Top Manta adds 500 places to first anti-racist race in Barcelona

Following negotiations with the Barcelona city authorities, Top Manta has expanded registration for the upcoming first and ‘historic’ five-kilometer anti-racist race in Barcelona on June 1, adding 500 new spots.

The race initially had only 1,000 spots available, which sold out “within hours,” according to the cooperative.

Since unveiling the race in April, Top Manta has continuously criticized the city authorities for creating “obstacles” to organizing the run and capping participation at only 1,000 runners.

“The surge in registrations and the thousands of messages we’ve received show that people’s motivation goes beyond sports,” said Top Manta in a statement on Tuesday, which continued, “This won’t just be a race – it will be a powerful, collective stand against racism.”

The race will start and end at Plaça de Sants in the Sants neighborhood of the Catalan capital.

Although the race is currently limited to 1,500 participants, Top Manta encourages “everyone to join the event regardless.”

A stand against racism

The goal of the project is “to push back against the rise of hate speech and far-right movements,” both nationally and globally.

According to Top Manta, Catalonia accounts for 40% of all reported racist incidents in Spain, which highlights “the importance” of the “historic movement.”

The organizers hope will also serve as “ an inspiration for other social movements”.

New collection: Agua Running Club

To coincide with the event, Top Manta launched a new limited-edition clothes collection called Agua Running Club. The line includes a running T-shirt, sleeves, and a vinyl patch.

The word ‘agua’ (Spanish for ‘water’) is commonly used by the street vendors to warn each other when the police are coming and they need to start running, according to the organization.

Who can participate, and where to sign up?

The race is open to  “everyone” over the age of 16, regardless of running experience, and Top Manta stresses that the most important thing is “to show up.”

Participants aged 13 to 16 can join with parental consent.

Registration starts at 20€, with three sign-up options available. Supporters who cannot attend can contribute by purchasing a “Zero bib.”

All proceeds from the race will support the cooperative’s social mission.