One of the most popular races in the region will start again this Sunday, after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic
It is an essential part of the calendar of popular races in the Murcia region. If you’ve ever taken up running, you’ve surely heard of a test that, almost from its inception, has had tremendous turnout and exemplary organization. When in Cartagena there were barely a few weeks on the calendar for the ‘runners’ throughout the year, the Artillery Cross was created in 2002, with a participation full of people from that regiment.
So, under the format of six kilometers and with a circuit that started on Calle del Parque, right in front of the Artillery Park, the people of Cartagena and people from the surrounding areas began to germinate what is currently another test that has consolidated and easily exceeded three thousand registered year after year.
The shot that raises every runner’s heart rate to start the cross has always been a key moment. From that moment on, hundreds of regulars began to practice this sport, more or less competitively, at a distance that barely reached twenty minutes for the fastest.
In recent years, the fourteen-kilometer race has been launched, the older sister of the one that was born almost a quarter of a century ago. The long-distance runners would thus have the opportunity to show off by taking advantage of a spectacular, but tough circuit in which the runners had to go and return to the Christmas Lighthouse, one of the emblems of Cartagena in the 21st century.
In 2022, the Artillery Cross arrives with more renewed troops than ever. The pandemic caused by the Covid prevented its celebration in 2020 and in 2021, so it has not taken place for more than three years. In addition, this year it has been postponed to the end of November, compared to the usual October celebration.
From half past nine in the morning, the popular runners will put themselves to the test this Sunday in a race that resumes its activity to the maximum after having had to cancel the last two editions with pain.
The ‘ongoing’ party therefore has more incentives than in previous years. Organized by the Cross Artillery Sports Association in collaboration with the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment No. 73 and the City Council of Cartagena, this year celebrates its nineteenth edition.
The celebration of the Artillery Cross means that several streets with a certain circulation density are cut through. All morning it is not possible to enter the Paseo Alfonso XII, the place where the test begins and ends. The award ceremony will take place in the Plaza Mayor, the new part of the port. In addition, the test will run through different streets of the historic center, which means there will be several traffic lights.
After yesterday’s heavy rain, the weather forecast for the test day is fantastic. Runners can wear short leggings and tank tops, as sunny or slightly cloudy weather is expected and temperatures between 15 and 17 degrees. The wind will blow lightly.
The consolidation of the competition has brought with it the institution of the two queen distances. Both start and end on Paseo de Alfonso XII, right in front of the tourist booth. The runners are divided into two lanes. The start is together, at half past twelve in the morning. The two tests then enter the historic center of Cartagena.
Once past the avenue of the port, the runners will go up the Cuesta del Batel towards the Plaza de las Puertas de San José (the old Plaza Bastarreche). They will go through a few streets of the center until they reach Tolosa Latour, where the athletes of both distances will be separated.
Those taking part in the 14km race will then have to travel to the Christmas Lighthouse, before crossing the road to Algameca and returning between the Navantia Port and Benipila Boulevard.
Returning to the city center, the race will go through the last stretch through the streets of Carmen, Puerta de Murcia, Aire and Cañón before having to make a final climb on the seawall to the Polytechnic University and return to the port.
In addition, there are four other categories: the Benjamin quarter mile, which starts at 9:30 AM; the prebenjamín quarter mile, five minutes later and the youth and children’s mile, at ten to eleven. They all have trophies for the top ranked.
Nearly 3,000 runners will take part in the test this Sunday. The registration process has been a success and there were over 1,500 songs on the day of the presentation, with a month to go before the event was held. No one else has been able to sign up since the last day ten, when the process closed.
These can be collected all day today in the garages of the military government, in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Cartagena, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tomorrow they will be available in the starting area of the race, in the so-called Plaza Mayor, until half an hour before the start of each of the above stages.
The athletes who won the 2019 edition will again be present in the current one. Antonio Martínez, who stopped the clock at 47:03, and Juan Ramón García Gen, runner-up that year and winner in this 2022 of the 10K Puerto de Cartagena, will compete. This also applies to Alberto González, a classic in the city races and third in the last edition that was held.
A total of one hundred and fourteen trophies will be awarded. The delivery will take place in the Plaza Mayor after the matches. Likewise, everyone who participates can choose different draws for products, such as cheeses or beers.
The test will be solidarity. One euro from each registration goes to the Spanish Association against Cancer. At the last edition, in 2019, 4,000 euros were raised. Gaspar Zamora will be the ‘speaker’ and will be responsible for animating the match.
The penultimate month of the year comes strong with several popular races in the municipality of Cartagena. Last month, the Artillery Cross was joined by the Four Saints Kilometers, a test organized by the Cuatro Santos Club, with a marked solidarity character and which hopes for the participation of nearly five hundred runners.
The race will take place this Sunday the 27th from 10.30am and also has a modality for walkers and one for children under 14, also running.
The race, 4.4 kilometers long, takes place over a tough course and alternates asphalt, dirt roads and a few stairs. It starts from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Cartagena, it goes through Calle Mayor and San Francisco, before going up the steps of the Molinete. Then the runners climb Monte Sacro, after which they also have to climb Calle del Ángel and the steps of the Cathedral.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
