If you think running up a mountain when it’s brass-monkey weather is fun, then the XII Subida a La Cruz de La Atalaya is just the ticket for you.

With a temperature of 8ºC down in Padul, nearly a hundred runners set off on Sunday the 23rd to the Cruz de La Atalaya which was visible through the clear blue sky. Somewhere most definitely worth a visit… if you own a helicopter.

The starting point was the Polígono La Paloma with the route covering a handful of kilometres (8.7km) but most decidedly uphill, along a track, through a pine forest and up a fire break.

Upon reaching the cross and their arrival noted, they turned around and ran back down; running down hill might be less exhausting than running up hill, but it is far more dangerous.

The winner, Modesto Ricardo Álvarez, did it in 43m:02s, giving him an overall average running speed of 4:57 min/km. Next came Marcos Robles Fernández, completing the run in  44m:07s followed in third place by Javier Martín de Villa, taking exactly 45 minutes.

As for the ladies, María Olimpia Morales Ortega, did it in 54m:28s, followed by Sofía García Martín (54:42) and Sara Maldonado Sánchez (57:01).

Nobody fell off the mountain and everybody had a good time… bloody lunatics! Just joking!

(News: Padul, Valle de Lecrin, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Cruz de La Atalaya, Cross-Country Run, XII Subida

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