Madrid moves on Maraton Popular de Madrid, Spain. 25 April 2004 “What took place in Madrid (on 11 March 2004) is almost impossible to come to terms with” wrote Madrid Marathon Director Mauricio Blanco Villen in the race magazine. Blanco was referring to the bombing atrocity at Madrid’s Atocha station, and elsewhere nearby, in which 191 people lost their lives and many hundreds more were injured. At the time he wrote those words, the outrage was much more recent: “It leaves us stunned, with a void in the stomach”, he wrote. On race day, although the bombing had happened only 45 box office, so that the race they probably sleep, which means many signals. With runners days previously, Madrid had number and chip could be that the pressure to keep roads engaged in ritual pre-race banter, moved on. reassigned. Of the 13,000 who open to vehicular traffic on a the assigned minute took some “This city has been transformed, entered in the preceding weeks Sunday morning is not so great in time to descend into absolute exchanging its proverbial gaiety and months, 12,758 crossed the Spanish cities as it may be silence. When it did, it had a for a cloak of sadness.” Blanco start line. elsewhere. powerful impact. It was broken by the sound of doves’ wings had continued. As the organiser of “Together with music, sport is How else to explain the all- one of Madrid’s largest public flapping, as they flew skyward the best means of understanding encompassing marathon route from in front of the start line. No festivals, he had good cause for between languages, races, that threads its way around all concern. one could count, but anyone cultures and ideologies,” Blanco sides of the city? The start line would guess that there were 191 One element of his concern was had written. “The Maraton Popular lies at one of the main city of them. that Madrilenos, other Spaniards de Madrid and its participants intersections, the Cibeles and foreigners alike, would perfectly represent human Fountain, and finishes at a There was no gun. As if by withdraw into private grief and diversity with a unified purpose. similarly crucial nerve centre, the common agreement – unity Neptune Fountain beside the among diversity – the record sympathy to the detriment of We will unite in remembering public expression, for which the Prado Museum. number of starters headed the victims and those affected by north up – gently up, but marathon provides such a the tragedy without other motives. The nerves may have been spectacular vehicle. up nonetheless - the A minute’s silence on the start agitated at the start, but a grand Paseo de Recoletos Others, perhaps further from line will be the only ceremony, succession of parachute and Paseo de la the epicentre of the tragedy, were together with the individual jumpers, landing directly in Castellana. This first less sanguine. Precisely because a tributes of runners crossing the front of the gathered section is a 5km marathon is an unrestricted, finish line, arms held aloft to the runners provided pilgrimage, and public, city-wide event it attracted sky. Peace – and life!” distraction before the after slight signal sent them on unparalleled support in the wake As it was written, so it came to bends in of the March 11 tragedy. The city their way. In fact pass. The night before the race there were put away its cloak and became was a normal Saturday night in transformed once again. Madrid. Tens of thousands Thousands tried to sign up, and thronged the city centre’s streets the entry had to be capped at on the first really warm evening of 13,000 so that there would be the year. To an outsider, there was enough race paraphernalia no scent of threat or sadness in (medals, T-shirts, water etc.) to go the air. The daily routine in Spain, around. Anyone applying for a of a late lunch and siesta, and a race entry after the limit had very late bite to eat in the been reached had to wait, like evening, means that people are theatregoing enthusiasts, for on the street until well a “return” at the race expo into the early morning. Then 62 DISTANCE RUNNING May - August 2004 Result MEN: 1 Joseph KAHUGU KEN 2:15:14 2 My Tahar ECHCHADLI MAR 2:18:41 3 Elias CHEBET KEN 2:20:12 4 Isaac MACHARIA KEN 2:20:30 5 John MURTO KEN 2:21:57 6 Jose Ramon PEANILLA ESP 2:24:19 7 Jose Antonio ABREJAS ESP 2:28:11 8 Javier BARRANTES CRC 2:28:53 9 Francisco OLMO MORA ESP 2:29:10 10 Manuel ANTA MIGUELESP 2:29:39 WOMEN: 1 Florence BARSOSIO KEN 2:34:10 2 Luna GARCIA MIGUEL ESP 3:02:08 3 Piedad RODGRIGUEZ ESP 3:05:46 4 Elena Maria ESPESO ESP 3:07:00 5 Noelia MANSILLA ESP 3:07:41 posted around a temple-like structure serving as the entrance hall to the Metro. Runners were now within 800m of their goal. With the Botanical Gardens to their right, then the Prado Museum, they pushed up the road in the first 2km the 5km intricate turns and ups and City centres like to show their the Paseo del Prado between the point becomes tauntingly visible, downs, testing to any runner’s age, and they wear their cobbled tall avenue of trees, and through marked by twin leaning tower rhythm. The 16km point lies on streets with pride. Leading up to the sponsors’ inflatable arches blocks on the far side of the Plaza the north side of Retiro Park, only the 20km point, just before that spanned the roadway. Castilla. Any impatience runners a stone’s throw from the start. crossing Madrid’s central artery, may have in putting this first Runners then turn north again, Gran Via, the road narrows and First to finish was Joseph landmark behind them is likely, at parallel to the first kilometre of the surface becomes cobbled. Kahugu, a 2.07 performer who 700m altitude, to rebound upon the course, and cross back, Cheering spectators packed in looked easy all the way around their efforts later in the race. westward, over the Paseo de la close on either side. Across Gran while others fell further and Castellana for a second time at Via the route continueds down to further behind him in the second Doubling back just beyond the 17km - heading towards the heart burst into the Plaza of the Puerta half of the race. Even more 5km point, runners complete a of the city. del Sol before again channelling isolated from her competition was short loop to the west to reach into the narrow, cobbled Calle Florence Barsosio. Last seen in the 10km point as they pass back A few long, wide straights Mayor. This is the halfway point, Europe finishing a close second in over the Paseo de la Castellana on between 18-20km left runners with the Plaza Mayor lies just a the 2001 Paris Marathon to Ruth an overpass. They complete a exposed to the growing strength block away to the left. Kutol, she has subsequently given loop to the east of the sun. Following that balmy birth, and this was her first next, which first night of summer the day had Leaving the densest crowds serious competition since. She incorporates dawned fresh, but as the sun rose behind, a little further on the celebrated the new life in style, by several and strengthened it course turns north past the breaking Kutol’s course record of correspondingly weakened the imposing façade of the Palacio last year with 2:34:10, under trying runners. Real and the palace gardens. conditions. Near-complete laps remain to be run to the north west (22-29km) Behind her – she finished 15th and on the other side of the overall – runners came home in Manzanares River (29-33km). increasing number. As they Finally departing the banks of the approached the finish line in the River after 37km, it is a long hard final metres many of them made battle to crest the high ground those personal gestures of upon which the centre of Madrid satisfaction and celebration. Here stands. By-passing it slightly, to they had added significance. They the south of the Plaza Mayor, were a celebration brings runners swooping down a of the resilience of final slope to pass in front of human life under Atocha Station. testing circumstances. There was no time to Madrid had think of what had passed moved on. here a few short weeks before, and which has since been marked by individual, informal tributes DISTANCE RUNNING May - August 2004 63.