Running Crazy in Barcelona on Hogmanay

I first heard about the Running Crazy organised trip to the San Silvestre 10k, held in Barcelona on Hogmanay, some four years ago when a friend wrote a blog about it. It seemed like a good race, a good way to spend New Year and a good excuse to visit Barcelona.

With the company taking care of all the organising, all we had to do was book a flight from Prestwick to Girona and catch the bus to Barcelona, where we were met by Malcolm. He showed us to our accomodation, the Hotel Del Mar in Barceloneta.

Maggie and Gaudi

Although I've been to Barcelona about ten times, this was my first time staying near the waterfront and exploring the many restaurants, tapas bars, shops and intimate cafes in the lanes and back alleys of the area. With Borne, the Gothic Quarter and the Ramblas only a short walk away it was an ideal base for our stay. The area is also well served by the Metro and buses, including the tourist buses.

Maggie and Goudie

We spent two days of sight seeing and eating and drinking too much – some would say not the best way to prepare for a 10k. Running Crazy had arranged a pre race briefing and had collected our race numbers, chips and goody bags, which they distributed at our welcoming party. I managed a post lunch nap prior to meeting up with the other runners and Malcolm who took us, by way of the Metro, to the race Start and looked after our kit as we joined the 10,000 other runners on Carrer de la Selva de Mar.

I had agreed to pace Maggie and help her to a PB, however I lost her as I did my warm up and couldn't see her in the ranks of the 10,000 assembling at the race Start. I made my way along to our colour coded race pen and was thinking that I would need to actually race the 10k when she appeared.

With Spanish renditions of various Christmas and New Year songs being played over the tannoy we were set off at 5:30pm along the Cursa dels Nassos or Course of the Noses*

The race was extremely busy and it was evident that a lot of runners in front of us were in the wrong pen as we negotiated our way through the field. A sharp right turn took us onto Passeig de Garcia Faria and towards the Poblenou Cemetry and the first kilmotre marker. A sharp left, immediately followed by a sharp right and we were heading along Carrer de Salvador Espriu, around the 3k point the road becomes Carrer del Doctor Aiguader and it was already dark as we turned right onto Pla de Palau and past our hotel, at 4k. A right turn took us onto Passeig d'Isabel II and past the Estacio de Franca. At Park de la Ciutadella, we turned left along Passeig de Picasso and saw the faster runners racing down the other side of the road, a u-turn and we were following them again and running past the 5k marker. 

 We veered left, along Passeig de Circumvallicio and past the World Trade Centre, through Parc de Carles I and the water station, past the 6k mark and left along Carrer de la Marina and the 7k mark. A right turn along Carrer de Pallars, a left, along Carrer d'Alaba and a right along Carrer de Bolivia and we were passing the 8k point. A left and a right took us on to Avinguda Diagnol, one of the main roads in Barcelona, past the 9k point and onwards back to Carrer de la Selva de Mar and the Finish line. Maggie's pace dropped a little in the middle of the race but she picked it up again in the last two kilometres. 

She was working hard and was on schedule to achieve a PB but unfotunately Garmin flashed 10k some 230m before the Finish line! 

Final Kilometre

She crossed the line in an official time of 51:33, outside of her PB of 50:51, achieved at the easier River Ness 10k, but she had gone through the 10k point at 50:25. The long course and the lack of medal and food at the end of the race were the only negatives in a great event. We joined the others and changed into warm clothes before heading back to our hotel and then out for a meal and Hogmanay celebrations with our new running buddies.

We would recommend the race and the services of Running Crazy to anyone wanting to celebrate the New Year with a race and/or a trip to Barcelona, we might even do it all again next year ourselves.

Photos provided by Running Crazy Ltd, more here

Full Results here

*La Cursa dels Nassos name is inspired by the Catalan new years tradition of "L'home dels nassos," which means  "Noses man." The legend of the Noses man is, that he is a man with many noses who walks the streets of Barcelona on New Year's Day. He has as many noses on his face, as there are days left in the year. Many children think that the Noses man has 365 noses, but of course, New Years Day is the last day of the year, so he only has one nose!