This weekend, Sitges hosted the 31th edition of the Half-Marathon. With a participation of more than 3.500 runners, there’s no doubt about the importance of the event in the Catalan athletic panorama, and also probably the most popular among all sport activities in our athletic calendar. The Half-Marathon is the starting shot of a schedule of activities than transforms Sitges into a popular reference point.
Beyond all the nitty-gritty surrounding sport events, in which our homegrown athletes achieved very good results, the Half-Marathon is also a tool to promote the possibilities of Sitges through sporting events, Many runners did not only come to run, but also to enjoy natural surroundings considering that most of the Marathon ran along the sea.
The Half-Marathon is a landmark in the Catalan athletics and always has been a model for the integration of disabled participants. Right at the beginning, our town pioneered the integration of wheelchair runners, more recently, the event allowed the participation of younger runners thanks to the “Quart de Marató”. We must also stress the essential work carried out by more than 200 volunteers that allowed the development of the event.
Sports are an incentive to acquire healthy habits and a mirror that helps us face all the adversities that come crashing against us in our daily toil. In life, just as in sports, we also have to prepare ourselves thoroughly to achieve our goals. The way to the finish line is not always easy, but any hurdle can be jumped with dedication and effort.
The Half-Marathon is a good reference and an example for modern day Sitges. We are in a constant stress test in which we have a good stage and we know which way to run. But as all the tests and challenges go, they require careful planning carried out in a detailed, intelligent and conscious manner without rushing the horses.
This is the roadmap that we are applying to the City Council for the proper management of municipal administration and public services: full recovery of public finances, attention to immediate needs of residents and planning the future roadmap in promotion, infrastructure and economic development policies. The race is long, but the runners are characterized by regularity and consistency, and such factors always give results.
