On a freezing morning, the Subida ao Castro has once again kicked off the RunRunVigo popular racing circuit, a classic event on the city’s runner calendar that adapts to the orography of Vigo better than any other, and where the important thing is to get to the top and conquer the summit that gave birth to the city. To do this, you have to save from sea level, slopes and steps without ceasing in the scarce 3 kilometers of the route. It is an appointment considered unavoidable. Sixteen editions give the right to it.
Organized by Singletrack Outdoor Sports and directed by Guillermo Janeiro, the test enjoyed a sunny Sunday but with low temperatures early in the morning. Since the decision to change the dates, moving the event from December 2017 to January 2018, the race has weathered the rain. Two feints from the clouds in 2019 and 2020 came to nothing. Yesterday there was not a single threatening cloud in the clear sky of Vigo. Abel Caballero gave the starting signal in Montero Ríos.
The organization is always looking for new challenges to overcome and this year the slope of Calle Anguia was the surprise that more than 500 participants found, as soon as they entered Calle Real. Some ramps of a percentage of up to 30% broke the peloton to reach the renewed Porta do Sol in single file.
The chrono does not admit any other type of references than its own. 11:50 was the time Mikel Carmona needed to reach the top of the Castro first. He is an athlete who has already been close to victory on other occasions but who had not enjoyed the taste of victory until this Sunday. For this, Mikel held out in the group of favourites, where the winner of the last edition, Ántón Gómez, was riding, until he reached the stairs of the Castro. At that moment he set his own pace, “When I crossed the Plaza do Rei I launched an attack hoping that it would help me to reach the finish line”, explained the winner. The fainting on the last stairs of many athletes who try to win are well known, but Mikel had the legs to prevail over Martín Barreiro and Antón Gómez.
frantic pace
The starting pace was very high, 3:10 approximately the first kilometer, partly because of the very young Roque Gónzalez, who at only 14 years old started like a spring in that first kilometer but then with the arrival of the slopes he lost steam before the most veteran to finish in a spectacular tenth position.
Andrea Iglesias, achieved her second victory in the Subida ao Castro, after the one achieved in 2019, tying for the record of the race with Ester Navarrete, Águeda Blanco and María Ferreiro. In the men’s category, José Antonio Ramallo (2011, 2012 and 2014) continues to be the absolute winner who has won it the most times.
Andrea had a strong race from the start, leading the climb among the girls at all times, beating Noemí Álvarez and Marta Calvo. “I liked the circuit this year a lot. I prefer hard routes that are more direct on the rise ”, she commented at the end of the race.
The RunRunVigo circuit continues next February with the celebration of the Calvario 5+5 race.
