Cristina Hodgson
AFTER a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ronda will once again be staging its iconic 101K race this weekend, May13 and 15, with the 9,000 participants eagerly waiting the countdown to experience the race of a lifetime.
The race activities will kick off this Friday, with a pre-race pasta dinner in the Alameda del Tajo from eight in the evening, where athletes can carb-load before facing the gruelling 101km challenge.
In addition, during that same day, Friday May 13, between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm at the El Fuerte municipal sports centre, the race bibs will be handed out.
At 7.30am on Saturday the football pitch will be opened for access to the start box for those early birds wanting to get a good position at the front of the pack.
The access for cyclists will be open until 9:15 am, and for walkers until 9:55 am.
The start will take place on Saturday May 14, at 9:30 am for MTB and E-bike and 10 am for walkers and teams, and the finish, with a maximum time limit of 24 hours, at the Alameda del Tajo, also in Ronda.
Additionally, and in tribute to one of the legendary participants of the race, Francisco Contreras, known in the racing world as ‘SuperPaco’ who died at the age of 81 in 2019, a special memorial service will be held in his honour starting at 9.05am.
Interesting facts 101 Round Legion 2022
- There will be 9,000 participants out of 24,000 pre-registrations.
- Of those registered, there are 8,163 men and 837 women.
- In terms of modalities, there will be 4,350 participants in walking, 1,400 in teams and 3,250 cyclists.
- There will be 75 international competitors from 24 different countries.
- The route will be slightly different for walkers and cyclists, although most of the route remains the same.
- The organisers will have at their disposal: 900 legionnaires, 10 doctors, 11 nurses, 150 student volunteers, 150 volunteers from Civil Protection, Guardia Civil and local police. There will be 24 trucks, 25 light all-terrain vehicles, six off-road motorbikes, 20 Civil Protection vehicles, three water trucks, two buses, 55 tents and 220 tables.
- The race refreshment posts will be stocked with: 34,000 litres of water, 25,000 litres of isotonic drinks, 10,000 gels, 23,500 sandwiches, 3,200 litres of coffee, 27,000 oranges, 23,000 bananas, 1,000 kilos of vegetables, 30,500 sweets and 3,600 bars of chocolate, all ready to be distributed.
- The event is expected to draw more than 20,000 people to Ronda over the weekend.
- A children’s race will also be held on Sunday morning, starting at 10:45 am from the football pitch and will take the young budding athletes into Ronda’s town centre.
READ MORE:
- Iconic 101km ultra long race in Spain’s Ronda returns this year with a record number of participants
- Exploring Spain’s Serrania de Ronda by bike is a true adventure
