Badalona ran to support research into rare diseases

Plan your race pace

Badalona scheduled the 14th Charity Race for Rare Diseases for Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, with popular events of 5 and 10 kilometres on paved roads, a walking option and children’s races. The start and finish were planned for La Rambla, opposite the Roca i Pi monument; the main races were due to start at 9:30 a.m. and the children’s events at 11 a.m.

The event combined physical activity with fundraising for rare-disease research. According to information published by the organisers, proceeds after expenses were to go to the GRENBA research group at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute. The date has passed, and the material reviewed includes neither final results nor an event report. The available details therefore describe the announced event and its conditions, not the day’s outcome.

An urban race with a scientific cause behind it

The event was designed for different kinds of participants: runners completing an urban course, people who preferred to walk five kilometres and families with children in shorter races. That range gave the day a character less focused on the clock and more centred on participation and visibility for rare diseases.

Funds were to go to the Neuromuscular and Neuropaediatric Diseases Research Group, known as GRENBA, at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute in Badalona. The organisers said the donation would consist of the amount raised after event expenses were covered. No final fundraising figure appears in the available information, so it is not possible to say how much money ultimately reached the research group.

The race also paid tribute to people who had died from these conditions. The event information remembered Sofia Cruz López, who died in 2017, and Esther, a contributor to the initiative, as well as recognising people living with these diseases and their families. This commemorative and charitable dimension placed the race in a wider context: beyond its distances, it aimed to keep research and patients’ experiences in the public conversation.

The event was organised by the Piferrer-Salut Alta Merchants’ Association, the Turó d’en Caritg Residents’ Association and Plataforma Acció Badalona, with support from Badalona City Council. The 2026 edition was the 14th, continuing a partnership between local neighbourhood and business groups around a health-related cause.

Start on La Rambla and a route by the sea

The start and finish were set on La Rambla in Badalona, in front of the Roca i Pi monument. The route ran along La Rambla, the seafront promenade and city streets, on urban paved surfaces. Race information described a marked course with kilometre signs and a refreshment point located at approximately kilometre five.

The shorter distance allowed participants to complete one circuit running or walking; the 10-kilometre event offered a longer option for those aiming to maintain a steady pace for more time. The available documentation does not provide a detailed elevation profile or an official elevation measurement, so figures for gradients or certification should not be attributed to the course without evidence.

The seaside setting gave the race a recognisable backdrop, although the route was not confined to the waterfront: it also passed through Badalona’s streets. An urban course could make navigation and spectator access easier, while the passage through several areas made it important to follow the marked route and instructions. The start and finish shared the same location, a useful detail for spectators and participants arranging arrival and belongings.

The rules set a maximum time of one hour and 50 minutes to finish. They also said the route would be clearly marked and that refreshments would be available around kilometre five. These details offered a general picture of the logistics, although the material reviewed did not specify what refreshments would be provided or any intermediate course cut-off times.

Distances for running, walking and family participation

The two main distances were 5 and 10 kilometres, both scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. The organisers allowed participants to walk the five-kilometre route, an important option for anyone wishing to take part without treating the day as a running competition. The longer event covered 10 kilometres, and the rules included men’s and women’s categories for each distance, with prizes for the top three in each category.

The programme also included free children’s races. It listed a 400-metre course for children aged 2 to 9 and a 700-metre course for those aged 10 to 12. Their start was scheduled for 11 a.m., after the 5K and 10K races. The published information did not announce prizes for the children’s events, which were presented as an activity for participation rather than competitive rankings.

The rules set a minimum age of 14 for the main races and required participants under 18 to attend with a responsible adult. A signed authorisation from their legal guardians was also required to collect a minor’s race number. Since the children’s races were aimed at ages 2 to 12, the published information does not clarify what option applied to 13-year-olds; that age group should not be assumed to be covered without specific confirmation from the organisers.

The main race categories were mutually exclusive: one person could not receive an award in two categories. Participants were required to wear their race number visibly and use a timing chip. The rules also warned that participants could be disqualified for completing a different route, failing to wear a chip or visible race number, or displaying unsporting behaviour. Registration meant accepting these rules and taking individual responsibility for one’s physical condition.

Registration, prices and race-number collection

The listed fee was 13 euros for runners with their own yellow chip and 15 euros for those without one. A race shirt was available for an additional 8 euros, so the total depended on the timing-chip option and whether participants wanted to buy the garment. Children’s races were listed as free. The available information did not say whether the shirt price varied by size or include additional purchase conditions.

The registration deadline in the rules was Feb. 19, 2026. The linked registration pages for the 5K, 10K, walking and children’s events were on Xip Groc. Because both the race date and the announced deadline have passed, the fees and deadlines are historical reference points; they do not mean that registration for this edition is currently available.

Race-number collection was announced for Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Montigalà Shopping Centre. Other published information also included collection on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 7 to 9 a.m. near the start, opposite the Roca i Pi monument and Escola del Mar. Since the times appeared in different notices, they should be understood as the arrangements communicated for that edition, not as current guidance.

The rules said race numbers and timing chips had to be collected on the designated days and at the stated times, and failure to collect them meant forfeiting them. They also said participants could not race without a number. Supplemental information mentioned that a white chip had to be returned, while the reduced fee was associated with owning a yellow chip; registered runners needed to check the instructions for their specific event.

Planned services and access to the start

Announced services included a baggage drop, an ambulance and physiotherapy at the finish. Medical support was part of the planned logistics for a day with several distances and participants of different ages. The baggage service allowed people to leave their belongings, although the rules expressly excluded the organisers’ responsibility for valuables such as phones, wallets and computers.

Transport information mentioned Pompeu Fabra metro station on Line 2, as well as several bus routes and Badalona train station on the R1 line. The start area on La Rambla was therefore connected to different parts of the city and metropolitan area. For an urban event, public transport could help avoid parking challenges and traffic restrictions associated with the course.

The race presentation had been scheduled for Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at Montigalà Shopping Centre. Badalona Paralympic sprinter Melany Bergés was listed as the event’s host. The published information highlighted her international career and Paralympic diplomas in sprint events; her presence strengthened the event’s connection with inclusive sport without changing the sporting rules for the popular races.

The rules allowed organisers to change the route or date because of force majeure and said the event could be postponed due to adverse weather or decisions by the authorities. They also stated that registration fees would not be refunded in the event of cancellation or a change. These were conditions communicated for that event, useful for understanding its arrangements, but not a guarantee of what ultimately happened.

What is known, and what is not, about the event

Municipal information and race announcements agree on the main details: Feb. 22, 2026, a 9:30 a.m. start, a meeting point on La Rambla, two main distances and a children’s race at 11 a.m. They also identify the charitable purpose and the research group intended to receive proceeds. This agreement makes it possible to describe clearly the programme announced for the 14th edition.

Some secondary publications differ on details such as the edition number, parts of the route and race-number collection times. The event rules identify it as the 14th edition and set distances of 5 and 10 kilometres, while another portal’s listing gives a different edition number. To avoid mixing event years, this summary follows the municipal material and rules linked to the 2026 event.

No final standings, participant count or total raised are available here. A photo page may document moments from the day, but it does not replace a financial report or official results. References to the cause should therefore be limited to the destination announced by the organisers: GRENBA at the IGTP, a research group focused on neuromuscular and neuropaediatric diseases.

The event was announced as a charitable race in Badalona with a straightforward programme: two adult distances, a walking option and free races for children. Its significance lay not only in the coastal route but also in raising the profile of research and bringing it into an event open to different ability levels. The impact of a charity race depends on participation as well as transparency about where the funds go; assessing the actual impact of this edition would require a later report that is not included in the available information.