Chloe Glover (Reporter)
OFF-ROAD running has been blamed for causing permanent damage to protected mountain zones.
Some 10 environmental groups have voiced their concerns in an official letter to Spain’s minister of agriculture.
Trampling of ground, litter and noise pollution are among the issues they believe are not being adequately addressed by some race organisers.
“Runners trample on vegetation, causing it to disappear,” said Mari Ángeles Nieto, spokeswoman for Ecologistas en Acción.
“Trash, the passage of vehicles, lights at night etcetera alter these delicate areas of high mountain and it is problematic to restore them,” she said.
“Although some organisers are sensitive, in general they are not.”
The Spanish authorities should take a trip to Crete and see how well they look after the world famous Samaria Gorge. Well disguised litter bins along the route which is an amazing 17/18 K. We never saw any litter but then again litter does’nt seem to bother the Spanish, it’s an every day part of Spanish life.
Sadly there are lots of runners who use it as a practise who completely miss the beauty. There really is’nt any way that runners can damage anything the way the route is laid out.
Off-road runner are NOT serial litterbugs. Wrong demographic greenies