Yesterday, Sunday June 1st, about 1,200 participants, including adults and children, took part in the first edition of the famous charity race for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), organised by the Benidorm Fire Department to support ADELA Comunitat Valenciana. The event, organised by firefighter Paco Pedrera, was a major success, bringing together runners and walkers from across the province and other towns in the Valencian Community, firefighters, children of all ages, ALS patients, and their families to support this philanthropic cause.
The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, along with the Councillor for Sports, Javier Jordá, Paco Pedrera, and other representatives of the municipal corporation, were responsible for starting the race from the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España. The organiser took the opportunity to thank all the registrations and donations and demand the implementation of the ELA Law, approved by Congress on October 10, 2024, which almost ei
Similarly, Marina Baixa Park honoured Fran Llorens, a firefighter who died in mid-May in an accident while climbing in the French Pyrenees, both at the start of the race and at the finish line, by displaying a large banner in his memory.
Miguel Baydal Marco of Alicante’s Cárnicas Serrano club, recently declared the ultimate Spanish 10K road champion, crossed the finish line first in 15 minutes and 47 seconds. Local racers Rubén Suárez Pintado and Juanan Fernández Cantos, both of the Benidorm Athletics Club, finished the 5k in 00:16:37 and 00:16:58, respectively.
In the women’s division, Mónica Pascual Berenguer from the Benidorm Athletics Club finished first with a time of 00:19:58, followed by GemmaAnn Selby from the El Faro Athletics Club with a time of 00:20:30 and Amanda García Saez, an independent, with a time of 00:21:08.
In Nordic walking, Andrea del Rey Gómez won with a time of 00:31:22, followed by Andrés Fuset Genovés from the Sacavera Nordic and Trail Mountain Club with a time of 00:32:02 and Álvaro de la Cámara Manzanares with 00:36:18. CA El Faro had the most competitors.
In addition to organising the event with the Brotons Group and the Department of Sports, members of the Marina Baixa Provincial Firefighters Consortium distributed fresh water from one of the trucks to help people cope with the extreme heat. Several of them finished the full distance while wearing their emergency suits, which weighed more than 25 kg and included helmets, boots, and air tanks. This was a symbolic act, a sign of extreme physical difficulties, to demonstrate their dedication to the cause and to honour the resilience of individuals who face diseases like ALS every day.
Toni Pérez and Javier Jordá praised the race’s organisers on their excellent participation. The organisers have already scheduled a second edition of the famous competition for 2026.
It’s worth remembering that this event grew out of the “Transcostablanca” charity race, which began in 2020 as a 42-kilometre run between Benidorm and Alicante organised by firefighters from Marina Baixa fire station. This event has continued to be organised ever since; however, with fewer runners due to its hard nature. For the sixth edition, in addition to the 42-kilometre race, they decided to shorten the route and make it more accessible to the general public in order to raise more funds for ALS sufferers.
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