The Rough Guide to Barcelona 8 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

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Roller blading/skating/skateboarding
The Passeig Marítim and Port Olímpic area ( M Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica) see
heavy skate and blade traffic, while other popular runs include Arc de Triomf
(M Arc de Triomf), Parc Joan Miró (MTarragona) and Barceloneta, next to the
Palau del Mar ( M Barceloneta). The Fòrum site down at Diagonal Mar (M El
Marseme Forum) has acres of wide open space.You’re supposed to keep off all
marked cycle paths. Meanwhile, the place for skateboarders is the piazza
outside MACBA, the contemporary art gallery in the Raval.
Running and jogging
The Passeig Marítim (M Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica) is the best place for a
seafront run – there’s a five-kilometre promenade from Barceloneta all the way
to the River Besòs, with a fitness circuit on the way at Mar Bella get
off the beaten track, you’ll need to head for the heights of Montjuïc or the Parc
de la Collserola.
There’s a half-marathon (Mitja Marató de Barcelona) held in the city every
February or March, while the full Barcelona Marathon (Marató Barcelona;
application forms and details on W ) takes place in
March.There are more road races during the September Mercè festival, while
La Cursa (W ; May), the annual twelve-kilometre
run organized by El Corte Inglés department store, attracts up to 50,000 fun-
runners onto the streets. It’s one of the longest established city runs, held since
1979, and the 1994 edition, attracting 110,000 runners, stills hold the Guinness
world record for number of participants.
Sports centres
Every city neighbourhood has a sports centre, most with swimming pools but also
offering a variety of other sports, games and activities. Schedules and prices vary,
so it’s best to contact the centres directly for any sport you might be interested in.
Most have a general daily admission fee (around €15) if all you want is a swim and
use of the gym.A couple of the more useful centres are listed below, but for a full
rundown call T 010 or consult the sports section database on Wwww.bcn.cat.
Poliesportiu Marítim Pg. Marítim 33, Vila
Olímpica T932 240 440, W
M Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica. Large complex by
the Port Olímpic with a pool, gym and
sauna, plus a wide range of organized activ-
ities, games and treatments, from aerobics,
Follow that car
Catalunya’s motor racing circuit, the Circuit de Catalunya ( W ),
hosts the annual Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the end of April, as well as a whole
series of other Spanish and Catalan bike and motor races throughout the year, from
truck-racing to endurance rallies. The track is out near Granollers, north of the city
(trains from Sants/Pg. de Gràcia), a 20-minute walk from Montmeló station, but
during the Grand Prix there are also shuttle-bus services and direct buses from
Barcelona. For Formula 1, you need to sort out tickets well in advance (they go on
sale the previous August), but all the current information is on the website, while
sports travel companies can offer special race packages.
SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
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Roller blading/skating/skateboarding