Marta Galimany: "I had no idea about athletics and now I'm breaking records in the Marathon"

VallsThe sun beats down strongly in the capital of Alt Camp. Marta Galimany Guasch (Valls, 1985) receives ARA at the athletics tracks in her city and walks past a mural where she appears. She glances at it and smiles. "When I come with my son, it's very fun," she explains, as the little one remains captivated watching that large mural where his mother appears. A few years ago, the Valls City Council named the municipal tracks after Marta, an Olympian in Tokyo in 2021. A prodigious athlete who a few years ago broke the Spanish record for marathons in which men and women run together. And a few weeks ago, she did it again in a marathon with only women. She is 40 years old, just turned. A woman who, curiously, took a long time to discover this calling.

When she was young, did she want to be a basketball player?

— I liked basketball. In Valls we have a lot of tradition. My sister and her friends used to play. I did until my second year of High School. When I started studying environmental sciences at University, I quit. I liked it a lot, it allowed you to be with friends, to compete... so in my first year of my degree I felt like something was missing. Sport was part of my life and I had a void. I had to fill it.

And so it comes to athletics?

— I have always liked nature, and that's why I chose that career. I imagined a different life from the one I've had, although I've never been one to make many plans. Since I missed playing sports, I went running with a friend, Montse Martí. We saw that there was a sports club at the university and we joined. I couldn't train alone, I liked to do it with people. Training alone isn't fun. Besides, I had no idea about athletics, I needed someone to guide me. And look, now I'm breaking records. The good part about athletics is that quickly, if you train a little, results come. And it spurs you on to work harder.

That university student Marta would hardly have expected to become a great marathon champion...

— I couldn't have imagined it then. It has been a very beautiful evolution. With Jordi, my partner and coach, we always say that we have surprised ourselves. I simply wanted to enjoy the journey, without aspiring to anything specific. If I achieved a good time in the 3,000 meters, I thought about beating that mark. But I wasn't one of those who despaired if they didn't achieve a time or a podium. I just kept going.

What were the beginnings like?

— First I ran distances like 800 meters or 1,500. Imagine what a change. Then I also started doing 3,000 steeplechase, which is perhaps where I competed for the most years. And cross. And so I reached championships of Catalonia and Spain. I really enjoyed every step I took. Jordi and I always look at one thing. Every December 31st I run the "cursa dels nassos" and I try to lower last year's mark. You can't always do it, but in general the evolution has been very good. Seeing my dynamic, Jordi told me that a marathon could go well for me. First I opted for the half marathon and around 2016, already with the marathon. It was key that in 2020 I signed a contract with Adidas and I was able to dedicate myself to it professionally; until then I worked as an environmental technician.

And when does she discover she can be an Olympian?

— Very few people can go to the games. Not going can generate frustration. I, on the other hand, since I had never imagined I would be an Olympian, received it as a prize. I just wanted to have fun and keep improving, and that's how I broke the Spanish marathon record in Valencia, which had been in place for two decades. And I qualified to go to the Games.

How does the relationship with Jordi, a key figure in her life, begin?

— When I finished studying in Barcelona, I returned to Valls. And he was training here. We met while training. After a year of knowing each other, I asked him if he wanted to train me, since he gave good advice and I was finding it difficult to continue remotely with the coach I had in Barcelona. At first he said no, but I kept insisting. And in the end it worked out well, the thing is. So much so that now we are married and have a little boy.

How do you remember the Tokyo games?

— It was magical, even though it was the pandemic games and I was afraid of getting infected and testing positive. Lots of PCR tests. The marathon was held in Sapporo, so we couldn't have much Olympic atmosphere in the village, but I have great memories of Sapporo. People hung messages for the marathon runners on balconies and windows, they cheered a lot.

On the road to the Paris Games, an even better project arrived. Vital, in this case: being a mother.

— My idea was to go to Paris, but I wasn't getting good marks. I had the minimum, but other Spanish girls did better. I could have tried to improve my time in order to qualify, but I was tired and we talked about it with Jordi. If I wanted to be a mother, it was time, due to my age. And we took the step forward, being clear at all times that I would compete again later. We started asking and informing ourselves about what an pregnant woman could do. We talked to doctors for follow-up, we looked for experts... it wasn't easy because before, athletes, when they became pregnant, they stopped. There was a lack of information and we created a working group to analyze what could be done. And draw conclusions that the team members will publish in the future. I exercised every day before giving birth. And I recovered very well afterwards. And it is thanks to the team we put together that I was able to do it all. And in this way, we have also managed to obtain information that can serve other women athletes.

Until when was it running?

— I ran until the end of my pregnancy, until the last day. The first trimester was a bit more complicated because I didn't feel very well, but then I improved. I did strength routines and went out for a run every day, always controlled. I think the muscles that support the belly were well worked, because when running I didn't notice the belly, I felt comfortable. On September 10th I ran 10 kilometers and when I got home, my water broke. And the birth was on Diada day. I'm not saying you have to do sports in every case. My case is conditioned by the fact that I am an athlete. But I think about the past and, do you think pregnant women weren't still working in the fields or at home centuries ago? If you feel well and are strong, you can continue doing sports.

Adidas understood, that you wanted to be a mother?

— My contract was ending in the summer of 2024 and when it was time to negotiate, I became pregnant. I told them and their response was exciting. They renewed my contract without having the guarantees that I could actually perform again. I am very grateful to them.

On June 6, she achieved a time of 2h, 27min, and 38s in London, surpassing the record for a women-only marathon of 2:27:53 held by Mónica Pont since January 28, 1996, in Osaka. She is at her best moment.

— I didn't expect it. London is a big marathon, one of the major ones, as they say. These are famous, but perhaps not the best for achieving a record. Here, for example, women start before men, separately. When we start together, you can have men acting as pacemakers, setting reference points for you. I was euphoric because I wanted to run this mythical marathon... I ran a good part of the race alone, because a girl who was pacing was going slow... so I followed my splits alone. And look, I achieved it.

The same day, for the first time, a man went under two hours... What happened that day?

— I think the high level was key, and that made them motivate each other, compete. I have an anecdote, myself. When I arrived, seeing my time, I was euphoric and I hugged a girl from Uruguay who was third in the world championships. We were hugging, talking about the play, without seeing that the first men were already arriving from behind. Sawa made history and we were in front without seeing it, talking, without looking. Beating a record on a circuit that is neither the flattest nor the fastest is even more meritorious.

What are its big challenges, now?

— My first objective is to enjoy. To go to mythical major trips, with family. I've already been to Chicago or London.

How was it when you found out that the Valls slopes would be named after you, and that they would create this beautiful mural?

— Mayor Dolors Ferrer called me and surprised me a lot. I try not to think about it too much, as it impresses me. I train here, concentrated... but from time to time I think about it and... it's very strong. Èric, my son, always looks at the mural and says "mama". I hope to be a role model for young athletes.