Over 2.000 people participate in APB's charity race

The race and the popular 'camita', of charity nature, has collected over 10.500 euros that will go to Projecte Home Balears.

The Balearics Portuary Authority (APB) celebrated yesterday, Sunday November 16th, the 1st Charity Race with motive of the public presentation of the New Seafront of Palma, with a participation success that surpassed the 2.1000 registries, in an event that combined sport and charity. The departure of the race has been presided by the president of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, the president of the APB, Javier Sanz, the president of Projecte Home Balears, Jesús Mullor and the director of the APB, Toni Ginard.

President Sanz has shown himself deeply "thankful" for the civilian assistance, as well as very satisfied with the result of the event. “We have handed the seafront to civilans, as we promised and with an impressive success of participation”, he has said. “We've made a seafront for people, and we've celebrated it with a charity race for people of all ages to walk”, he has pointed out.

On his behalf, the president of Projecte Home Balears, Jesús Mullor, has thanked the APB for being the benefiting entity of this charity event, as well as also for "the fact of combining sport and charity for a necessary cause such as rehabilitation and prevention of young people in addiction topics, which treats the Projecte Home. It is a reason to celebrate”, he has concluded.

The date has had a weekend filled with activities open to the dancing public and physical activity, as well as a fair of charity entities linked to sport and health. Yesterday, sunday, the session kicked off with the 10 km race, followed by the children races and, afterwards, the popular walk of 4 km. During the long race, participants have been able to run through a restricted space of the port, such as the East docks, which have been open to the public for the occassion.

The activities have concluded with the awards ceremony and the delivery on APB's behalf to Projecte Home Balears of a paycheck for the total import of what has been collected, which has climbed up to 10.538,40 euros.

The sports program has included non-competitive children races of different tracks for ages up to 14 years old, as well as a popular walk of four kilometres open to all publics. The child Martina Ramis, has been in charge of cutting the tape that has initiated the last race, in which civilians have been able to run along the new seafront of Palma.

Regarding the sports tests, two races of four and ten kilometres have taken place. Antoni Gran has been the absolute winner of the 10 km male race, with a time of 32 minutes and 15 seconds, followed by Lluís Caldentey and José Luis Lobay, in second and third place respectively. In the female area, Leonor Font has swayed with a time of 36 minutes and 8 seconds, in front of Francisca De Villalonga, in second place and María José Medina, that has been third.

In the 4 km race, Yoel Bastida has been the winner in the male category, with a 13 minutes and 42 seconds time, followed by Pau Garcia, in second place and of Pedro Olmo, in third. In the female test Carolina Routier has swayed, with a time of 16 minutes and 12 seconds, followed by Lucia Monte and de Sandra Moreno.

In addition, three groups with major number of participants, a category designed to boost participation of educational centers, sports clubs and associations, has been recognized. The Verge del Carme and Montesion schoold, and the sports club Malif Mallorca Trail have been the winners, getting paychecks of 500, 300 and 200 euros in sports material respectively.

The goal has been tryple: implying civilans into the public presentation of this new urban space of the seafront of Palma, boosting physicial activity in an iconic space of Palma and collecting funds for a charity cause. This initiative has been the first of an actions series that will turn the new promenade into the permanent civilan axis.

With this race, the APB finishes the integral transformation of the connection between the port and city. The reform has allowed creating a greener, more accessible and more sustainable space, thought-out for the civilian enjoyment and the active mobility.

This project, carried out by the APB, has meant an investment of over 50 million of euros and the transformation of 3.5 kilometers of maritime front. The new promenade gives priority to the pedestrians and cyclists, amplifying the green areas and boosting sustainable mobility, reducing protagonism of the traffic.

Throughout the three years work, over 2.3000 new trees have been planted, 37.000 m² of gardened areas have been created and wide areas for pedestrians, cyclists and recreational spaces have been habilitated. The performance has added sustainable draining systems, intelligent LED lights and recharging spots for electrical vehicles.