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The Cursa de El Corte Inglés breaks records and transforms central Barcelona
Barcelona woke this Sunday taken over by running. The 46th Cursa de El Corte Inglés brought together 50,000 participants and set the race's all-time record, creating an unusual scene even for a city used to major sporting events. From early morning, the Diagonal, the city centre and Plaça Catalunya filled with runners, green shirts and streets completely transformed by the race atmosphere.
The increase compared with last year was enormous: 10,000 more people took part on a route that once again turned central Barcelona into a huge urban celebration. Families, groups of friends, recreational runners and experienced athletes shared the 10 kilometres on a morning defined more by togetherness and collective energy than by pure competition.
The course passed through some of the city's most recognisable places and disrupted the usual patterns of traffic and travel for hours. The Diagonal, usually dominated by cars and buses, was filled by a tide of runners who made their way to Plaza Catalunya amid applause, music and residents following the race from pavements and balconies.
In sporting terms, Pol Espinosa was the fastest in the men's category with a time of 29 minutes and 44 seconds. Sandra Sancho took the women's victory after crossing the finish line in 35 minutes and 33 seconds. But beyond the stopwatches, the overriding feeling was once again that of an event designed for the whole city.
This year's edition also had a strong charitable element. The proceeds from the sale of official T-shirts will go to Fundación Cruyff, which focuses on sporting projects for children and young people with special needs. Sport thus once again combined with the social dimension that the race has been strengthening over the years.
The Cursa de El Corte Inglés ceased to be just a mass-participation race a long time ago. It has become one of those events that explain how Barcelona uses public space: streets full of people, connected neighbourhoods, sport open to everyone and a city that, for a few hours, completely changes its usual rhythm to share a collective experience.