The "San Silvestre Vallecana": The most famous New Year's Race

Christmas is coming and that only means one thing... we need to get ready to run the San Silvestre race in Madrid!

Ah! You don't know what this is? Don't worry, we'll tell you everything you need to know, including the history of the race and some of its most important achievements.

Photo credits: Lucía Bemejo

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The San Silvestre vallecana is a 10K race that takes place in Madrid every year on the 31st of December, in other words, the day of San Silvester. This popular race has a distinctive character due to the particularities of the borough of Vallecas, the place where the event was born, also known as Vallekas due to the non-comformist and working class character of this area.

Even though nowadays only the finish line is in Vallecas, as over the years the run has gone through several changes in terms of distance, route and participation, this borough has always been a significant part of the event. Vallecas is where Antonio Sabugueiro and some friends decided to fund a New Year's run, initially only open to elite runners.

The "vallecana", in fact, is not the only San Silvester race in the world, but it is the most famous one, even more popular in Madrid than its marathon, having been referred to as "the most important race on the planet" by one of the city councillors. Vallecas is a borough with a particular local flavour, well known for its sense of community and camaraderie, which is reflected in the run, cheered in the olden days by grandads and grandmas lying on hammocks on the road, now bringing together a multitude of runners dressed in Christmas costumes. Eliud Kipchoge himself did not take it seriously when he was told about the race's atmosphere, where during the last miles foam is thrown at the participants by those who are viewing it. According to him, the only reason why he broke a record was to run away from the foam!

According to the neighbours and its founder, without Vallecas there is no San Silvestre, as demonstrated by the uproar that was caused when they tried to take the route somewhere else during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pressure from the neighbours, of course, reverted the decision. The people of Vallecas do not want to reduce the race to the commercial interests of its sponsors, as that would eliminate its essence: a popular race for and by the people, where hope and community are reflected as the main values that can help us in the face of adversity.

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Photo credits: Getty Images

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The San Silvestre Vallecana is more than half a century old, having been founded in 1964 in Vallecas, precisely on Monte Igueldo Street, where there used to be a bar called Bella Luz, and where now a commemorative plaque is displayed. However, the race has not always been the way we know it nowadays. In its first edition only 57 runners crossed the finish line, all of them males, and its distance was 3 km approximately. Fun fact: during that first edition all athletes had to do the run among the street traffic!

Not long after its inception, the community spirit above described turned it into a popular race. In 1977, the sports journalist Pepe Castaño, who sadly left us in September of this year, famously suggested to Sabugueiro that the run should be "for the people", thus giving birth to one of the most enthusiastic sports events ever. In 1981 women were admitted for the first time, even though there has been a long way until they have obtained the same recognition and enthusiasm in the celebration of their achievements.

These days there are two races, a popular one where around 40,000 people can be inscribed and which almost always gets sold out depending on the year, and an elite one, also called international, open to athletes who are able to do the run in less than 39 minutes for men and 45 minutes for women. This version has attracted the attention of runners as well known as the already mentioned Eliud Kipchoge, and is one of the only 4 races in the world who have obtained the World Athletics gold label for road races, which makes it one of the best ones!

So do not wait any longer, do not miss the opportunity to get your inscription for the 2023 San Silvestre Vallecana, places are filling fast!

And if you are interested in celebrating Christmas with sports gifts, check our Christmas Store and our Christmas Gift Finder.

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