MADRID, 3 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Nationale Nederlanden-San Silvestre Vallecana, created in 1964 by Antonio Sabugueiro, will turn sixty years old on December 31 with a new edition of the Madrid race with “a fairly comfortable route and with the incomparable setting of Madrid”, which will be presented this Tuesday in the Crystal Gallery of Madrid City Hall with the presence of several athletes.
At the official presentation ceremony, tribute was paid to the history of the event, bringing together “a large representation of the 60 years of emotions and the best athletics in the world that has elevated Vallecana to the top of the 10K road races in the world.” .
Thus, 16 figures from the past, present and future of the race were present at the event, such as José Luis González, Martín Fiz, Isaac Viciosa, Fermín Cacho, Patricia Arribas, Ramiro Matamoros, Chema Martínez, Jesús España, Nuria Fernández, memoria Arroyo, Reyes Estévez, Laura Luengo, Laura Priego, Yago Rojo, Jesús Ramos and Carlos Mayo.
Already at the Madrid City Council, after remembering the athletes Mariano Haro and Carmen Valero, the history of the race and those who died during 2024, the Vallecana legends recalled their history from the beginning of the event until the consolidation of the Vallecana as “the best road 10K in the universe”. A race that for the tens of thousands of runners is a great farewell party to the year.
The former Spanish athlete specializing in middle distance events José Luis González showed his “pride” for having won “a race that meant a lot” to him on two occasions. “Running at night, through the streets of Madrid, through Vallecas, is a pleasure,” he acknowledged. Meanwhile, Patricia Arribas, triple winner of the event, claimed the role of Vallecana in the “change for women” in the promotion of women’s sports. “In the first San Silvestre we didn’t have a podium,” he recalled.
Chema Martínez, Jesús España, Nuria Fernández and Reyes Estévez highlighted “the special atmosphere that is felt in the event”, while memoria Arroyo and Ramiro Matamoros, with eleven victories between them, addressed how the Vallecana changed their lives. “I have run many races, but there is no other like the Vallecana,” confessed Arroyo.
There was no shortage of anecdotes about Martín Fiz and his party favors after the Vallecana, the challenge of Fermín Cacho, who decided to “come back and win it” or the gauntlet that Isaac Viciosa, four-time winner of the event, threw at the organization: “If you change date, you will have me again in Vallecana,” joked the man from Palencia.
The present and future of the San Silvestre Vallecana was represented by Laura Luengo who, after her success in the Valencia Marathon, wants to “give her all in Vallecana”, or the alcorconera Laura Priego, who recognized that it is her “favorite race ” and that “makes his hair stand on end.”
For his part, Carlos Mayo acknowledged that he has to “come back no matter what,” while Yago Rojo and Jesús Ramos said that it is “their career, that of their neighborhood.” “Only the best race in the world can bring together this cast of athletes in one presentation,” highlighted Yago Rojo, fifth in the last edition of the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana.
La Vallecana turns 60 in this edition, and it will do so with Nationale-Nederlanden, which in 2024 will celebrate its tenth anniversary as the main sponsor of the race. “Our union with the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana is based on deeds, not words, and reflects our dedication to the community and the values that unite us: clarity, commitment and care for what matters most,” he commented. Carlos González Perandones, CEO of the company.
This “running festival” is closely linked to the city of Madrid. For this reason, the mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, explained that for the capital “it means a lot” because “athletics for the city is very important.” “We know that Madrid is sport or it would not be the city we know,” he asserted.
“It is without a doubt the best race to start. It is a quite comfortable route and with the incomparable setting of Madrid, with its Christmas lights,” commented Sonia Cea Quintana, head of the Delegate Sports Area of the Madrid City Council.
After receiving a plaque from Antonio Sabugueiro, creator of the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana, in gratitude for the involvement and support of the city of Madrid for decades, Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida dismissed the event, reflecting with his words the emotion that this race awakens in her, an ambassador for Madrid on these festive dates.
“I was lucky to be the first mayor to run in this unique event, to thank what the Vallecana means to the city of Madrid,” said José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who invited the city to take part on December 31 with the best 10K in the world: “I invite all of Madrid to take to the streets, run or cheer on the participants,” he concluded.