 800 meters (two laps), while the children will do four laps of the circuit.