Cartagena’s fortress race raises sixty-two thousand euros for local charities. Photo Credit: Cartagena Route of the Fortresses
The incredible 15th edition of Cartagena’s Route of the Fortresses took place in the city on Friday, June 19, and distributed some €62,000 between more than forty charity organisations in the Region of Murcia. The event, aiming solely to support solidarity and inclusion projects of these kindhearted charities, was a massive success, and placed a specific focus on sport, socialisation, and solidarity.
Thousands of runners turn athletic sacrifice into direct charitable aid
To be specific, the Route of the Fortresses was a race which saw great participation of some 6,000 runners, transforming their support, effort, and sacrifice into tangible, direct aid for social groups and organisations in the region. Apart from its charitable heart, the race also allowed participants to compete in a special route that now has been firmly established as an important and representative race for the municipality and city.
The Route of the Fortresses: Taking runners through Cartagena’s most iconic landmarks
This route takes runners through several historic landmarks and peaks through the municipality, kicking off from the Plaza Mayor, near the port alongside the sea, and tracing a path through landmarks like the Cerro del Molinete and the Palacio Consistorial, the Castillo de la Concepción, Castillo de los Moros, the Castillo de San Julián, and leading up the mountain to Sierra Gorda, Monte Calvario, and the steep Castillo de la Atalaya. Finally, the race ends at the Escuela de Infantería de Marina General Albacete Fuster, located in Tentegorra.
Military support and a new musical anthem crown the historic finish
In addition to the athletes, officials at the awards gala also thanked the work of the volunteers who made the sporting event possible, and the more than 1,000 professionals from the Navy for their collaboration with this event.
According to Chief of Naval Personnel, Admiral Alfonso Delgado Moreno, who is also the only General Officer to have completed the race in all three of his admiral ranks, the race “embodies the core values of Navy personnel, and it is an honour for all participants to face the route with the seriousness the challenge demands.”
Finally, the musical finale for the gala was performed by the Cartagena-based group “Los Recortables ,” who played an acoustic version of “Ven a Cartagena,” their original song which, starting with this fifteenth edition, will officially become the anthem of the Route of the Fortresses.
