Ibon Briñas and Fernanda Fleischmann secured victories on Sunday at the XXI edición del Cross La Blanca, séptimo Memorial Roberto Ruiz.
The 7-kilometer feature race took place at Gamarra park under clear weather and ideal temperatures, featuring a course with a hard surface and an attendance of numerous spectators.
Both champions represented the La Blanca club, dominating the race from start to finish. In the men’s competition, Briñas took an early lead after starting at 13:00 hours, completing the first lap alone and managing his advantage to the finish line despite reducing his pace in the final kilometers.
His club teammates Víctor Guerra finished with a time of 22:34 and Javier Pérez clocked 22:37 to round out the men’s podium. In the women’s division, Fleischmann controlled her lead to take first place, followed by Diana Vecillas of C.A. Santurtzi with a time of 28:05 and Oihana Atiega of LEA La Blanca with a final mark of 28:26.
Weather concerns proved unfounded for the 450 athletes across all categories, ranging from popular events to veterans. Briñas altered his initial plan of starting softly due to his strong sensations on the track and encouragement from his coach during the first lap.
The 23-year-old Vitorian runner, who finished second in the Vitoria San Silvestre and won the Euskadi 5,000-meter track championship in July, now looks ahead to the Spanish Cross Country Championship in three weeks. Fleischmann, winner of the recent Vitoria half marathon, employed a parallel tactic by starting strong on the flat, curve-free course to build and manage her advantage, and similarly targets the upcoming Spanish cross-country competition.
The sports morning commenced at 10:00 hours with popular races covering four kilometers in four laps. Subsequent events featured sub-16 and sub-18 athletes, followed by school categories, culminating in the showcase queen race sponsored by EL CORREO.
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