A Camino Race - Really

[Kathor1]

For our viewers around the globe, some of whom may be puzzled: the photo above shows participants of the London Marathon 2013. There's a theory that Englishmen feel the need to dress up in strange costumes throughout the year because there is no carnival tradition to speak of in England. It did not survive the 16th century English Reformation. Notting Hill is a new arrival.

However, I am now plagued by doubts. Should I join the petition after all? The sight of bare-bottomed English lads in nun costumes lined up in Roncesvalles and waiting for the sound of the starting pistol may be too much for the delicate pilgrim soul .....

Perish the thought. And, more seriously, I have faith in the local organisers that it will never happen ....

 

[Kathor1]

We found ourselves “caught up” in a race on the Tour Mont Blanc in September. It was a 200 mile, seven day race over 23 summits and I think there may have been 700 participants. We saw 10 or 11 during the entire seven days. One in particular had a profound almost Camino like impact on us.

Thank you for the photo and comment. I had forgotten about the Mont Blanc ultra-trail event! When we walked the TMB many years ago, we happened to meet one of the participants on the eve or a few days before the event who was on a reconnaissance jog. I think he was one of the top runners. He stopped to chat with us and answer our questions. A very gentle and friendly man. Although I feel quite protective about the TMB trail and the Alpine environment in general, I had never perceived the ultratrail event as a threat to the environment or to the peace of mind of those who go there on whatever quest they pursue.

 

[David]

Not at all, I was using my time machine camera .. so the photo was taken some years in the future and in a period when Camino races will be so popular that even the London Marathon starts in St Jean - why, they even moved one of the London bridges over to Logrono! - the bibs are part of a future serious recycling campaign ........

 

[JulieandPeter]

Thank you for the photo and comment. I had forgotten about the Mont Blanc ultra-trail event! When we walked the TMB many years ago, we happened to meet one of the participants on the eve or a few days before the event who was on a reconnaissance jog. I think he was one of the top runners. He stopped to chat with us and answer our questions. A very gentle and friendly man. Although I feel quite protective about the TMB trail and the Alpine environment in general, I had never perceived the ultratrail event as a threat to the environment or to the peace of mind of those who go there on whatever quest they pursue.

You're welcome. This is what the runner was looking at.

 

[Richard A Stead]

I may be late to the party with this story, but I just learned of it 20 minutes ago.
To me, it seems completely unnecessary.

http://caminotravelcenter.com/the-c...hosting-the-first-pilgrims-race-in-june-2017/

Sad.

 

[GRR]

I have no problem at all with this.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

errmmm .... the land may be Spanish but I think the Camino, the pilgrimage, belongs to the Vatican

Or even somebody higher up the ladder?

 

[nycwalking]

Jeff Crawley, this is off topic. How are the Crawley's?

 

[trecile]

Or even somebody higher up the ladder?

The cathedrals yes, but every kilometer or the path? I think not.

 

[kelleymac]

The commercialization of sacred places is a problem, in my humble opinion. The destruction of a sacred place does not happen all at once, but by very small steps or uses of the place that abuse (too strong a word, but it is all I could think of at the moment) its sanctity. It is not abused simply by large numbers as long as the overall purpose of the place is maintained. In this instance of the Camino, it is not that it is a public race of five people or 500 people, it is an abuse of a path that has been used for over a 1,000 years for a purpose of pilgrimage.

I don't find it sad that some voice their opinion publically. I hope that it at least makes people think about what is and is not appropriate. I hope that sacred places throughout the world - Christian and non-Christian alike - are maintained, respected, and valued. I don't see any value in degrading them by conciously ignoring their purpose.

I understand how it would be easy to have a race on a path that is already in use, but I wonder if there are not hundreds of other places that would be just as easy to use?

I have an idea. How about those in the race have to stop and pick up trash for 2 hours as a service project?

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Sadly, the Camino system is public property but, at least in Canada, there is always a requirement to apply for an Event Permit. The problem I see is that there are walkers and riders moving along at all different paces and should not be interrupted during this event, the Peregrinos, who are not planning to start and finish in 6 days.

My first thought would be to plan the race to utilize roadways exclusively so that there can be no chance of collisions with slower foot or bicycle traffic.

Finammy, from what I see, the Camino Travel Center seems to be a private entity with no charitable or religious connotations.

 

[Kathor1]

from what I see, the Camino Travel Center seems to be a private entity with no charitable or religious connotations.

And in addition, the Camino Travel Center does not organise nor sponsor the race. They have nothing to do with it. They are a tiny local travel agency, a 2-person outfit. They just copy-pasted a news item into the blog on their website. However, apparently thanks to this thread, they have by now attracted at least 50 messages of protest against the event .....! Their blog entries normally attract between 0 and 1 comment. In the meantime, they have added some clarification at the end of the news item on the race.

Any reaction from the real race organisers or the Spanish Olympic Committee?

 

[GRR]

Why do I need to protest?

