Barcelona is preparing one more year to celebrate, on Sunday, May 5, its most emblematic popular race: the Cursa El Corte Inglés which, this year, reaches its 44th edition. More than 14,500 people have already registered, so the organizers are optimistic and confident of surpassing the 26,400 participants of the 2023 edition. Registrations, which can be made only online and are totally free, will be open until the 33,000 available bibs are exhausted.
As a novelty, those registered before April 12 will be able to personalize their bib, which they will have to pick up, like the rest of the runners, either at El Corte Inglés in Portal de l'Àngel or at the Diagonal center, between April 25 and May 4. The race, in addition to being popular and free, is supportive, since, every year, it raises funds for a social entity that, apart from these economic resources, also achieves great visibility among the population.
This year, the beneficiary entity is the Fundació Catalana d'ELA Miquel Valls, the only NGO that accompanies people affected by ALS and their families in Catalonia, and that supports research into this neurodegenerative disease. To raise funds for the foundation, the sports clothing brand Under Armour, official sponsor of the race, has put on sale a limited edition of technical shirts that can be purchased online or at El Corte Inglés centers. Last year, 22,000 euros were raised with this initiative, which were destined for the Fundació Pasqual Maragall, a figure that is expected to be surpassed in this edition, since twice as many solidarity technical shirts have been put on sale (about 4,000 units). Race participants can also make donations directly to the foundation.
In 2022, after two years of absence due to the pandemic, the Cursa El Corte Inglés returned with a new 10-kilometer urban circuit approved by the Catalan Athletics Federation, which is repeated this year, as it was very well received by the runners. The route passes through the most emblematic avenues of the city and in front of great 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 take place along the most central section of Gran Via, to Marina street, then taking Casp, to Passeig de Gràcia, to head to the finish line: Ronda Sant Pere, next to El Corte Inglés in Plaça Catalunya.
Throughout the 43 editions held so far, the Cursa El Corte Inglés has attracted more than two million participants. One of the most significant elements is that there is usually almost total parity between men and women. Thus, in last year's edition, of the 26,412 participants, 54% were men and 46% were women. The winner, Artur Bossy, completed the course in 29′24″. The first woman to reach the finish line, Cristina Silva, had a time of 34'43″.
A gesture for ALS
During the presentation of the race, this Thursday, the director of the Fundació Catalana d'ELA Miquel Valls, Esther Sallés, thanked El Corte Inglés for the entity having been selected to receive the solidarity funds, which she described as "very necessary", since only 20% of its budget comes from public funds. "Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are a very vulnerable group; they have many unmet needs and, from the foundation, we provide support to improve their quality of life and autonomy," she explained. The entity assisted 500 patients last year, also placing special emphasis on helping their families."This race will give us a lot of visibility and will also help us to raise awareness of this degenerative disease and to promote the legislative improvements we are pursuing," Sallés pointed out, after recalling that ALS currently has no cure and there is also no drug to treat patients, who have a life expectancy of between three and five years. In Catalonia there are about 500 people affected by ALS, 3,000 in Spain as a whole.
To contribute to the solidarity campaign, the El Corte Inglés Race and the Catalan ALS Foundation have the testimony of prescribers from the world of sports, cinema, and music, such as Juan Carlos Unzué, Robert Lewandonsky, Javier Puado, Miki Núñez, Laura Londoño, Sandra Paños, and Carolina Marín.
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