One month before turning 75, and with 166 marathons on her strong legs, Quima Casas (Sant Martí Sacalm, 1951) continues running because she doesn't know how to “stay home sitting on the sofa watching television”. She has finished three marathons this year, although she no longer looks at the stopwatch, but rather follows her impulses trotting through the lush landscapes of Sant Feliu de Pallerols (Garrotxa), the town from which she has built one of the most unique careers in Catalan athletics.

Athletics has seen one of the barriers that seemed impossible to overcome fall. For the first time, an athlete has run a marathon in under two hours under normal race conditions. Sabastian Sawe did it, leaving speechless everyone who was waiting at the finish line of the London Marathon, in Saint James's Park, just in front of Buckingham Palace. A titanic feat. Never before had a man run a marathon in under two hours officially, as Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge had done so in 2019 in Vienna but as part of an experiment programmed by the INEOS brand on a closed circuit. Kipchoge had had coaches, support staff, pacemakers, and all sorts of facilities to prove that running under two hours was feasible. He was right. And today, a compatriot of his has proven it.

A memorable milestone at the Barcelona Marathon. Ethiopian runner Fotyen Tesfay Haiylu achieved the second-fastest time in history, with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 53 seconds. The 28-year-old thrilled everyone with an explosive start, seemingly poised to set a new world record. Taking advantage of the new, faster course and the good weather, she maintained a steady pace. However, in the final 10 kilometers, she slowed down, finishing less than a minute shy of the world record of 2:09:56, set by Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich in 2014 in Chicago. Tesfay, competing in her first marathon – having previously run shorter distances – beat Kenyan Jepkosgei Kiplimo (2:18:42) and fellow Ethiopian Zeineba Yimer Worku (2:18:49).

Legend has it that the first person to run a marathon, the Greek Pheidippides, died of exhaustion just minutes after completing the feat. It must be taken into account that the poor soldier did not expect that on that historic day in the 5th century BC, instead of ending up pierced by a Persian spear on the beach at Marathon, he would have to run tirelessly the 42.195 kilometers that separated the battlefield from Athens to announce victory over the invading troops.

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Ethiopian Tesfaye Deriba Ketema, 26, has set a new men's record for the Barcelona Marathon Deriba and Chelimo won with an excellent time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 13 seconds, one minute less than the previous record. It was a record-breaking edition, as Kenyan Sharon Chelimo, despite suffering greatly, managed to set a new personal best in the women's category, with a time of 2:19:33. The excellent time achieved by Deriba and Chelimo confirms the Barcelona event's commitment to having a faster course and attracting increasingly higher-level athletes.

Up to 27,000 runners will participate on Sunday, March 16, in the Zurich Barcelona Marathon 2025The race, which will start on Passeig de Gràcia at 8:30 a.m. and maintains virtually the same route as in 2024, will pass by iconic landmarks such as the Sagrada Família, the Columbus Monument, and the Arc de Triomphe, where the finish line will be. All of this will entail closures on numerous city streets and disruptions to public transport. We'll keep you updated.

Rain greeted participants arriving in Barcelona this Sunday for the 46th edition of the Zurich Marathon, which has become one of the most popular marathons in the world, with 60% of participants from abroad and a record number of bib numbers sold: 27,000. At the presentation event at the Torre Glòries, the favorites in the men's and women's categories took advantage of the views to take selfies in front of the city they hope to conquer. The lineup is top-notch, with names like Vicoty Chepngeno, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, who already finished second in Barcelona in 2023; Viola Chepngeno and Linet Masai in the women's category; and Kenyan Samwek Nyamai Mailu, currently among the top ten fastest runners in the world, competing on a Sunday expected to be cold but not rainy. This marathon will also be the Catalan championship and, for the first time in twenty years, a Spanish marathon.

Valentí Sanjuan (Tordera, 1981) lives for sport. With millions of followers on social networks, faces challenges by adding kilometers to his legs. Now he has set himself a very ambitious challenge: from February 18 to 22 he wants to run five marathons on five different continents, in five days, traveling on commercial flights, against the clock.