Presentation of the Behobia-San Sebastián /
Castillejo, Leiva, Olmos and Nuria Lugueros, the favorites for Sunday’s race
The Behobia-San Sebastián is here again. The 56th edition of the most popular race, which takes place this Sunday, does not recover the prepandemic participations but is on the way. Let’s hope. The absolute test will have more than 25,000 athletes, almost 25% less than in 2019, the last edition held (33,379), the lowest enrollment since 2014. The female presence in the peloton will continue to exceed 25%, a couple of tenths lower if we compare it with that of 2019. Logically the race is still conditioned by the Covid. Not only in the diminished participation but in the need to use a mask in the moments before the start and after crossing the finish line, for example.
Of course, the organization of the Fortuna club introduces optimism to recover figures from the top editions and there is the rainbow logo that decorates the official shirt. After the storm … as Iñigo Etxeberria and Fernando Ibarreta, top organizers of the competition, have commented in the presentation, who have shelled out the characteristics of the 20-kilometer test.
One of the few novelties is the advance a few minutes of the outputs. The first is the handbike (9.30 am), five minutes later the skaters (with a notable drop in participation); at 9.55 the absolute departure of women and at 10, the male. We already saw these differentiated starts of the yellow numbers in 2019 for the first time with unquestionable success to be able to better see the two heads of the race in both categories for quite a few minutes.
The athletic party will begin as usual on Saturday at the Anoeta mini-stadium with the Behobia txiki, also more limited to what had been seen in other editions. About 1,500 kids will participate. The total figure adding categories will be about 27,000 participants. In the list by provenance, write down the 5,820 Gipuzkoans (7,739 in 2019).
Other data to take into account. This time there will be no Feria de la Carrera to avoid crowds. The delivery of numbers, from Friday 12 noon, for those who have not picked it up at the store will be in the parking lot of the Anoeta stadium. Friday from 12 to 21 hours. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.
Candidates for success
There will be no foreign athletes who are candidates for victory. The favorite names are the veterans Carles Castillejo and Jaume Leiva, and the Aragonese Jesús Olmos, who two years ago stroked the podium and if he manages to finish the distance is a serious candidate for the txapela.
In the female category, the presence of Nuria Lugueros from León stands out. Other names to note are those of Raquel Lardín and Susana Rodríguez, Paralympic triathlon champion. Attention to the locals Maite Mayora and Maite Arraiza, also candidates for positions of honor.
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