Spain shines in the 100 km World Cup with bronze from Gemma Arenas and silver for teams

Spain shone this Sunday in the 100 kilometer World Cup of the International Association of 'Ultrarunners' (IAU). In the A Coruña town of Ames, a record-breaking Gemma Arenas won the bronze medal in the individual event, also breaking the national record that she herself had established a few months ago, while Estefanía Unzu 'Verdeliss' finished sixth and the Spanish women's team was proclaimed runner-up in the world.

Only the American Courtney Olsen, who became world champion with 7h.10:32, and the Japanese Miho Nakata, who took silver by crossing the finish line just one minute behind the North American (7h.11:32), were able to beat the time of the athlete from La Mancha, who stopped the stopwatch at 7h.17:50.

In this way, the Spaniard reduced by more than three minutes the 7:20:57 with which she had established the national record in Malaga, in her debut in the distance a few months ago, once again demonstrating her adaptation to the distance from the first steps.

The woman from La Mancha was the fastest Spaniard during the first quarter of the race and completed the first five laps, around kilometer 25, in 1:32:02. Estefanía Unzu then passed very close, in 1:35:57, followed by Carmen María Pérez (1:36:51) and María Romero in (1:38:32). A block that gained prominence as the kilometers passed in the women's event, until taking Spain to the world team podium.

The panorama began to take on an even better color for Spain on the way to kilometer 75. Finally, Arenas culminated his extraordinary race by stopping the clock at 7:17:50, a new W45 world record. Behind, Estefanía Unzu confirmed her magnificent race with sixth position. Carmen María Pérez completed the 100 kilometers in 7:41:03, while María Romero closed the Spanish performance with 7:47:31. The sum of their performances led the women's team to world silver.

For its part, the men's team faced the competition with the memory of the historic world silver achieved two years ago in Bangalore. Three of the members of that team, Antonio Jesús Aguilar, Félix Pont and Carlos Gazapo, returned to a 100 kilometer World Cup and were accompanied by international debutants Marco Álvarez and Jesús Rafael González.

Pont retired before reaching the halfway mark, while Carlos Gazapo crossed the finish line in tenth position with 6:31:09. After him came Jesús Rafael González, who closed his debut with the Spanish team with a twenty-first position and 6:48:03. Marco Álvarez finished in 36th place (7:06:52), while Antonio Jesús Aguilar completed the 100 kilometers in 48th position (7:15:41).