Gibraltar celebrated Kids Athletics day with visiting teams competing

Gibraltar’s young athletes were able to celebrate yet another Kids Athletics Day at the Lathbury Sports Complex last week.

Initially scheduled to be celebrated globally on May 7, Gibraltar, as has frequently been the case in previous years with the annual event, marked the occasion at a later date. This allowed teams from the surrounding region to visit Gibraltar and compete alongside local runners.

The event, first launched five years ago, is described by World Athletics as “A day dedicated to celebrating children and young people across the globe participating in athletics and being active. We believe that every child is born to move, play and explore no matter where they are in the world or their individual circumstance. We are aiming to use the power of athletics to inspire children and young people all over the world to get moving, be more active, develop their skills and confidence, and to connect with sport and physical activity for life.”

This year, World Athletics aimed to encourage local creativity while contributing to one shared global goal: getting more children moving, more often, through athletics.

The visit from regional clubs added an atmosphere of friendship and sporting rivalry to the day, which in many ways brought into focus the present political environment in which the two communities are paving a pathway towards a new era of co-operation. Sport is among the areas many believe could also benefit.

With teams from La Línea de la Concepción and Algeciras participating, local runners had the chance to showcase their talents on home soil, with exciting moments witnessed on both the track and field.

The higher-than-normal attendance at an athletics event, due mainly to the families and friends of visiting runners also attending, provided an unusual and exciting backdrop for young local athletes, who are usually accustomed to having only their parents in the stands during races.

With the school sports day season now upon us, the World Athletics Kids Athletics Day provided a great way to open the competitive season for young athletes, many of whom have been training throughout the year, with some competing for the first time.