Gemma Arenas wins bronze and sets Spanish record in ultramarathon

Spanish athlete Gemma Arenas secured a bronze medal and a new absolute Spanish record in an ultramarathon competition held in A Coruña. Despite facing extreme heat and a grueling course, Arenas finished with a time of 7:17:50, improving her previous personal best by more than three minutes.

In addition to her individual achievement, she earned a silver medal in the team category alongside teammates Estefanía Unzu, Verdeliss, María Romero, and Carmen María Pérez. Arenas also set a new world record for the W45 category.

The achievement highlights a recurring lack of public recognition for athletics compared to mainstream sports like football or tennis. This pattern is echoed in the history of Juan López García, a runner from Toledo who set a significant world record in his category at age 81 but faced similar difficulties in receiving official recognition.