 

[GRR]

Those “corregrinos” are going to hell in a bumbag!

Doubtful.

 

[GRR]

Not everything needs to be protested. Just think, if people had protested the pending crucifixion of Jesus it may have never happened. Had it never happened there would be no Camino de Santiago to walk. Be thankful for what you have today and give no thought for the morrow. Some wise person said that.

 

[Kanga]

I think it was the Easter Islanders who said that....

 

[Kathor1]

There are also plans for a GAES Pilgrim Race in July 2017 ... anyone read about it?

 

[mspath]

There are also plans for a GAES Pilgrim Race in July 2017 ... anyone read about it?

Read more here--
https://www.pilgrimrace.es/?lang=en

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Read more here--
https://www.pilgrimrace.es/?lang=en

Only 1000 Euro to sign up for eight days. Quite a bit for a "nonprofit."

 

[peregrina2000]

I am having trouble incorporating the idea of "races" into my memory of the Camino Francés. I was going to suggest that the easiest way to avoid the circus is to simply move to one of the many many alternative caminos out there. For the last 15 years, I've been finding that, so long as you are ok with being alone, you can find lots of routes that have none of the things so many of us are complaining about on this thread. They are all pilgrim routes, all go through beautiful parts of the country, with amazing historical sites to visit, and all give you the opportunity to disconnect and to just walk with your thoughts.

But this GAES race -- It will start in Madrid, take the Camino de Madrid to Sahagún, the Francés to Ponferrada, and then the Invierno to Santiago. Wow. I am sure the communities along the Invierno are ecstatic to say the least, this is a part of Spain that much of "modernity" has left behind. I also don't think that a several days' race on this path is going to Disney-fy the Invierno in one fell swoop. But it does suggest that no part of the Camino is safe from a good marketing campaign.

One thing that jumped out at me as I read through the GAES information was that "it's your race." Here we go, now not only pilgrims can proudly assert that it's my camino so leave me alone and let me do what I want, no judgment please. Seems that the race organizers have figured out how strongly this resonates with the modern psyche, that it's all about us and we set our own rules, thank you very much.

 

[Kanga]

It is a bike race. Hard enough now to have walkers and bikes on the same path; imagine what will happen if the bikes are racing. And if there is mud, presumably that will just be an extra "challenge" - with consequential damage to the path.

 

[Playful Dread]

Doubtful.

. . . but a humorous thought nonetheless!

 

[JulieandPeter]

It is a bike race. Hard enough now to have walkers and bikes on the same path; imagine what will happen if the bikes are racing. And if there is mud, presumably that will just be an extra "challenge" - with consequential damage to the path.

That seems dangerous (and not very fun for the bikers); very different than an occasional long distance runner. However, there was a bike team training on the Camino in April 2015 and they were very respectful of those of us walking and also very friendly and kind. I think I have a photo.

 

[Giopomerol]

I may be late to the party with this story, but I just learned of it 20 minutes ago.
To me, it seems completely unnecessary.

http://caminotravelcenter.com/the-c...hosting-the-first-pilgrims-race-in-june-2017/

Isn't the Camino route a world heritage site? If so, surely there would be implications?

 

[nycwalking]

"The Camino is dead ... long live the Camino".

 

[Tincatinker]

Have we finally reached the doo-doo / fan interaction point? Is this the tipping point that @Rebekah Scott and others have posted of? There are obviously people now who are confident that they can make a quantity of €uros out of the Camino Frances and the caminos general that would make the average avaricious exploiter blush. Are we left waiting for another Rodin to offer 'she who used to be the beautiful Heaulmiere"? She that once was the Way?

Maybe its time to start adding caltrops to the standard packing list.

Ach. |i'm off to bed. Tomorrow will be another day.

Blessings upon you pilgrims, may the road rise and the sun shine and may every bed be as soft as a smile

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Ach. |i'm off to bed. Tomorrow will be another day.

"After all, tomorrow is another day." (The correct quote of anguish and hope!!!!)

 

[Fletchonides]

It's similar to other publicized events - the recent Camino by the Sea project springs to mind - : the owners of the Compostela award system can hand them out as they see fit. Not to all and sundry but to the selected few who did not walk all of the last 100 km, did not have any need to make a secret out of it and were officially awarded their Compostelas.

I have been reading the whole thread in one go, partly amused, partly 'i'm not sure' what I think about the idea, and about the reactions. I think my thinking is somethling like this:

Its 6 days, each location will be impacted for 1 day (and maybe some preparation on either side), the numbers will be minimal (this year), and they will run about 12km per day. It actually doesn't sounds terribly interesting as an event to me. I think it is probably intended to grow legs and increase in numbers, and this year is like a test case, but I still don't see it as a huge deal, compared, as some people has posted, to the people who currently walk the Camino as a continuous party/drinking experience, etc.

