Cursa del Corte Ingles - 10k - with my son!!!

Today a different experience to tell about! Months ago my seven year old son Jordi told me he wanted to come and run with me in one of the popular 10k races. And so, today, we left home a quarter to nine heading for Plaça Catalunya to run the best race for running together, la Cursa del Corte Ingles.

We found a nice spot in the front pack of the runners without chip and at 9h30 we slowly started moving and went from walking to cautiously running since a start with over 60.000 people tends to be a bit chaotic, eventhough I was happy to see everyone was friendly and patiently trying to avoid the other runners.

Turning onto C/ Aragò from Psg. de Gràcia we found a good rhythm and after 7m00 we passed the first kilometer mark. Jordi picked up the "onto the next kilometer mark" idea perfectly and after just over 14m we passed the second kilometer mark. On we went in a steady pace to Plaça Espanya and since we had more space to run our pace was even a bit below 7m/k now, and I told Jordi to relax and enjoy.

On Av. Maria Cristina I made some pictures and at the end the first climb started in the shadow of the trees at both sides of the road there what helped since it was a bit warm. At the top of the first climb we missed the first water bottles, but a kind runner handed us his spare second bottle and Jordi had his first drinking-while-running experience on the downhill before we started the climb to the Olympic Stadium. We passed the 5k mark in and incredible 34m30 and even on the steep climb to the Olympic Stadium Jordi only wanted to walk a minute or so and soon we entered the stadium where I made more pictures.

Jordi tells me he still feels great and at some moment where I sprint ahead to make a picture of him he actually sprints along, not showing signs of fatigue at all. Outside the stadium we pick up two more water bottles and climb easily up to the 7k mark and then start the long downhill back from Montjuic to the city center.
Jordi still enjoys looking for the next kilometer mark and soon we pass the 10k marker in 1h09m30s and only have some 700m to go to the finish line. At the beginning of Carrer Pelai we call Montse and Emma to make sure we don't miss eachother for a photo just before the finishline.

The last 50 meters we have to stop moving all together and go onto to the finish-line very slowly but some 5 minutes later we are finally there in an oficial time of 1h21m26 and very very happy and proud, and also very surprised of how seamingly easy Jordi completed his first 10k!!!