Gemma Arenas, champion and Spanish record holder in the 100 km
RFEA / Sportmedia
Málaga, specifically the surroundings of the Ciudad de Málaga stadium, hosted the great festival of Spanish ultra-distance running for the second consecutive year on March 21, featuring a new Spanish women’s record in the 100 km thanks to an spectacular performance by Gemma Arenas (7:20:57). Houssame Eddine Benabbou and María Lázaro were crowned Spanish champions in the 50 km.
The race started at 7 a.m. from the athletics track of the aforementioned facility, with the national titles for 50 km and 100 km at stake. Both distances brought together experienced athletes and notable debutants in a day of high competitive level.
The 100 km race, with a higher participation than last year on the same circuit, offered great incentives, especially due to the presence of a reference athlete like Gemma Arenas. The highly decorated trail runner (bronze world medal in ultra trail running in 2022 and five-time international team medalist) faced her debut on the road distance, becoming the great protagonist of the day.
Arenas, accustomed to demanding mountain routes, faced the hardness of asphalt this time on a 2.5 km circuit that required 40 laps. The athlete from Almagro completed the distance in an extraordinary 7:20:57, crossing the finish line exultant. No wonder: she not only became Spanish champion, but also smashed the national record by nearly 27 minutes compared to Estefanía Unzu’s 7:47.46 from last year in Australia, an improvement that highlights the magnitude of her performance.
Behind her, the great mark of the second-place finisher, María Romero (7:23:31), also stood out, while the podium was completed by experienced Eva Pareja (8:13:14).
In the men’s category, the title went to Marco Álvarez from Teruel with 6:41:40, a time that places him 11th on the all-time list. The race was decided in an exciting duel with Jesús Rafael González, who after the 100 km conceded only thirteen seconds at the finish, taking second place with 6:41:53. Last year’s champion, Carlos Gazapo, was third this time with 6:44:42.
Benabbou, Spanish champion in the 50 km
RFEA / Sportmedia
Benabbou and María Lázaro, champions in the 50 km
In the 50 km, the first of the two races to finish, Houssame Eddine Benabbou and María Lázaro were crowned Spanish champions, both writing their names in the winners’ list for the first time.
In the men’s category, the 2022 European champion, Houssame Eddine Benabbou, secured a brilliant victory after overcoming two very complicated years marked by his recovery from a traffic accident suffered in 2023. Returning to competition just a few weeks ago, the athlete shined again in Málaga in the distance that took him to the top. He stopped the clock at 2:52:11, just three minutes above his personal best, dominating the race from the start and progressively increasing his lead lap after lap. Second place went to Andrés Macías (3:00:48) and third to Rubén Álvarez (3:01:01), while veteran international medalist Severino was fifth with 3:03:52.
In the women’s race, María Lázaro started as the main favorite, though with the uncertainty of her debut in the distance. The Spanish marathon champion from last year in Barcelona did not suffer from the challenge and was unbeatable, imposing her pace to win with 3:15:12, a new championship record, just four seconds short of Alicia Pérez’s Spanish record (3:15:09 in 2019).
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