He bottle flip challenge, he fidget spinner or the dabThese were some of the trends that emerged ten years ago. It's still unclear why they lasted so long. Now we're talking about avocado toast, açaí, and runningAlthough this last point has been present in Catalonia for longer than people might think. Just ask Celia Balcells, who started running as hobby And now she does it professionally. "At first, I'd run five or ten kilometers and end up completely exhausted. There was a climb that I now do in two seconds, and back then it seemed impossible. However, it was very satisfying," she recalls. "This was the last year before going to university. When I went to study in Lleida, even though there aren't many mountains there, we went running every day. That's when I met Arnau Cases, who introduced me to the world of performance and..." trail running "He was involved with the Catalan national team and explained to me what I had to do to get there. From then on, I started running more seriously," he explains.

Kilian Jornet never stops. A few months ago he surprised everyone with his journey linking the highest peaks in the United StatesNow, the Catalan athlete has raised the alarm about the dangers threatening a sport he loves: mountain running. The more reflective and outspoken Jornet has decided to sound the alarm after witnessing how this amateur sport, where the connection with nature was key, is evolving into scenarios where he doesn't feel entirely comfortable. He has done so through a written statement and by participating in an initiative that aims to offer solutions to save the essence of the races, ensuring, first and foremost, that they respect nature—a crucial element.

"Well, it all started with a conversation with Chat Anguera during a meeting," explains Jordi Godayol, one of the people in charge of Olla de Núria, one of the most beloved mountain races in Catalonia. Great ideas often emerge this way, during an informal conversation. Antoni Chat Aguilera knew the Núria Valley like few others. A lifelong member of the Vic Hiking Union, an organization he would later preside over, Aguilera greatly loved the landscapes surrounding the Núria Sanctuary, which he had photographed from every angle. In 2006, Chat He told other members of the Unión Excursionista, such as Jordi and Pep Bisquert, that it would be a good area for a mountain race. And the idea took root.