Montserrat, Catalonia, became the centre of vertical and solidarity sport on Saturday with the eighth Vertical Montserrat race. This year's event set a new record with over 460 participants, making it the most attended in its history, according to organisers. Competitors faced the challenge of climbing 2,180 steps and a 388-metre positive elevation gain, stretching from the lower station of the Santa Cova Funicular to the upper station of the Sant Joan Funicular, operated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC).

The race, now a firm fixture in the Catalan and Spanish sporting calendars, combined physical demands with a strong charitable dimension. It supports the Bombers amb Causa (Firefighters with a Cause) project and the Sant Joan de Déu Social Work. The event showed its ability to mobilise social, sporting, and institutional support, drawing participants from across Catalonia, Spain, and other countries.

Former Catalan footballer and current FC Barcelona football area coordinator, Bojan Krkić, served as the race ambassador this year. Núria Parlon, the Catalan government's Minister for Interior and Public Security, also took part, completing the course as a regular participant.

Fundraising Efforts Triple for 'Som Un Equip' Category

A key highlight of this year's event was the 'Som Un Equip' (We Are a Team) category, the most charitable aspect of the Vertical Montserrat. A total of 76 teams, each with up to four members, successfully raised or matched the target of at least €500 before the race. This figure is triple that of the previous year, confirming the race's growing social commitment to Sant Joan de Déu's projects for children at risk.

Participating teams represented businesses, social entities, sports clubs, educational centres, and private initiatives. A notable development was the first-time participation of teams made up entirely of firefighters in this charity category. This strengthened the foundational link between the race and the Catalan Firefighters Corps.

The Off Diabetes organisation also had a visible presence, mobilising seven teams from Catalonia, Madrid, and Jaén. Significantly, two teams of educators and young migrants, involved in Sant Joan de Déu Social Services' socio-labour inclusion programmes, also took part for the first time.

Several authorities and institutional representatives attended the event. These included Alícia Valle Cantalejo, Director General of FGC; David Borrell, Head of the Catalan Firefighters Corps; Father Bernat Juliol, Steward-Administrator of Montserrat Abbey; Juanjo Ortega, Director of Sant Joan de Déu Social Work; Xavier Aparicio, Manager of the Montserrat Mountain Board; and Núria Carreras, Mayor of Monistrol de Montserrat.

New Race Record in Open Category

The sporting competition produced strong performances and memorable moments. In the Open category, the most competitive section of Vertical Montserrat, 75 participants showed high levels of skill. Josep Andreu Cortada won the men's category with a time of 11 minutes and 24 seconds, setting a new absolute race record. This beat the previous best mark held by Joan Freixa since 2018.

Rosa Maria Nieto won the women's category, completing the course in 15 minutes and 8 seconds.

The Vertical Montserrat is part of the National Vertical Race Circuit (CCV), which helps attract high-level athletes and international runners. Participants included two athletes from Brazil and Àngel López Amor, the 2023 Spanish vertical race champion.

One emotional moment involved Pere Marsé Vidal, who completed his 100th vertical race worldwide. He ran alongside his 10-year-old son in the 'Som Un Equip' category, representing Off Diabetes.

Firefighters Compete with 23 Kilos of Equipment

The Firefighters category was again one of the most spectacular and demanding. Eighty firefighters from eight different corps completed the climb wearing full intervention gear, weighing about 23 kilos. Participants came from Bombers de la Generalitat, Bombers de Barcelona, and fire departments from Madrid, Zaragoza, Seville, and Toledo. Two French firefighters from Meusnes-Couffy also took part.

Ferran Alboquers Aliberch, from the Maçanet de la Selva Fire Station, achieved the best male time at 18 minutes and 16 seconds. Natàlia Prat Vives, from Fusté Carreras Firefighters, won the women's category with a time of 24 minutes and 34 seconds. She was close to the record set in 2024 by Mireia Quirós, who finished second this year. This marked the fifth consecutive year with female participation in the Firefighters category, with eleven women firefighters competing.

Inclusive and Children's Categories See Success

The Vertical Montserrat also reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion and adapted sport. The inclusive category featured seven participants with different disabilities. Edgar Toapanta recorded the best time in the men's visual impairment category at 18 minutes and 5 seconds. Juanjo Ruiz won the men's physical disability category with 19 minutes and 29 seconds, while Noelia Béjar was the best in the women's category with 19 minutes and 41 seconds.

In the intellectual disability category, Guillem Feliu Saperas finished in 23 minutes and 42 seconds. Athlete and social activist Maria Petit also completed the course in 22 minutes and 46 seconds in the women's visual impairment category. Some visually impaired athletes ran with sighted guides, connected by a directional bar.

The children's category sold out for the third consecutive year. Twenty-one children aged 8 to 14, accompanied by an adult, tackled the lower section of the course, which includes the 711 steps of the Santa Cova funicular. Alejandro Tejeda won with a time of 4 minutes and 46 seconds, and Aina Herruzo with 5 minutes and 37 seconds.

Over €1 Million Raised Since 2017

Created in 2017 by Bombers de la Generalitat and organised with Sant Joan de Déu Social Work, Vertical Montserrat is part of the Bombers amb Causa project. Since its start, the initiative has raised over €1 million. These funds support research projects into childhood diseases and social programmes for children at risk of exclusion. The money raised has funded seven research grants and supported more than fifty social projects by Sant Joan de Déu.

The event receives support from Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, Montserrat Abbey, and the Montserrat Mountain Board. It also collaborates with Bombers de Barcelona, Catalan Red Cross, and the Federation of Catalan Hiking Entities. Sponsors include Inaccés, ERSM Broker Insurance, Good Bio, and Airbox. For the fifth year, the race was broadcast live on Canal Taronja and La Xarxa+, available on television and via streaming. A large screen in the Monastery square allowed hundreds of people to watch the event.