Spanish Athletics Legends Gather for Historic Subida al Santuario in Novelda

The 38th Subida al Santuario de Santa María Magdalena took place in Novelda, Alicante province, Spain, attracting a record 1,100 participants. For the first time, three of Spain’s most celebrated distance runners—Olympic gold‑medalist Fermín Cacho, former world‑champion Abel Antón and marathon legend Martín Fiz—were officially welcomed by the city.

The reception was held at the town hall, where mayor Fran Martínez and sports councilor Carlos Vizcaíno signed the athletes into the municipal “Gold Book” and praised the event’s four‑decade legacy. The athletes visited the facilities of the main sponsor, Carmencita, and took part in a press conference, a talk‑colloquium, and a fan‑signing session.

During the weekend Cacho suffered a cardiac‑respiratory collapse on the street, was hospitalized for four days, and recovered under cardiology care. He attended the race with his family, including his daughter, after being urged by the event’s sponsor CEO. Despite his health scare, Cacho remained on the sidelines to support his friends.

The race concluded with Bouchrak El Houcine winning the 30th Trofeo Carmencita, while the presence of the three legends highlighted the Subida al Santuario’s status as a flagship popular‑athletics competition in the Valencian Community.