The EDP Half Marathon Seville will break this Sunday its participation record with 9 500 runners and will premiere its new route with start and finish line in the Paseo de las Delicias, going through the whole historic center of the city during the last third of the race, in which a great atmosphere is expected.

The Runner’s Exposition will be celebrated on Friday and Saturday in the pavilion San Pablo, in which there will be many activities and exhibitions, like the children’s race “Best drive Kids Running”, on Saturday.

In terms of sport, there will be a great level, with the winner of the 2017 edition, Mamen Ledesma; the triathlete María Pujol; the Kenyan Likina Amebaw Ayel; or the Croatian Matea Parlov, who achieved a record of 1h and 14 minutes and will be the main rival. In the male category, two Moroccans stand out: El Hassan Oubaddi, who was second last edition, and Mourad Marofit, with a personal record of less than an hour; and also the Sevillian Rubén Álvarez.

It was officially presented today, in the Antiquarium of Las Setas de la Encarnación, where the race will take place this Sunday – a historic edition of the EDP Half Marathon of Seville, in which a new route, completely different from the one of the last 23 years premieres, with starting and finishing line in the Paseo de las Delicias. It will bring 9 500 runners together during 21 097 meters, being that the record of participation in the race, which is itself the one with the greatest participation in Andalusia.

Prior to the EDP Half Marathon Seville, the Runners Exposition and Fair will be celebrated on Friday and Saturday, from 10.00 to 23.00 in the pavilion San Pablo, where activities like the children’s race “Best Drive Kids Running” will take place on Saturday from 11.00. It is possible to register for free in the official website www.edpmediomaratondesevilla.es

The starting pistol shot will be on Sunday, January 27, from 9 am, and the 9 500 runners will have a maximum time of 2 hours to run the 21 097 meters. The new route, with starting and finishing line in the roundabout of Buenos Aires in the Paseo de Las Delicias, will take the participants through the city center and many central streets of the historic center, like the Torre del Oro, the Maestranza, Torneo, the Ronda Histórica the Setas de la Encarnación, the Campana or the Tetúan street, the Plaza Nueva and the city council, the Constitución avenue, the cathedral, the María Luisa park, and the Plaza España, among may others.

There will be more than 1 000 foreinger (11%) from 49 countries, and almost 5 000 runners from other provinces. 20 % of the runners are women.

In the female category, the main rival will be the Croatian Matea Parlov, that holds a time of 1h14 in the half marathon and the national record in 3 000 meters. The Kenyan Likina Amebaw Ayel will be her shadow. It is to emphasize the presence of Mamen Ledesama, winner of the 2017 edition, and of the triathlete and runner María Pujol, also local ambassador of the movement “Sincronizadas EDP”, an online platform that facilitates women to meet each other to plan trainings and company routes. In fact, on Saturday at 11 am, she will be organizing a “meeting”, together with Cristina Mitre, with an easy training for women, in Plaza España.

Among the men battling for the victory, it is to mention the Moroccan El Hassan Oubaddi, who came second last edition, his compatriot Mourad Marofit, international with his selection, and holding the record with a time of 59:33 in the Half Marathon of Valencia a couple years ago. Marofit comes in great form and may be the best mark in a completely plain route, like the one of the EDP Half Marathon Seville, that only has 5 meters of slope. Among the local runners, Rubén Álvarez stands out, who also comes in great shape, and his goal is to be a the top of the race.

The EDP Half Marathon Seville 2019 has been officially presented by the Council Delegate of Sports of Seville, David Gevara; the president of the Athletics Sport Association of San Pablo, Julio Montes; Bruno Fernández, representing EDP, main sponsor; and José Luis Salvago, from Ibercaja. The athletes Mamen Ledesma and María Pujol have also attended the event.