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The Benidorm Half 2024, with 6,500 registered runners, sets its goal to continue growing in future editions

 

 

• The organisers set themselves the goal of “involving” the city “so that it feels proud of its race”
• Athletes from 46 Spanish provinces and 25 countries will take part in the event, of which 2,800 are from the United Kingdom.
• Toni Pérez praises the transformation of recent years that has allowed “the promotion of family, sporting, healthy, inclusive and universal tourism”

 

The Benidorm Half has set itself the goal of continuing to grow in future editions, once it has reached 6,500 registered runners in 2024. This has been stressed on several occasions by the organisers of the event during the presentation of the event, which took place this morning at the Meliá hotel, with the presence of Mayor Toni Pérez, members of the local council and elite runners who will take part in the race, in any of its two modalities, 10K and 21K.

 

“It is an extraordinary figure for us” said Fernando Brotons, from Tour Sport, the company organising the event, “which encourages us to continue growing”. In fact, the Benidorm race has already established itself in the province to the point of being “the most numerous in the Alicante running calendar”.

 

The current edition, which will begin on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., will have the presence of runners from 25 countries, so that 48% of the participants will be of foreign origin. It is striking that 43.1% of the total number of entrants come from the United Kingdom (2,800 athletes). “We believe that such a high percentage from a single country in a race outside their country is unique,” ​​said Brotons.

 

As for the Spanish, the origin is very diverse and reaches 46 provinces. Only 23% of the participants, 1,500 runners, are from Alicante. By gender, female participation continues to grow year after year and this year women reach 38.5% of the total in the two races, reaching 31% in the 21K.

 

The route of the 10K race is the same as last year, although the 21K has undergone some modifications in the last third of the race “due to traffic needs and to make their work easier for the Local Police” explained Brotons. As in previous editions, both circuits are approved by the RFEA, so all the markings will be official.

 

The health system will have a mobile ICU, six ambulances, a field hospital, 12 doctors, 10 health workers and the assistance of the Red Cross. In addition, the organisation has counted on the collaboration of the Benidorm Athletics Club, which will incorporate pilots to the race who will set the pace to finish the 21K in 1.30 hours, 1.45 hours or 2.00 hours. “Their collaboration is essential, as is that of the Benidorm Cycling Union, which with 16 cyclists will locate the athletes who occupy the first positions” said Fernando Brotons. The race will also have refreshment stations at kilometre points 5, 10 and 15 which will be attended by volunteers from the Horizontes Scout Group and the Benidorm Basketball Club.

 

Among this year's participants, there are several Olympians and Paralympians, as well as the legend and double Olympic medallist, Fermín Cacho. He will be joined by Arturo Casado, David Palacio, Laura Méndez, Luis Agustín Escriche, Carmen Paredes and the Finn Jarkko Järvenpää, among others.

 

At the presentation, Palacio himself, who hopes to triumph this year after two second places, stressed that Benidorm "has enough attractions and a spectacular climate for the race to continue growing." Fermín Cacho said that these races "are for coming with the family and enjoying the weekend and there is no better place to do so than in a wonderful city with a fantastic climate like Benidorm." Likewise, Carmen Paredes pointed out that "it is a race that is worth coming to run because it is not crowded and you can enjoy it much more.

 

Figures aside, the aim of Tour Sport, the organising company, is to continue growing and to do so they consider it “fundamental” that the city gets involved in the race “and feels proud of it”. “We want to mobilise the city, this is our next objective and we are going to achieve it”.

 

Mayor Toni Pérez has closed the presentation of the race and praised the transformation and growth it has had in recent years, a transformation that has put value on “family tourism, sports tourism, inclusive tourism, healthy tourism and, ultimately, tourism for all”. Pérez has also announced that “we are going to continue consolidating citizen participation and we are going to achieve it because this makes us better. That is the next challenge”.

 

Traffic cuts

The Benidorm Half will start at 5.30 pm from Comunidad Valenciana Avenue, at the height of Bélgica Street. From this point, the race will run along the avenues Alfonso Puchades, Jaime I, Ricardo Bayona, Mayor Vicente Pérez Devesa, Benissa, Villajoyosa, Montbenidorm, Vicente Llorca Alós, Armada Española, Mayor José Such, Alicante, Virgen del Sufragio, Alcoy, Madrid,

 

Mediterráneo, Ametlla del Mar, Doctor Severo Ochoa, Zamora, Juan Fuster Zaragoza, Derramador, Gerona and Esperanto until reaching the Plaza SSMM Reyes de España, where the finish line will be located. 

 

The circuit will be closed to traffic one hour before the start, two hours in the case of Comunidad Valenciana and Alfonso Puchades avenues. The reopening will take place gradually as the runners complete the passage through the different sections, with traffic being fully restored at 8:00 p.m.