/ Town Hall
Tuesday 15th February 2022
THE V GALATZÓ TRAIL RETURNS TO ITS ORIGINS DRIVEN BY THE PARTICIPATION OF INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES
● The short race modality registrations are close to reaching the maximum quota
● The athlete Alejandro Forcades, who will run in the Skyrunner World Series, will participate in the event
The fifth edition of the Galatzó Trail mountain race to be held on 13th March in the municipality of Calvià returns to its origins two years after the last edition was held under normal conditions. The sporting event will have a high participation of athletes in its two modalities and with the presence of outstanding athletes such as Alejandro Forcades, one of the best mountain runners in Spain at the moment and who was born on the island.
After two very complicated years for the organisation of the Galaztó Trail, which had to suspend the 2020 edition and move its last edition to the last quarter of 2021, relative normality is expected in 2022, as shown by the registration figures. One month before its celebration, the registrations are close to reaching their maximum quota, especially in the Galatzó Half category (the 23-kilometre route), where more than 400 athletes have already registered and there are few places left. In the Galatzó Legend modality, the main 43 kilometre-race, a final participation of about 250 mountain runners is expected.
According to the organisation, the good participation figures are due to the boost in registrations of international athletes, which currently account for more than 20% of the total, and also to the interest in the event of local athletes. In addition, the influx of participants is stimulated by a price reduction. This promotional policy will be maintained until the end of February.
Participation of Alejandro Forcades
The Galatzó Trail will have the privilege of having the athlete Alejandro Forcades, born in Mallorca and one of the best Spanish mountain runners today. “I am especially excited to run the Galarzó Trail because I know the area perfectly, since it is one of my usual training places, and because the route is spectacular”, pointed out Alejandro Forcades, who remarked that the route “confronts us with two emblematic peaks of the Mallorcan West, Es Galatzó [1027 metres] and S'Esclop [927 metres], within an impressive mountain environment that shows the identity of Mallorca and from which you can see the Mediterranean Sea from almost any point”.
Alejandro Forcades, who started in professional triathlon at the hands of the Xtrem Calvià Triatló Club, was runner-up in the RFEA 2020 Spanish Trail Running Championship, is part of the Spanish team and participates in the prestigious Skyrunner World Series international circuit, which begins in May. In fact, the Galatzó Trail is "one of the most important races" in his preparation for the Skyrunners.
“My objective during the Galatzó Trail is to try to establish a demanding and sustained rhythm race, and a high average speed that allows me to fight for victory and endorse the results of the preparation”, declared the Spaniard.
Circular and heritage layout
At the moment, the Galatzó Trail organisation is working on obtaining the necessary permits and authorisations to have a new and more spectacular race layout that minimises the two-way sections. In this edition, the aim is to create a circular route in the Serra de Tramuntana by incorporating several sections, amongst which the Camí de Sa Font Nova stands out.
This path is especially important for its beauty and its historical and heritage value. It was the old transit used by the Galatzó Estate workers towards Galilea and it took on great prominence during the olive harvest. Since the acquisition of the Galatzó Estate by Calvià Town Hall in 2006, the route was classified as a hunting ground until the town hall recovered the path for hikers, joining the GR221 Pedra en Sec Route, which runs through the entire Serra de Tramuntana. In addition, in this section of special environmental protection you can also find heritage ethnological elements such as the Hornos de Cal or Sa Font Nova.
Sport appeal
The Galatzó Trail is part of a specific plan by Calvià Town Hall to encourage sustainable and quality tourism through sport with the organisation of major sporting events throughout the year, such as the Half Marathon Magaluf, the Challenge Peguera Mallorca triathlon, the maritime sports competitions during the Fiestas del rei En Jaume or the recent return of the European Golf Tour to Mallorca.
In this way, sport is becoming more and more consolidated as a key for changing Calvià's tourism model, which is also committed to guaranteeing and promoting the practice of almost any type of sport at an amateur or professional level in the numerous sports facilities and outdoors, both inland and on the coastline. In this sense, the Galatzó Trail is an example of the work carried out in this direction, since its route runs along paths enabled for hiking and mountain biking available to the public throughout the year.
Galatzó Trail is a community project in which Fundación Calvià 2004 and Calvià Town Hall organise the event with the Fundació Mallorca Turisme sponsorship. In addition, it has more than 100 volunteers and the participation of various sports clubs in the municipality.
