MORE than 10,000 people will take part in a famous ultramarathon race between 9 and 11 May, organised by the Spanish Legion.

The challenge is to complete a difficult 101-kilometre course (64 miles) in 24 hours: competitors can walk, run or cover the course by mountain bike.

Nine thousand competitors will participate in the adult section, and one thousand, two hundred will attempt the children’s course.

The event is now 30 years old, and attracts participants from all over Europe.

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The route of the race passes through the comarca (district) of Ronda, taking in Arriate, Setenil de las Bodegas, Alcalá del Valle, Montejaque, and Benaoján, before finishing in central Ronda, in the Alameda Park.

The Legion, which is based in Ronda, is the spearhead elite unit of the Spanish army, and has existed for more than 100 years.

The race began back in 1995 with a dual purpose: to celebrate the Legion’s 75th anniversary, and to encourage young people to seek their thrills through athletic endeavour, rather than turning to harmful activities like taking drugs.

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Only extreme external events have interfered sufficiently to cause suspension of the race: Covid led to its cancellation in 2020-1, and the Legion being posted overseas (Kosovo, 2001: Iraq, 2004: Afghanistan, 2010 and Lebanon, 2023).

The President of the Málaga Provincial Council, Francisco Salado, has highlighted the his support for the 101-kilometre race, which combines nature and sport and is a magnificent example of the strong bond between the Legion and the province of Málaga.

 “What began in 1995 as a local race to strengthen ties between the Legion and the civilian population of Ronda and surrounding towns has become a national and international benchmark for this type of road and mountain sporting event,” he said recently, adding that it is also “a magnificent showcase” for promoting tourism in Ronda and the surrounding towns, attracting some 25,000 people from different parts of Spain and other countries.

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More than 1,500 people are involved in the organisation of the race, and will oversee logistics and safety.

Colonel Fernando Sánchez has provided details of the race: over 24 hours there will be an individual foot race (4,700 participants) and a team race (1,100 participants). The race will also have a 12-hour mountain bike race (3,200 participants).

Of the 9,000 participants, in addition to Spaniards, there are participants of twelve other nationalities, primarily Portuguese. Fernando Sánchez has indicated that the oldest participants will be an 87-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman.

A non-competitive three-kilometre children’s race will also be held, following part of the 101-kilometre route, with 1,200 participants.

This entire route is marked day and night to prevent anyone from getting lost.

Performance is controlled by a microchip placed on the race number worn by each participant and a document carried by everyone, called a “Legionary Passport,” which includes important information such as the schedule, departure, route description, refreshment points, and the profile of the race. Similarly, the passport’s design makes it easier for the organisers to control access at specific or unexpected points.

The army will mobilise 900 Legionnaires, 14 doctors and 18 nurses, 150 physiotherapy and podiatry students, 150 Civil Protection volunteers, as well as firefighters from the Provincial Consortium, officers from the Civil Guard, the National Police, and local police from the towns through which it passes, totalling another 220 personnel.

For medical assistance, there will be four first-aid stations (staffed by a doctor, nurse, and paramedic, and three of them staffed by physiotherapists and podiatrists), six ambulances with Basic Life Support and two with Advanced Life Support, and six mobile intensive care units.

Refreshment stations will be set up along the race route roughly every five kilometres for walkers and between ten and fifteen kilometres for cyclists.

The distribution plan is 34,000 litres of bottled water, 25,000 litres of isotonic drinks, 10,000 carbohydrate gels, 23,500 sandwiches, 3,200 litres of coffee, 3,000 litres of broth, 27,000 oranges, 23,000 bananas, 1,000 kilos of vegetables (cherry tomatoes and mini cucumbers), 30,500 sweets and energy bars, and 3,600 chocolate bars.

Logistical support will include 34 trucks, 25 light all-terrain vehicles, six all-terrain motorcycles, three water tanker trucks, and three buses. Fifty-five tents, 34 tables, and 30 portable toilets will be set up.