The 'Cursa' of El Corte Inglés expects to exceed 21,000 runners and will fight against Alzheimer's

Popular, supportive, and free. These are the three main characteristics of the El Corte Inglés Cursa, which this year reaches its 43rd edition, consolidating itself as the most iconic and longest-running popular race in the city. It will be held on Sunday, May 7, and currently has more than 9,000 registered participants, although this figure is expected to double in the coming weeks, as the challenge is to surpass the 21,016 runners of the 2022 edition, which had almost parity between men (52%) and women (48%).

Last year, after two years of absence due to the pandemic, the Cursa returned with a new 10-kilometer urban circuit approved by the Catalan Athletics Federation, which is being repeated this year, as it was very well received by the runners. The route passes through the city's most emblematic avenues and in front of major tourist attractions such as La Pedrera.

The start will be at 9 in the morning at El Corte Inglés on Diagonal. Runners will go down this avenue to Passeig de Gràcia, turning onto Aragó street until the confluence with Viladomat, the point that will mark the halfway point of the race. The final five kilometers will run along the most central section of Gran Via, to Marina street, then taking Ausiàs March and heading to the finish line: Ronda Sant Pere, next to El Corte Inglés in Plaça Catalunya.

Each year, the El Corte Inglés Cursa partners with a social or research entity with the aim of raising funds and raising public awareness for a cause. On this occasion, the Pasqual Maragall Foundation has been chosen to support its research to prevent Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The idea is for the Cursa to serve as a great showcase for the foundation, that is, for it to be able to publicize its programs to combat Alzheimer's, attract new benefactor members, and raise awareness among citizens about the importance of leading a healthy life and practicing sports to curb this disease.

In addition to being able to decide to become members ---the foundation already has the support of more than 61,000 people and entities---, to collaborate with this leading research center chaired by Cristina Maragall, runners will be able to purchase a solidarity bracelet for three euros when they pick up their bib number. In addition, as a novelty, this year the firm Under Armour, which is one of the official sponsors of the Cursa, has put a limited edition technical t-shirt on sale whose profits will also go to the Pasqual Maragall Foundation.

The t-shirts reproduce the corporate image and the design created for the 43rd edition of the race and can be purchased for 15 euros at El Corte Inglés stores in Portal de l'Àngel and Diagonal, and also online, starting April 17.

"For the Pasqual Margall Foundation, being part of the El Corte Inglés Cursa this year is a source of great pride and a great responsibility; our founder always supported this race when he was mayor and even participated in it on occasion," said Arcadi Navarro, director of the entity. "Our dream is to achieve a future without Alzheimer's; I am convinced that the Cursa will have an enormous impact in giving visibility to this cause, because the values it promotes are key to fighting this disease," added Navarro, who invited runners to get one of the green bracelets and become part "of the great family of the foundation." "Everything that is good for the heart is good for the brain. Physical exercise and a good social life, such as running in company, are fundamental to minimizing dementias," he concluded.

Arcadi Navarro: "Everything that is good for the heart is good for the brain. Physical exercise and a good social life, such as running in company, are fundamental to minimizing dementias"

In the last pre-pandemic call, in 2019, the Cursa welcomed 46,283 runners at the start. The historical record was set in the 1994 edition, with 109,457 runners, remaining the third most participated popular race in the world. Guinness records were also broken in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997. To compare the event with other major events for runners in Barcelona, the Mitja Marató held in February had 18,000 participants, while the Marathon last March had more than 15,000 registered runners.

To facilitate mobility, this year TMB joins as a collaborating company, which will give a single metro or bus ticket to all runners so they can use it on the day of the Cursa. Other usual sponsors are Veri and Aquarius Zero, which will distribute more than 30,000 liters of water and 20,000 liters of soft drink, respectively, to the runners. Finally, the race has the support of volunteers from El Corte Inglés and Voluntaris 2000, in addition to the Guardia Urbana, the Creu Roja, the Catalan Athletics Federation and the Institut Barcelona Esports.

In 2022, the solidarity entity that the Cursa supported was the Fundació Aura and, previously, other NGOs such as Pallapupas, Càritas, Banc dels Aliments, Solidaritat Sant Joan de Déu, or Fundació d'Oncologia Infantil Enriqueta Villavecchia have benefited.