The most beautiful reason to do a marathon

BarcelonaAn unexpected discovery can change people's lives. Ferran Mascaró and Gemma Vilanova were at the beach in Tamariu in the summer of 2015 when their son, Josep, ran off. Josep was born with autism and, from a young age, would run away when he was in crowded places. Sometimes they spent hours looking for him and had to call the police. Other times they would catch him in time and the boy would get upset. But that time on the sand in Tamariu, Ferran started running alongside his son. Instead of grabbing him, he kept running, improvising a game where they played tag. The father saw that, if they ran together, Josep smiled. And so they kept going. "We spent about 8 km running, heading along the coastal path. When we returned, Gemma was worried, as is normal, but we returned with a smile," he recalls.

10 years later, Josep finished his first half marathon in Puigcerdà. It was October 2025 and he did the race accompanied by his mother, Gemma. And Jana, a sister. Ferran followed the route on his bicycle, because he was injured and could not run. But when he was nearing the finish, he got off the bike to run with them and with Nora, another sister who does not usually run. And together, all five crossed the finish line, accompanying Josep. “People are surprised that Josep can do a race like this one,” says Gemma. “Running had become a central part of my life. I was always looking for moments to train, I always needed more. And, suddenly, I could also look for moments to train with my son, with whom it is not always easy to communicate. Every Wednesday I try to run with him. In the end, running explains us as a family,” says Ferran.

Joseph, the brave

Why do we run? Almost everyone asks themselves that. “Some run for fashion, others to stay in shape...”, says Ferran. But the two of them have another reason, beyond fashions and individual challenges: Josep. The birth of a son with a severe degree of autism changes a family’s life and Gemma explained it in the book 1 unexpected child and 1 sofa. And over time, another idea arose: to tell the story of her husband, who had become the world champion of marathons for his age. And she also tries to understand what leads one of the best ophthalmologists in Barcelona to run non-stop. And so she has just published 12 marathons and 1 tattoo (Símbol Editors). “I had always thought that Ferran had a story. But I wasn't clear on how to approach it until I read the book that Jean Echenoz wrote about one of the greatest runners in history, the Czech Emil Zatopek”, Gemma defends.

Inspired by this book, she has decided to write the book about her husband in the third person, who ran his first marathon at 37 years old. And who, after turning 50, was proclaimed individual world runner-up in marathons for people aged 55 and world team champion in Bucharest in 2024. His passion for running has ended up encouraging Gemma, who has already also done more than 15 marathons. And Josep, of course. “Initially, I would sign up for increasingly longer races, until I wanted to do my first marathon. And being who I am, I already wanted to set a good time. And I kept lowering my times until I got close to two and a half hours,” recalls a man who also chose to do mountain races for a period of time. “The book also wants to explore the key question, which is why we run,” says Gemma. Ferran admits that he becomes obsessed with being faster each time, and at the moment his personal best is 2 hours, 34 minutes and 16 seconds.

“I was already running before Josep was born. When I was young, I played tennis. I competed quite well, but I gave it up. And years later, I needed a new sport,” explains Ferran. “Each person may run for a different reason. To follow friends, to stay in shape, for fashion, for social pressure... For me, it was emotionally strengthening, but my main driving force is Josep. Without him, I might not do many of the things I do,” he explains. When Gemma told him that making the book would be a good idea, Ferran initially hesitated a little. “People will know that I’m obsessed,” he says with a laugh. And it is certainly true that his obsession with self-improvement has led him to achieve these very good marks. And every time he manages to beat his best time, he gets the location, the year, and the pace tattooed on his leg. “When someone sees the tattoo on my leg and recognizes the pace of 3.40 minutes per kilometer, a kind of complicity is created. He’s one of us,” reasons a man who is now facing a stage in life where he will have to accept “that heading towards 60 years old, it will be difficult to keep lowering the mark.” New challenges will be needed, but the best thing will always be training every Wednesday with Josep on Tibidabo. And going to races with his son. “On social media, whenever we share content of him running, we do it by using #JosepBrave. Many people with children in similar situations tell us that he inspires them,” he says. “Josep does not speak, he understands us but does not speak. It’s hard to share moments with him, and when we run, we share,” he says. That is why they dream of being able to run a marathon all together one day. “In his case, it’s difficult, because in a marathon so many things happen that who knows if he could finish it. Perhaps he would want to quit,” the parents admit. But they don’t stop dreaming of being able to accompany their brave son one day for 42 km. All together. Communicating while running.