AIDEMARCHA RUN

Catherine McGeer

THE Aidemarcha, an annual charitable race, is set to take place on Saturday, July 1. The event aims to benefit Aidemar, a charity organisation. Notable attendees included Mayor Jose Miguel Luengo, Aidemar President Francisco Garcia, and Pruden Guerrero, the President of the Athletic Federation of Murcia attended the presentation.

The race will begin at Almansa Park at 9pm and the finish line will be at the Barnuevo Esplanade in Santiago de la Ribera. Participants can choose between running and walking, and there will also be a Mini Aidemarcha. To entertain young attendees, special activities will begin at the starting point at 6.30pm, the mini Aidemarcha is scheduled for 8pm, followed by the main race at 9pm, accommo­ dating both runners (5 km) and walkers (4 km).

This year’s Aidemarcha will feature entertainment along the route, as well as at the finish line, in addition to the customary refreshment stations.

Over 3,000 people, including participants, volunteers, and entertainers, will take part in

Sugar surge

MURCIA’S confectionery industry is experiencing an extraordinary surge in exports, catapulting its global presence to new heights. Last year, the region set a remarkable record with a staggering €321.3 million invoiced from confectionery sales abroad.

However, the sweet success story continues to unfold, as the first quarter of this year witnessed the export of 32,000 tonnes, including sweets, desserts, buns, and biscuits.

Astoundingly, this translated into an impressive revenue of €98 million, marking an im­ pressive 49.79 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022. These remarkable figures, unveiled by the Institute for Foreign Trade (Icex), not only represent the highest quarterly revenue ever achieved by the sector, but also reflect a remarkable doubling of sales pace since the pre­pandemic era. the event.

The boom in sales is due to a strong increase in demand from the main buyer, the US, up 37 per cent, and Canada, up 80 per cent. North America imports almost a third of the sweets exported from Murcia.

Registrations are open on the official race website, www.aidemarcha.com , where participants can find further details. There will be temporary traffic closures on Avenue Aviación Española and Mar Menor, spanning from San Javier to Santiago de la Ribera.

Mayor Jose Miguel Luengo highlighted the significance of Aidemarcha, describing it as an eagerly awaited event beloved by the residents of San Javier. Together, they extended an invitation to all to participate and enjoy this charity night run.