Por Ismael Buendia 
After a pre-race orientation talk for beginners, the start will take place between 11:00 and 12:00, following a route where basic map interpretation and symbol concepts will be covered to overcome the checkpoints. Participants will navigate through the streets with a map and compass, in an audacious exercise that aims to blend sport and family reconciliation. Multiple categories will be included, such as family and pets.
The Vélez-Málaga City Council, through its Sports Department, is committed to promoting diversified sports projects that combine physical practice with other aspects that foster the development of citizens, with a special focus on youth empowerment. The department, led by Manuel Gutiérrez, has aimed to enhance the role of children and young people in our city from the beginning of the term, nearly two years ago, as they are the ones who will shape our environment and project our city externally in various sports competitions and disciplines. Every weekend, we witness numerous successes achieved by our youngest citizens in various activities, sometimes on a national and international level.
This ambitious plan introduces a compelling and well-established proposal within the Malaga region, the XXIV Provincial Orienteering Circuit of the Málaga Provincial Council, which will hold its 13th Orienteering Race in Vélez-Málaga on June 15. It will be a festive Sunday celebrating sports in an ideal location for such initiatives, María Zambrano Park, the central point from which a competition sponsored by the provincial organization will start, in collaboration with the Malaga Delegation of the Andalusian Orienteering Federation (FADO), the Málaga Orienteering Club (COMA), and the Vélez-Málaga Sports Department.
The councilor, Manuel Gutiérrez, highlighted the significance of hosting an event of this nature in our municipality, where «about 200 participants from all over Málaga will gather on the streets of our Historic Center,» an opportunity for both runners and their families and friends to enjoy the beauty of our urban area and the cultural, heritage, and leisure offerings available to all visitors to Vélez-Málaga.
Regarding the race’s development, Gutiérrez mentioned that there will be different start times between 11:00 and 12:00, with a pre-race orientation talk from 10:00 to 11:00 at María Zambrano Park, lasting about 15 minutes and aimed at those who have never practiced this sport and wish to participate in the race. The participants will navigate through checkpoints in the urban center of Vélez-Málaga, guided by a map and compass, to complete the course in the shortest time possible. There will be no specific order of starts and finishes; everything will depend on the skill and sharpness of the participants in managing the areas. The finish line will close at 13:30, giving runners 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the course from the last start. The route will be of medium distance, shortened for urban terrain and designed according to the terrain’s topography to maximize its features for the race. The course will present phases of greater technical difficulty to challenge the physical and mental capacity of the competitors, who must carefully manage their efforts. The symbolic cost is 1 euro, and multiple categories are available, including family and pets. Those interested in learning more can visit the Málaga Orienteering Club website (
Integration, nature, and tourism
«This is an original and interesting experience where we combine healthy sports practice with psychological and strategic demands,» explained Diego Hormigos, from COMA, expressing confidence that «everyone will have a great time through a comprehensive urban course that will challenge all participants but also offer them a fun and enjoyable activity where they will learn about traffic education.» The Municipal Department places great emphasis on promoting healthy physical activity among the city’s residents and supports various sports initiatives to achieve this goal.
The Provincial Orienteering Circuit aims to bring this sport closer to the province’s municipalities, to promote it and further establish it among different population sectors, as well as to encourage sports activities with family reconciliation. Additionally, the Provincial Council aims to enhance female participation, integrate physical activity for people with functional diversity, and contribute to the development of sports activities in natural settings, all with the goal of promoting sports tourism options in the municipality.