Off-season events occupy increasingly important spot on Formentera sports calendar

Mitja marato 2015  jantonio arribasThe Formentera Council's Office of Sport, working together with various local clubs and sports associations, will deliver some twenty fitness and sports-themed events in winter 2017. Describing a sports calendar that has "hit its stride", department head Jordi Vidal said current efforts were focused on "consolidating a programme of fixtures whose prestige increases yearly". According to the councillor, "in sports, as in tourism, we're betting on quality over quantity".

The proof is in the pudding. One of the island's most beloved fitness events, the Formentera Island Half Marathon, capped its admission limits years ago "to make sure the experience was pleasant and in tune with the island's reduced size". Councillor Vidal touted the twofold benefits of fixtures like the Half Marathon: "Not only do they draw visitors during the low-season, they also encourage our local population to get active".

The first meet on the calendar is February 11's school cross country final for youth runners. As every year, Holy Week marks the start of an international training event for adepts of judo. The first weekend in May will see another school final, this time in kids' tennis.

Footraces
The starting shot in a season of races will ring out March 1 with the Cursa de la Dona («Women's Race»), an event that shares its spot on the calendar with the Balearic Islands' annual holiday and a region-wide basketball tournament. Another race, Cursa Pagesa Solidària, will follow close behind on March 12.

Runners head for the coastline on March 25 for the Formentera All Round Trail, and the lighthouse-to-lighthouse challenge Far a Far will take place April 23. The island's most famous fitness fixture, the Half Marathon, is projected to draw 2,400 participating runners on May 13.

Formentera to Run turns nine this year. The event, which Councillor Vidal billed as "the nostrum for active tourism aficionados keen to spend a week on the island", will happen between May 28 and June 3. Another popular athletics event, the Milla Urbana («Urban Mile») + Es Pujols 5K, will happen July 22.

Post-season, October 7 holds the fifth Formentera Island Triathlon whilst the celebrations around the Virgin of the Pillar –el Pilar– will coincide with the 12th Pujada a la Mola run. Finally, on December 6, the John Tunks memorial run, also known as Cursa de la Constitució, ushers in its 39th year.

Cycling
Vidal highlighted four competitive meets for inhabitants of the world of cycling: Trofeu Illa Road Race on March 26, BTT Formentera Tracks on April 9, BTT Es Cap Challenge on May 7 and –a two-part fixture– the ATB tour of Formentera and La Mola Challenge, held from October 27 to 29.

Regattas
May's Regatha Ophiusa and June's Penyal d'Ifac tournament/regatta join the Mariano Castelló memorial windsurf regatta (June 25), the Marco Mayans memorial windsurf regatta (August 27) and the 35th Volta a Formentera, a windsurf trial on September 24, as sports events pitched to Formentera's resident and visiting nautical sports enthusiasts.

More information about all of the events can be found on agendaformentera.cat.