Valencia City Council and Fundación Trinidad Alfonso [sports foundation] set up a set of health running circuits
The Valencia City Council, through the Municipal Sports Foundation, and Fundación Trinidad Alfonso [sports foundation] have signed an agreement to set up a network of health running circuits and routes through the city. The project involves the creation and signposting of the first circuit at Tarongers. There are plans to create a further eight routes throughout the city, making nine new circuits. These will build on a plan that began with the existing 5-kilometre Circuit for runners through the Turia Gardens. The present Turia circuit and the nine new ones will make up a total of ten running circuits, all forming part of the project: ‘Valencia — Running City’. The latest initiatives are a giant step forward in realising this plan.
These nine circuits will cover various distances, ranging between 6.4 km for the Boulevard Sud and a little under 2 km. for the circuit covering Tramo XII [Section 12] of Jardí del Turia [Turia Gardens] with Eivissa street. The works carried out will vary in nature given that each will depend on the route layout. The routes will be clearly sign-posted and require alterations to a greater or lesser extent. It should be noted that these routes already exist and are used. The project’s aim is to make them clearer and more attractive to runners.
The project begins at Tarongers
The project for nine new health-running circuits will begin with the Tarongers route, with a length of 2.55 km. In this case, the signage will be on the road surface. Furthermore, various works on adjoining areas will be exploited. These works include the creation of areas for training, stretching exercises, and drinking fountains.
“The Valencia City Council and Fundación Trinidad Alfonso [sports foundation] seek to improve citizens lives by fostering physical exercise and a healthier lifestyle. Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle are growing problems worldwide, posing grave health risks, and exacting a heavy social and financial toll. Cities and their public spaces must encourage greater physical activity in the population by making exercise both safe and easily-accessible. Exercise also fosters greater social cohesion among the citizenry”, explained Joan Ribó, Mayor of Valencia.
The Director of Fundación Trinidad Alfonso, Elena Tejedor, stressed the importance of the agreement: “It will continue the Valencia – Running City Project. Although these circuits are not only for running, as is the case in the 5 km. Turia Garden Circuit, these kinds of spaces throughout the city encourage Valencians to use them for training or simply to walk and run. Not everyone has to run a marathon. The important thing is to do sport and keep active so that each of us in his or her own way can improve their quality of life”.
