Valencia marathon stirs controversy one month after deadly floods
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Mr Pau Chisbert decided that he is not fit for the Valencia marathon for which he was preparing before the serious floods that devastated several towns on Oct 29.
PHOTO: REUTERS
VALENCIA – Athlete Pau Chisbert decided not to run in this weekend’s Valencia marathon because he could not focus on training amid the devastation that hit Spain’s third-largest city in recent flash floods.
The decision to go ahead with the race on Dec 1, just a month after the raging waters killed over 200 people, has sparked controversy.
Critics say it is too soon, while businesses are welcoming a tourism boost that could help recovery.
“When you look around, the town you grew up in practically doesn’t exist any more. Although your instinct pushes you to run for those four hours to feel like a normal person, your mind’s elsewhere,” said Chisbert, from the Valencia suburb of Paiporta.
The 30-year-old also said that he hoped those who decided to participate would take some time to visit the affected towns and empathise with victims who had lost so much.
However, Ignacio Cardona, a greengrocer from one of the flooded areas to the city’s south, said that training for the marathon represented a “psychological release”.
“Running has been vital for me to be able to get out of this whole situation,” he said.
Two weeks ago, the organisers told the record 35,000 participants who registered for the 42.195km race around the coastal city’s centre that it would still take place while raising funds to help rebuild damaged sports facilities.
“Valencia runs for Valencia,” read the marathon’s official website, where the organisers pledged to donate €3 (S$4.25) for every runner who makes it to the finish line.
Participants – 62 per cent of whom come from abroad and 18 per cent from other Spanish regions according to organisers – are also invited to donate to a joint flood recovery fund to which the race’s sponsors will contribute, too.
The marathon is also an opportunity for hotel and restaurant owners to draw tourists back to one of Spain’s most popular destinations after the Oct 29 tragedy.
Up to 60 per cent of visitors cancelled their hotel bookings after the floods – twice the usual rate – and restaurants saw an 80 per cent drop in sales, according to local business groups.
For the weekend of the marathon, hotel occupancy rates are nearing 80 per cent, said Mayte Garcia, the head of regional hotel association Hosbec.
Manuel Espinar, a spokesman for the local restaurant association, lost two businesses to the floods. He said: “We’re all in shock... Valencia’s image has been affected, but we have to show that the city’s alive.” REUTERS