However, since the office in Santiago makes such a big deal of its requirement to walk the last 100kms to qualify for a Compostella, this seems like they are willing to bend the rules in this case to such an extent that many feel they are breaking their own rule. That does feel like a big deal to me; if the intention is to give a Compostella as we would recognise it. If they will just get a certificate of race completion, then its less of a big deal. It seems that the participants will cover less than 100km over the 6 days, and that would concern me.

Someone at the start of the thread mentioned the Camino by Sea that was recently shown in documentary, as an example of the office making up rules and handing out Compostellas as they see fit; I there there is a profound difference. I watched the documentary, I walked with someone whose plan was to be in Santiago to meet the boat. This was 4 men who rowed a small traditional Irish boat from Ireland to near Santiago. It took them 6 weeks each year for 3 years. The blisters we get on our feet, they got on their hands. The spirit of pilgrimage was evident in them, in their oppenness to accept whatever hospitality they were given, and the personal challenges they experienced along the way. This was not a forerunner of a horde of boats descending from all over the world, but a personal journey. Its a bit hard to row into Santiago, so I guess there was some arrangement made with the pilgrim office. It does feel completely different from this though.

 

[Kathor1]

Camino by Sea that was recently shown in documentary, as an example of the office making up rules and handing out Compostellas as they see fit; I there there is a profound difference. I watched the documentary...

There is a misunderstanding, the comment refers to this https://www.sailtheway.es/ - people sail along the North coast for 11 days and then walk one day (last year 10 km, this year 15 km) and get a Compostela.

 

[JabbaPapa]

And yes, the Camino belongs to the Spanish, the same way that Table Mountain in Cape Town belongs to South Africa, etc. The UNESCO is an enabler, not an owner. It's a Spanish Camino Which of course makes it their responsibility to take care of but that's another story.

The Camino is a complex network of ancient pilgrim routes extending throughout Europe and even into the Middle East -- it is older than the Spanish Nation by far -- it no more "belongs" to any single country than does the Mediterranean Sea.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Lots of people have done back to back marathons. Just like lots of people have climbed Everest or walked the Camino. These used to be absurd 'out there' challenges. Not any more.

My 1994 Camino was basically 44 back-to-back marathons (minus rest days) -- so what ? I didn't try and make it out to be some sort of extravagant sports event !!!

 

[Fletchonides]

There is a misunderstanding, the comment refers to this https://www.sailtheway.es/ - people sail along the North coast for 11 days and then walk one day (last year 10 km, this year 15 km) and get a Compostela.

Apologies, there had recently been a thread about the Irish journey, hence my comments.

 

[Registration]

I may be late to the party with this story, but I just learned of it 20 minutes ago.
To me, it seems completely unnecessary.

http://caminotravelcenter.com/the-c...hosting-the-first-pilgrims-race-in-june-2017/

Such a pity. I find this totally inappropriate.

 

[Charl]

The Camino is a complex network of ancient pilgrim routes extending throughout Europe and even into the Middle East -- it is older than the Spanish Nation by far -- it no more "belongs" to any single country than does the Mediterranean Sea.

According to international law what's physically on their land belongs to them. That's after all what's under discussion here. The broad concept of pilgrimage, course not, that's logical.

 

[JabbaPapa]

According to international law what's physically on their land belongs to them. That's after all what's under discussion here. The broad concept of pilgrimage, course not, that's logical.

The Camino :

 

[kerdi]

Really sad to read of the Camino being used like this..

What's next, relay races around the Vatican?

Will it be followed by competitive praying?
This pilgrims race must be an April's Fool thing?

As a long distance race (my respect to all who have the stamina and endurance to make it) it sounds certainly more spectacular with the word "pilgrim" in it.
But this is the only thing it has in common with a pilgrimage.

On another note: whatever they do, it does not really affect the "non race pilgrims" more than a bicycle race or motor race along the same route. They will pass in a short while and that is it.

I will not be disappointed if I do not see them on my way.

 

[Jacobus]

Slightly off topic but also slightly on.

In 2014 I walked the Frances for the third time. Throughout my approach to the Cathedral I encountered huge crowds of spectators in roped off areas of cobbled streets. I sidestepped the sideshow by entering the Square from the portico on the dos reis catholicos side of the Cathedral. The roped off (taped off?) section became a narrow pathway about the width of a car.
Just as I entered the square there was an uproar from the crowd. About 10 bicycles flew by at such a speed it was a blurr.
It seems someone had the nerve to organize a velo race on the very day I entered the city! I shrugged my shoulders, bought a t-shirt advertising the event and headed for the Pilgrims Office.
Never really mentioned it again til this string came up.
As far as I know the Frances still survives. As do I.
I get it. Expectations are dashed for several days. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of Pilgrims will be disappointed or have an altered experience. But thats all this will do to me.
My humble take ... Buy the t-shirt and walk on.

 

[natefaith]

Hola everyone, as a new Moderator it is now my honor to close this thread to further comments. I think we've explored the subject thoroughly and, as some of the comments have had to be deleted due to their personal nature, it's time.
Buen Camino,
Faith