Marina Alta runners battle it out as 21K race crowns its champions

Runners from across the Marina Alta took to the roads on Sunday September 20 as the region’s 21K brought together athletes, local clubs and spectators for a 21.097-kilometre challenge through four municipalities.

The third edition of the 21K Marina Alta took place on September 20, with El Verger serving as both the starting point and finish line for the first time.

José Manuel García Barragán and Eri Yonamine emerged as the overall winners after a route that carried competitors through El Verger, Els Poblets, Dénia and Ondara.

A race through four Marina Alta towns

The race got underway at 8.30am from Calle Miraflor, close to Plaça Concepció Miquel Giner in El Verger.

From there, runners headed towards Els Poblets before continuing towards Dénia and the Vía Verde, with the course designed to provide a relatively flat route.

The runners then entered Ondara via Camí Alfatares, passing through the Barranc de l’Alberca before continuing along Camí del Verger.

The final section brought competitors back towards El Verger, where they completed the 21.097-kilometre course and crossed the finish line.

The route was designed to connect the four municipalities while showcasing a mixture of rural roads, urban areas and the former railway route now used as the Vía Verde.

The organisers had also worked to make the course flatter, with the asphalted Vía Verde helping create more favourable conditions for maintaining a consistent pace.

García Barragán takes men’s title

José Manuel García Barragán, representing C. E. Llebeig Xàbia, claimed first place in the men’s race with an impressive official time of 1:11:24.

His winning pace averaged 3:23 per kilometre.

He was followed across the line by fellow Llebeig Xàbia runner Robert Harrison, who finished in 1:13:09.

Rober Martínez Menor of C. A. Promesas Villena completed the men’s podium in 1:15:36.

The official results show that García Barragán finished more than a minute and 40 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

Eri Yonamine leads the women’s field

In the women’s competition, Eri Yonamine of C. Ginestar Atletisme Benissa secured victory in 1:27:48.

Gemma Ann Selby, representing C. A. El Faro, took second place after recording 1:30:27.

Lourdes Mut Noguera of C. Ondara Tri-Esport completed the women’s top three with a time of 1:32:42.

The results highlighted the strong presence of athletes from local clubs, with runners representing organisations across the Marina Alta and neighbouring areas.

A race connecting the Marina Alta

The 21K Marina Alta has deliberately taken a different approach to hosting its first three editions.

Dénia was the host municipality for the inaugural race, before the start and finish moved to Els Poblets in 2025.

This year, the spotlight moved to El Verger, with the race once again linking several towns rather than remaining within a single municipality.

The event was organised with the involvement of the town halls of El Verger, Els Poblets, Dénia and Ondara, alongside local sporting clubs including Dénia Corre, Club Atletismo Ondara, C. OndaraTri-Esport and the Club de Pilota de Els Poblets.

For competitors, the result was more than simply a half marathon. The course offered a 21-kilometre journey through some of the Marina Alta’s varied landscapes, while bringing communities together around a major local sporting event.

With all four municipalities once again forming part of the route, the third edition reinforced the race’s regional identity while giving runners another chance to test themselves over the half-marathon distance.