The Great Mijas Park will continue with pre-opening trials this weekend with a parkour championship

The Great Park of Mijas will continue this weekend with the tests for its official opening with the Spanish Parkour Championship, which will gather 250 athletes from all over the country, as announced by the City Council this Thursday.

The mayor of Mijas, Ana Mata, presented the event today, accompanied by the Councilor for Sports, Mari Francis Alarcón, where she encouraged the locals and visitors to come to the Great Park to learn firsthand about what will be the largest urban infrastructure of its kind in Andalusia, spanning 270,000 square meters.

In total, there will be 250 athletes from all over Spain participating in the event, which will include representatives from all autonomous communities, as confirmed by the organization, which will also distribute 4,000 euros in prizes.

The Spanish National Championship of absolute parkour is recognized by the Royal Spanish Gymnastics Federation (RFEG) and its obstacles are certified by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). This sport combines speed, technique, strength, and strategy, consisting of overcoming obstacles on a course that mimics an urban route.

The City Council highlighted in a statement that with this event, the Great Park extends its visitable area compared to the first pre-opening test of safety and capacity, which took place on November 8 and 9. Thus, more areas will be accessible and playgrounds will be open.

Access will be free and open to anyone who wants to enter, whether to visit the recreational space or to attend the event, which will feature a ‘food truck’ area. The opening hours for the accessible area of the Great Park will be from 10:00 to 21:00 on Friday for training; from 09:00 to 21:30 on Saturday, and from 09:00 to 15:00 on Sunday.

A 40-meter long course

For the first time, this Spanish Championship will be held outdoors, as it has always been held indoors at sports centers until now. Participants will range from 8 years old and up and will compete in various categories and levels, including the ‘Open’ competition, which will bring together the best ‘freerunners’ from the national scene.

The event will feature two official modes recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), namely ‘Speed’ or time-trial racing in a duel format by pairs, where speed and precision are key; and ‘Style’, a creative and technical competition, where athletes demonstrate their style, fluidity, and control over the course.

Both disciplines will take place on an installation 40 meters long and 10 meters wide. Mijas will be the place where for the first time a structure of these characteristics is used in Spain, previously only used at the FIG World Cup in Sofia (Bulgaria) in 2023, adapted to all categories.

As a major novelty, the event will include a competition and exhibition of World Chase Tag (WCT), a sport that is becoming a sensation among young people in the United States and the United Kingdom. Mijas will host teams from the United States, France, Morocco, and Spain, making it the first international event of this kind in our country.