With M for marathon

With M for waking up early, for mind, for merit, for method, for motivation, for March. With M for metropolis, for metaphor, for movement, for sea, for brand. With M for showing and for medal. A marathon places a city in the international spotlight for a few days, not only because of the buzz it entails at an organizational level, of designing an attractive and representative route, closing streets, communicating it to affected neighbors, thinking about evacuation plans, recruiting volunteers, painting the blue line that draws the city over 42 kilometers, but also, for how this is explained to the world. How to make this event the reason why many people decide to visit our city, fall in love with our streets, with our people, with that unique energy that each city gives off when runners occupy the streets and the city is the world host of sport for a day.

A marathon begins four months before race day. It begins with scheduled training, early mornings, resilience, diet control. Going out to run without wanting to, with a hangover, without sleep, with your period, after a bad night, and with cold, rain, heat and humidity. Negotiating with your family, managing children and commitments. A marathon is a tough physical and mental experience. Only 1% of the world's population has run and finished a marathon. You don't need to have finished any to feel better, but, in any case, it is a test that cooks slowly and has many moments of doubt and temptation to give up. The marathon is a metaphor for life, it is having a clear goal and organizing each little step until you achieve it. It is the closest thing to life itself. To couple relationships, to professional goals, to your academic achievements, to your learning path as a mother if you are one, to your determination to achieve your dreams, to your desire to dare. And like everything in life, the most important and fun part is the process, the journey.

Barcelona makes a city brand by organizing one of the most valued marathons in the world. From 1980 until today, 47 editions have been held, this year has been the one with the most participation, with 27,000 runners. I can assure you that the marathon was experienced in the city from the previous days, when you see athletes from 109 countries arriving in the city, recognizing the streets and loving them a little more.

60% of runners were foreigners. The day before the marathon I met Adelina, a French woman from Lyon who was in Barcelona for her first marathon. We coincided giving each other a foot massage near the starting point and shared the emotions, doubts and fears that every marathon brings. I acted as an ambassador, recommended places to walk and visit, and told her that she would be amazed by the people of Barcelona and their joy in the streets. I told her that Barcelona would help her run.

The morning of the race you breathe excitement, desire, tiredness, doubts and fear, in all the languages of the world, in athletes of all ages, conditions and trends. There are young people, grandparents, some in costume, others half-naked and others very bundled up. But a smile unites us all. In our starting corrals, we smile, we look at each other, we know what it has cost us to get there, and we want to be there, no matter what. During the race, the pacers appear to help us chase that blue line, they take care of us, motivate us and support us. And we celebrate Barcelona in its purest state. We feel proud to be part of it, we border the Sagrada Família, Paseo de Gràcia, our beaches and the Arc de Triomf, it seems like paradise to us. There are 20% who don't make it. And there are 80% who have experienced an emotional roller coaster for four hours that is a miniature of a life. In the end, we confirm that we can always do a little more, that life is about daring and that our streets and their people are the best complements for this experience, which in many cases is transcendental.

I know well what it feels like and how difficult this challenge is. This time I finished and enjoyed my eleventh marathon, with a very special bib. You can put whatever you want on your bib, and just this year the company my father founded turns 42, the same kilometers that the 21,644 finishers ran. They shouted at me: "Go Sirena!".

I celebrate the brave brands that sponsor this race and build legacy. This marathon had the largest participation of women in history in Barcelona, with 23%, and 20% of official pacers were women; seven out of 35. Barcelona is also more beautiful thanks to its marathon.