David Ramiro |
Sports writing (EFE).- 34,000 runners from 102 countries and an economic impact of 42 million euros. These are the figures that summarize the magnitude of the Zurich Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Madrid, the great festival of popular athletics that is held on April 23 and includes the distances of the marathon, half marathon and 10 kilometers through the streets of the capital Spanish.
Few could have imagined, back in 1978, in the first edition of the Madrid Marathon, that a 42,195-kilometer race would reach 2023 as a symbol of the city thanks to the international projection that the event has had in recent years.
That first edition, held on May 21, 1978, had 7,500 runners, of which only 400 women. The participants started from the car park of El Retiro Park and only three thousand reached the finish line, less than half.
They were very different times from today, in which leaving street clothes under the stairs of some portal before leaving was the norm, the wardrobes of today did not even exist, and the vast majority of the participants, especially Spaniards, ran with sneakers or ‘Chirucas’ and the pants were long tracksuits or beach shorts.
This transformation at all levels of the well-known MAPOMA (Madrid People’s Marathon), one of the oldest marathons in Europe, has been accompanied by the changes produced in society, more aware of the importance of sport, but also by an organizational strategy during the last decade.
In 2012, following an agreement between MAPOMA and Competitor Group, the main American media and events company in the endurance sports industry, the Madrid race joined the list of Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series events along with other tests in cities such as Washington, Las Vegas, San Diego, Nashville, Mexico City, Medellín or Cancun.
Pedro Rumbao, CEO of the Zurich Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Madrid, told EFE that “the Madrid marathon is one of the most important events in the city, not only because of its sporting interest but also because, thanks to its tourist appeal, it generate a high economic impact.
The race in numbers
The 34,000 bib numbers that were available for this year will be worn by runners from 102 countries divided into 9,000 for the marathon, 17,000 for the half marathon and 8,000 for the 10 km, with 27,342 national athletes and 6,658 foreigners, growing by almost 1,200 foreigners compared to the last year. The most numerous are the French (1,248), followed by the Italians (614) and the British (599).
Of the total number of runners, 33% are women and 67% men. For the second consecutive year, in the 10k test, the percentage of women (52%) is higher than that of men (48%).
Foreign runners, with an average of 3.7 companions, account for 24,634.60 visitors. Their average stay is 5.66 days and their average daily expenditure is 244 euros, making a total of 34,021,367.98 euros.
It is also a number to highlight the 8,707 Spanish runners from outside Madrid who visit the city for an average of 2.20 days to participate in the marathon. Their average daily spending drops to 139 euros compared to foreigners, putting their total economic contribution at 7,721,541.74 euros.
“The great economic impact of the Marathon affects both public coffers and the Madrid tourism sector, which increases its income every year thanks to the race. The tourist and economic value grows every year and we hope to continue this growth that clearly demonstrates the profitability of sport not only for the health of citizens, but also for the economic health of the city”, the City Council Sports delegate told EFE, Sofia Miranda.
The attractiveness of this race for the capital was already reflected in the impact report that the Sports Area commissioned on the events of ‘Madrid World Capital of Sports 2022’. That report placed the Marathon “among the five sporting events with the greatest interest for the people of Madrid,” underlines Miranda.
tourist tour
Much of the appeal of the Madrid Marathon lies in its route, the most monumental in its history, with a touristic and historical route that will allow runners to cross the most emblematic sites of the city such as the Gran Vía, the Plaza de España, the Calle Preciados or Puerta del Sol, through which the athletes of the three distances will run.
“The race allows you to enjoy a wonderful city that sells itself to the world. We will have to change the saying and say that from heaven to Madrid. The marathon is a mirror in which to look at ourselves. There is no marathon with such a varied urban route, with which we welcome all runners from abroad”, confessed the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
The environmental commitment, something highly valued by runners, especially by Europeans, is something that MAPOMA also has an impact on. The event will officially certify, and for the first time in the international arena, its carbon footprint with AENOR in accordance with the international standard ISO 14064. In this way, fifteen measures are applied to promote sustainability, such as the digitization of paper elements (tours, regulations, final instructions, etc.), the substitution of plastic for recyclable materials in refreshment bags, the inclusion of bikes and skaters as assistance vehicles in the race or the use of electric vehicles in the race.