Rafael Iglesias visits the Barcelona 2010 Marathon circuit

14/01/2010

Rafael Iglesias, athlete who might start at the Barcelona 2010 Marathon for the Spanish national team, will visit the Catalonian capital on Saturday to check out the Marathon circuit of the European Athletics Championships. On Sunday, he will be one of the main protagonists at the Half Marathon in Terrassa.

Obtaining a personal best of 2:10.44 at the San Sebastian Marathon last November, which he won far ahead of his opponents, Iglesias is the Spanish newcomer and surprise at this distance in Spain. Last winter, his life changed almost completely, when he decided to leave his job at the Police in Santa Marta de Tormes in order to entirely focus on training for his new ambition, the Marathon. He competed at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin last August but had to withdraw the race due to a fall.

“I got to Berlin in good shape” remembers Iglesias – “although you can’t compare it to my current form. I think I did well changing my life and becoming a full time athlete. I decided to do so for at least two years: if it works out, perfect, if not, I’ll go back to my job at the local Police”.

Accompanied by members of the B10 Organising Committee, Iglesias will visit the Barcelona 2010 Marathon circuit on Saturday morning to find out more about it. With regard to this summer, he looks forward to the Championships and, according to the magazine “Atletismo Español, he will go for the podium if he gets to Barcelona in good shape.

The Barcelona 2010 male Marathon will be held on the last day of competition (1 August).