The race, held at night due to the high temperatures, brought together 24 athletes on San Antonio street and ended with the champions' jota dance.
Belver de Cinca once again celebrated one of its most recognizable sporting events this past Friday, August 7th: the Assumption Footrace , which reached its 46th edition. The race, held before the town's festivities and starting at 9:30 p.m. to mitigate the effects of the heat, brought together 24 athletes—17 men and 7 women—on the traditional circuit along San Antonio Street.
As has been the custom for decades, participants had to complete 30 laps to cover approximately 7 kilometers . The organization and monitoring of laps and prizes were handled by several members of the municipal council, including the Councilor for Sports, Óscar Muñoz, and the Councilor for Culture, Blanca Gracia. After the initial photo with authorities and runners, Muñoz himself started the race, which once again featured prizes as one of its main attractions.
Over €300 in prize money was distributed during the evening , donated by the City Council, the Violin Club, the tobacconist, and several anonymous donors. It was precisely these prizes that energized the early stages of the race, especially among the fastest athletes who had the least chance of winning.
Nacho Dieste breaks the race
In the men's category, Nacho Dieste from Zaragoza decided to increase the pace after the first few sprints . His change of rhythm allowed him to open up a gap over his main pursuers, including Denis Lorda from Zuera and the young Jorge Pérez from Zuera, the Aragonese champion in the 800 meters and also in the jota dance.
Lorda never lost sight of the leader and managed to get right into the fight, even overtaking Pérez before catching Dieste. The victory was ultimately decided in the final meters, after a long sprint in which the runner from Zaragoza managed to prevail over the athlete from Zufar. Jorge Pérez completed the men's podium in third place.
Carlota Gasión dominates the women's race
In the women's race, Carlota Gasión, from Alcorisa, was the undisputed champion . The young athlete, just 15 years old, pulled away at will and faced no real opposition in the fight for victory, despite the presence of runners with extensive experience. She also dominated the early-season races, winning all but one of the events she entered, which was won by Raúl García from Alcañiz in what was one of the most closely contested moments of the evening.
The second women's position went to Ani Buero from Zaragoza, winner in Belver in 2018 and 2019, while third place was claimed by Eva Morraja from Alcañiz. Among the participants, Laura Rosell from Lleida also stood out, a regular in this race with eight victories since 2000.
This year's edition featured athletes from Zaragoza, Zuera, Lleida, Alcañiz, Alcorisa, and Barbastro . As a closing act, the winners, Nacho Dieste and Carlota Gasión, danced the traditional champions' jota, performed a cappella by runner and jota singer Jorge Pérez Picón. A fitting end to a race that, year after year, continues to hold its place on the sporting and festive calendar of Belver de Cinca.
