Danny Barton One Mile could see a change of dates in the future
Some twenty runners participated on Sunday in what the first official race in the Road Runners calendar for 2024.
The Danny Barton One Mile Run which is traditional run in the first Sunday of the new year was impacted in numbers by the close proximity of the race date to the end of the festivities, especially its proximity to the 6th January celebrations. This saw the number of runners from across the frontier reduced this year in comparison to previous years.
Spanish runner Jesus Enradedes was to come through as the eventual winner with Abigail Evans claiming her second victory in the event in the female category.
Faunier and Chichon were to finish second and third in the men’s category with Peat coming in second in the women’s category.
The short distance made for a quick race which saw runners starting by Regal House and taking on what is described as a straight dash through Queensway into Dockyard Road, finishing just before the Europa Business Centre.
This was Jesus Enradades first race in Gibraltar with the Spanish athlete indicating his interest in participating in future races after his success. Running in the veterans in Algeciras, the runner indicated he had in the past wanted to race in Gibraltar but circumstances had not allowed him to.
In the women’s category Abigail Evans made a return to competitive races after a break due to maternity. The Danny Barton race her first competitive race this season.
A chilly morning with clear skies made for good running weather for athletes although organisers indicated that they will be looking at whether to change the date of the event in the future. The race, which is the shortest in the road runners calendar is also among one of the most challenging due to its short distance and the most competitive, making for some exciting moments.
Many of Gibraltar’s top runners were missing from the race which has in the past seen both track athletes and road runners come together to compete in what has become a traditional start of the race year during the past years.