The thirty-second edition of the Cross Popular de Monesterio brought together almost 300 athletes from different origins at the Municipal Football Stadium on the afternoon of this past Saturday, August 27, at the Municipal Football Stadium of Monesterio. The event, organized jointly by the Monesterio City Council and the Extremadura Athletics Federation, is one of the major sporting events of the year that seeks to promote the practice of physical activity at all ages and levels.
In this way, runts, prebenjamines, juniors, juveniles, sub14, sub16, sub18-sub20, sub23-senior, master A and B met from 6:30 p.m., the time at which the prebenjamines race inaugurated the Cross. From there, the tests of the different categories followed one another, from lowest to highest, in a staggered manner. The promotional athletic walking exhibition, which was held at 7:15 p.m., completed a lineup that ended with the runt race, after 8 p.m. He also highlighted the ‘Monesterian popular race’, aimed at local runners.
2,000 euros in prizes
The organization of the Cross Popular de Monesterio distributed a total of 2,000 euros in cash, distributed among the top ten finishers in the absolute categories, in addition to commemorative trophies. There were also Iberian shoulders for the winners of the absolute men’s and women’s competitions. For their part, all the runts and prebenjamines, like every year, received medals.
The legendary Portuguese athlete stood out on the absolute men’s podium Bruno Paixao, from Beja Atlético Clube, faithful participant edition after edition of this test. Paixao, who was 13 seconds away from reaching his own record of 8’29”, achieved a time of 8’42” in 2022. The other two best marks in the 3,000 meter dash were that of Lázaro Carreño, from the Perceiana Extremadura Athletics Club (Capex), and that of Manuel Muriel Barragán, from the Surco Lucena Athletics. The award for the first local athlete in this race went to José Pedro Farrona, who was just one second away from taking third place overall.
Another of the most exciting moments that took place in the Stadium was the absolute women’s race. The one also Portuguese and recognized in the Cross Popular de Monesterio Raquel Trabuco, from the same club as Paixao, managed to win with a mark of 10′ 30”. Conchi Hidalgo, from the Tenerife 1984 Athletics School Club, and María Elena Gordillo, from the Almendralejo Athletics Club, completed the podium.
None of the participants in the absolute categories broke the test records, for which a prize of 90 euros had been planned as a reward if they surpassed them. Even so, Paixao and Trabuco, despite not being able to surpass their own records, which are also those of the test, continue, for another year, unbeatable.
In the athletic walking exhibition, the Almendralejo Athletics Club. Three sub-16s from this group managed to get on the podium: the local athlete Claudia Ríos and the runners Estela Ortiz and Adrián Casco, in that order.
Finally, Lucía Espacio, in the women’s category, and Carlos Ramayo in the men’s category, were winners of the local runners’ race.
The Monesterio Popular Cross Country belongs to the ‘Popular Race Circuit’ Program launched by the Badajoz Provincial Council, in collaboration with the Extremeña Athletics Federation (FAEX). It pursues the development and promotion of sports practice and grassroots sports in the province, promoting the coexistence of popular and federated sports.
Popular Races are a healthy alternative for leisure and free time and a festive way of “creating a hobby” and motivating their regular practice at all ages and levels, promoting female participation especially in the categories with less presence.