Climbing 2,180 steps is no small feat and saving 400 meters of unevenness may sound demotivating… but if the final prize is to reach the monastery of Montserrat and celebrate its thousand years of existence, all reservations are erased.
You can do it in the 7th edition of the Vertical Montserrat, to be held this May 24 in a very special edition, the Mil-lenari of the foundation of the Monastery of Montserrat.
Organized by the Bombers de la Generalitat, in collaboration with the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, the Abadia de Montserrat and other entities, this vertical race has established itself as an event that goes far beyond sport: it is an act of collective commitment to research in childhood diseases and care for children at risk of social exclusion.
An epic climb… and running
The participants of the Vertical will have to overcome the 2,180 steps that separate the lower station of the Santa Cova funicular from the upper station of the Sant Joan funicular, with 388 meters of vertical drop.
But this year there is a surprise: a new category “Mil-lenari”, with a positive difference in altitude of 1,000 meters, 3,000 steps and 4.5 kilometers to the hermitage of Santa Magdalena. Only suitable for those who are used to extreme challenges.
And it is not only run for personal records: all proceeds will be used to fund research projects and social care of the Obra Social de Sant Joan de Déu, which works with hospitalized children, in situations of exclusion or mental health disorders.
How to sign up and who can participate?
The beauty of the Vertical Montserrat is that all kinds of public can participate. In addition to the ‘Open’ and ‘Bombers’ categories (where firefighters run with the complete intervention equipment, of 23 kg), there is a Children’s category, an Inclusive category for people with disabilities, and the beautiful ‘Som Un Equip’, where companies, clubs or groups participate as a group after overcoming a solidarity challenge. This year, in addition, inclusive places are incorporated for children with disabilities.
To sign up, just go to the registration website and join the corresponding category. For those who want to collaborate with the cause but without registering and leaving their legs, there is the possibility of contributing with a “dorsal zero” that allows to collaborate economically.