The city’s big sports challenge is back once again: the Barcelona Triathlon. La Mar Bella beach is the chosen set-off point for this coming 9 October, at 8 am, when hundreds of triathletes will be jumping into the Blue Pavilion’s waters to rise to the challenge of the competition’s three races: swimming, cycling and running. With 1,500 athletes registered so far, this Monday, this year’s edition of the classic Barcelona triathlon has beaten all past records in women’s participation: 30%.
In fact, the Councillor for Sports, David Escudé mentioned that this very morning, during the presentation ceremony for this year’s edition, and highlighted “the growth in women’s participation”, and called on city residents “to enjoy the macro-event at the Blau Pavilion”, a benchmark venue for doing sport along the city’s coastal area. He also described this triathlon as “the first edition where we can talk about a return to normal: “After two complicated years, finally, a triathlon without health restrictions is on its way, where every participant can focus on and enjoy the sports part without having to worry about anything else”.
Categories and route
The races provide for three different distances: Olympic, with a 1,500-metre swim (in 1 lap), a 40-km cycle (in 4 laps on the circuit) and a 10-km run (in 2 laps); Sprint, with 750-metre swim (1 lap), a 20-km cycle (2 laps) and a 5-km run (1 lap); and Super Sprint, with a 300-metre swim (1 one lap), a 10-km cycle (2 laps) and a 2.5 km run (1 lap).
Alternatively, the triathletes have an opportunity to take part individually or as pairs. In addition, the Olympic and Sprint categories can be carried out throughrelays with teams made up of two or three people.
Eloi Moragues, the competition’s sports director, emphasised the large variety of possibilities that the organisers wanted to offer this year: “Everyone can find their distance and their appropriate participation option and we hope all participants will enjoy this day event. Our goal is to look after them as best we can and take care of all the details for offering the best services”.
La Kids Race is this year’s new development
As a means to promoting physical activity, knowledge and pursuit of a numerous sports among the very young, teenagers aged 12 to 17 will be able to take part in the Barcelona Triathlon for the first time. They will have to abide by the Super Sprint category’s rules, but their safety will be guaranteed at all times: the race’s key value.
The Tri Expo is back
At the same time as the event, triathletes and anyone curious about sport will enjoy access to the Tri Expo: a specialist sports-material and merchandising exhibitions fair taking place on 8 and 9 October along Passeig Marítim de Bogatell.
Television broadcast
Betevé will be following the competition live this year, to make the event accessible to everyone and ensure no one misses out on the Barcelona Triathlon just because they are unable to get down to Barcelona’s coastline. The broadcast will start at 7.45 am and feature in a special 6-hour programme.