Podium for Gibraltar athletes in La Linea races

For another consecutive year, Gibraltar’s runners took to the streets of La Línea to participate in the XII CP Alcaldesa Perpetua, an annual road race held ahead of the festive season and hosted in La Línea under the Federación Andaluza de Atletismo.

The strong relationship between Gibraltar’s athletics clubs, local runners, and their regional counterparts was once again evident as athletes young and old converged in La Línea. The event delivered success across various categories.

Andrew Gordon, who has been lighting up the local road-running scene in recent months, finished second in the men’s overall rankings, just four seconds behind overall winner Ayad Achraf. He was soon followed by Sergi Esquival Vega, who also competes in the Gibraltar Road Runners League.

Notably, it was Finley Cant’s fourth-place finish that drew particular attention. The under-20 runner crossed the line just one second ahead of Richard Blagg, further highlighting the young athlete’s meteoric rise through the ranks.

Phil Macedo finished in tenth place, giving Gibraltar runners five of the top ten positions on the day—an impressive feat with more than 274 participants, including female runners, completing the event.

There was further success in the female category, with Gibraltar’s top female runner, Kim Baglietto, taking first place with an 18:32 finish in her race.

In the under-20 category, Finley Cant secured a podium finish, while Lee Corbacho, also a Lourdians runner, took second place.

Nicky Macedo, who recently had a stint in mountain biking, continued her sporting success with a silver medal in the Female Masters category. Among the top ten in this category was Joanne Deaves from Carpe Diem.

The Men’s Masters category saw a clean sweep for Gibraltar, with Andrew Gordon taking gold, Richard Blagg finishing second, and Phil Macedo in third.

The Women’s Master C category also saw Gibraltar athletes on the podium, with Sharron Mifsud Celetia placing second and Lesley Jackson taking third.

With Lourdians registering some of their youngest athletes for the junior races, Gibraltar also made its mark in these divisions, with several podium finishes adding to the momentum built during the recent Pina del Rey races.

Gibraltar’s athletes now turn their attention back to the local circuit, with this weekend featuring the Traditional Mile run on Sunday. The race is expected to be fast-paced, posing an additional challenge in the league competition.

Likely to attract short-range road runners and sprinters, the event will test the top league competitors as they strive to maintain their standings, with the race favouring speed over endurance.

Images courtesy Roy Torres