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The Granada - Pico Veleta / Sierra Nevada race.
Way back in 1985 Jose M. Marfil Castro, of the Cuidad de Granada running club won the first ever race from Granada to the top of Spain's second highest mainland peak, Pico Veleta, over the original 47.6km direct route in a time of 5 hours 3min. In 1993 an extra 2.4km was added to take the race distance to the magic 50km, ( shortest distance that qualifies as an Ultra distance race ).
The 50km race, billed as " the highest race in Europe " is also considered to be the hardest in the world ! Even so the winning time can now be under 4 hours for the men and 5 hours for the women !!!
Last year the winner was Oscar Alarcon, an Argentinian but also a member of the promoting Club de Atletismo Inmobiliaria Maracena. His time of 3 hours 55min 39 seconds is also the record. The female winner, Rosa Godoy, also an Argentinian member of the promoting club finished in 5 hours 8min 47seconds an hour faster than the second placed woman.
Although it would appear that being of Argentine birth has an advantage it didn't deter Team Axarsport member, John Bateson, from running in the event and below is his story of the race.
La Subida de Pico Veleta - Racing Up a Big Hill
Okay, it's not a trail race, but it's not everyday that you get to run fifty kilometers uphill on tarmac. The Subida de Veleta ( one of the world's many races that attract the subtitle -
" toughest race in the world " ) starts in Granada
city centre, which lies at around 600 metres above the sea, and continues, mostly uphill, to the peak of the region's second highest mountain, Pico Veleta, at an altitude of 3394m, or 11,471 feet.
The start is fairly early - about 7.00 in the morning - and it's just coming light. A couple of loops in the city centre are needed to add on a little distance so the race reaches the 50km ( ultramarathon ) target, then everyone sets out towards
the mountains. For about 10k the road remains fairly flat and most people are fairly unsure about how to pace themselves ( if you're sure you're fit enough you can afford to go out at half marathon pace, or so I'm told, but there's a real danger of overdoing it early on ). In any case, it's a grand way to welcome the dawn of another warm and sunny Andalucian day. On leaving the little riverside
town of Pinos Genil, the road begins to climb, and that's about it for the flat road; the next forty thousand meters are uphill !
For most people the rest of the journey is a battle against the desire to stop running and sit down at the side of the road. Unless you're in the lead group, it's a plod - plenty of time to enjoy the fantastic views ( worth the trip
on their own ), pass the time of day with fellow runners, and chat to the crew of the old ambulance that scoots up and down the field checking on everyone and delivering choking exhaust fumes in the process.
Clearly the game is to keep running for as long as you can. It's not like a fell race since the surface is very reliable and the hill never gets that steep. In other
words, running is always going to be faster than walking. Yet many people seem to ditch the running early on, which means the entire field is pretty strung out - the first finishers break the tape at around four hours, the stragglers take twice as long.
For my part, I managed to keep running until within about 10k of the end. By that stage you're above 3000 meters and you've been staring at the bulk of Pico Veleta, the peak that marks the finish line, for at least an hour. Sometimes
a miserable wind blows up at this stage, but in 2005 we were lucky ( it remained hot and still ! ).
It took nearly five and a half hours for me to reach the final few meters, where the tarmac finally gives out and we got in a little trail running - I broke into a little run of delight ! It was enough to hold off the guy coming up ( very slowly ) behind me and bag 32nd place. I prefer to think of myself as the top placed English runner ( and I'm trying to forget that I was the only English runner in the field...)
John Bateson, Team Axarsport.
Despite the suffering and severity of the race John hasn't learned his lesson and has again entered this year's race on August 6th. . . . and, as I had nothing else planned for that day I am also entered !!! If you are going to run a 50km race for the first time it may as well be the hardest in the World and as the route travels through beautiful scenery I will also be taking photographs for next months magazine.
Footnote :
Joking apart, for an event like this preparation and training is very important. The high August temperatures added to the altitude ( 3394m ) both present difficulties and the need to keep drinking and eating while running on hot tarmac add to the challenge.
The event is well organised with feeding stations along the route which travels from Granada via Cenes, Pinos Genil and the Sierra Nevada Information Centre, ( km25 ), where the route takes the old road passing above Pradollano.
The final 14km from the Parador area, where there is a group of bars, is closed to unofficial vehicles but for those interested in any future visits it is possible to catch a shuttle service bus which takes you a few more kilometres towards the summit, ( or you can take the walking route ).
Note :
Anyone interested in running, particularly off-road, should look at our new web site www.trailrunspain.com. Shortly we will list the programme for 2007, ( which also includes our popular cycling tours featured on www.axarsport.com ), so why not plan to join one of our unique Trail Running Tours in 2007 ?
R. Paul Bateson |
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Poniente Granadino, Andalucia, Spain. |
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