The Valencia Marathon is an annual marathon road running event hosted by Valencia, Spain since 1981.
During the two years that I have had to participate I have been part of the refreshment team, that is, I have been giving water to runners who needed it located at certain points in the city.
It may sound simple, but it requires a well-coordinated team of volunteers. No matter how many batches of bottles I’ve had to carry over the years, hours of bending and standing, containers, caps and plastics to collect… nothing can compare to the satisfaction of seeing so many people give their all to reach the finish line.
It is inspiring to be surrounded by people who have spent months, years training to be able to endure what a marathon entails. That’s why, together with my colleagues, we have spent the 7 hours of volunteering shouting, jumping and cheering the runners (so much so that many of us have ended up hoarse, probably for several days).
People from all over the world coming together in a sporting challenge as rewarding as it is exhausting… There could not be a greater display of perseverance, effort and motivation.