Record number of participants in the 8th edition of the ProFuturo Race

This weekend, on 6 and 7 April, more than 23,000 runners took to the streets of Madrid to form part of the Movistar Madrid Half Marathon and the ProFuturo Race, both setting new records in sign-ups (the Movistar Madrid Half Marathon with 20,400 runners and the ProFuturo Race with 2,092). The event brought the city to a standstill as we gave a warm welcome to athletes from different countries competing to reach the podium, improve their times and help bring quality education to thousands of children around the world.

The excitement began at the starting line, which featured Luis Prendes, general director of the Fundación Telefónica; Magdalena Brier, CEO of ProFuturo; Julio Rimoldi, co-founder and strategic advisor of ProFuturo; Lorenzo Albaladejo, Paralympic sprinter and friend of ProFuturo and Pedro Delgado, Spanish cyclist. These leaders kicked off the day, setting the tone for a day full of good vibes and solidarity in support of education.

In the men’s category of the charity race, Sergio Salinero stood out as the leader, crossing the finish line after completing the 5.8 km in an astonishing time of 00:17:20. He was followed by Borja Ignacio Perez, just eight seconds behind (00:17:28), securing second place. Third place went to Esteban Patiño Rámirez, who recorded a time of 00:17:51, completing the men’s podium.

In the women’s category, Claudia Moreno took first place with a time of 00:20:15, closely followed by Ruth León Casado, who clocked 00:20:46, and Paola Niño Torrijos, with a time of 00:21:27.

This edition of the race was notable for the diversity of participants, from parents pushing prams to friends supporting each other across the finish line.

In addition, we had the support of two true legends of athletics: Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and Rosa Mota of Portugal, sponsors at both the start and finish of the event, who exemplified how sport has the power to bring people together and raise awareness, while promoting values of solidarity.

Another highlight worth mentioning is the participation of the outstanding Paralympic athlete Lorenzo Albaladejo, whose commitment to the cause of this event is unquestionable, giving the best of himself to contribute to education. In addition, we had the presence of distinguished personalities such as José María Álvarez-Pallete, CEO of Telefónica, as well as the renowned athletes Chema Martínez, Martín Fiz, Abel Antón, Perico Delgado, Alex Roca, Valentí Sanjean and Javier Gómez Noya, among others, who have participated in several editions of this race, providing their continued support and backing.

ProFuturo’s education programme received a cheque for 19,100 euros raised, reaffirming the importance of ensuring access to quality education for millions of children in vulnerable environments around the world. These kilometres go beyond the finish line, aligning with the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Agenda (SDG 4): to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The transformational power of sport and education continues to surprise us with each edition, drawing more people together in this sporting event to not only improve their physical and mental well-being through running, but also to contribute to one of the fundamental rights of all human beings: to receive quality education.

We thank all the participants and organisers for making this event a unique experience: Marathon Sports Association, Atresmedia and Sport Life Ibérica with the main sponsorship of Movistar and institutional support of the Madrid City Council and the Community of Madrid. Joma Sport is the technical sponsor and with collaboration from Garmin, AhorraMás, Rafaelhoteles, Alquiber, Deloitte, ElPozo Bienestar, Vitaldin Sport, Gourmet Latino, Oakberry and Physiorelax.