Joshua Parfitt
TROPHIES, medals and bottles of bubbly saw off this year’s edition of The Mirador Challenge, comprising 15 iconic viewpoints along the coastline of Javea.
The annual walking event was attended by 150 participants, in 30 teams of five, and even saw a new record time of three hours and 55 minutes by team Are We Nearly There Yet?
Other prizes up for grabs included the Best-Dressed, which was won by an all-female team in multi-coloured afros and called THE FITBITS.
“I started the event eight years ago to celebrate the lovely views from Javea, which not everyone knows about,” founder and organiser Mike Smith, told the Olive Press.
This year’s event required a team of 75 volunteers to staff the 15 checkpoints, offering orange slices, strawberries and even jelly babies to the walkers.
Staff also monitored the teams, who were penalised if caught running, and gave a 30 minute penalty to one team for unregistered walkers and littering.
The event, sponsored by Blevins Franks, was divided into sport and leisure categories, with leisure teams Nuns on the Run and Buzzy Bees raising money for Help for Heroes.
Are We Nearly There Yet? team leader Eric admitted to shaving his legs before the event, and requested his team stay silent to preserve their energy for the record-breaking win.
