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Success of the Respiralia 2010 “II Charity Ultra Marathon against Cystic Fibrosis” organized by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of the Balearics and the Respiralia Foundation on Sunday September 26, 2010. Thanks to the participation of 400 runners and sponsors, children and young people with cystic fibrosis may continue to receive much needed services
We will remember the Sunday September 26, 2010, as the beginning of a new age of what the word “Respiralia” means. The story we lived at the Swimming Tour around Formentera started by Pere Galiana repeated this time with Darren Dunlop’s initiative, who decided to run from Puerto de Alcudia to Palma to raise awareness of this illness in 2009.
400 runners decided to participate and to give they support to our cause in this first edition of the Ultra Marathon of 80 km made by teams and by relays. 50 children run his particular race of 800 meters approximately. It was a wonderful day, sun shining and an ideal place to run as the Paseo Marítimo of Palma is.
One of the runners was Marcos Marini, a 25 years old youngster with Cystic Fibrosis who run 35 kilometers. Congratulations Marcos.
We want to thank to the Barclays Foundation, for contributing economically, for sending 20 volunteers and for having organized a team of 16 runners, with its President at the head by example. We also thank the Bancaja Foundationbecause it also collaborated economically with us and sent some volunteers. To the remainig sponsors, Palma Town Hall, Consell de Mallorca, IME, Autoritat Portuària, Profitness gym, Grupo Damm, Bimbo, FEBED, TUI España, La Creperie, Cobega y Nutrisport, our most sincere thanks.
Special thanks to Mito Bosch from Élite Chip and to his friend David, for they excellent work they did.
I want to acknowledge the effort done by the Spanish Army and by the Spanish Air Force by sending 3 teams each one to participate at the Ultra Marathon.
Our goal for next year: 500 runners. Do you sign?
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic, serious and degenerative disease that to date has no cure.
It mainly affects the respiratory, digestive, reproductive and sweat glands.
The treatment for Cystic Fibrosis includes antibiotherapy, a healthy and hypercaloric nutrition and respiratory physiotherapy combined with endurance exercises.
You can see the infographic published by the Cystic Fibrosis Spanish Federation in this link (Spanish version) or see how Dani tells us what this disease is for him in this vídeo (Spanish version).
Currently, more than 2000 mutations are known in the gene that is defective in people with Cystic Fibrosis, although only about 150 mutations are described as causing the disease.
Statistics show that 1 in 5,000 people in Spain has Cystic Fibrosis (1 in 6,400 in the Balearic Islands) and 1 in 35 people is a carrier of a gene that causes the disease (1 in 40 in the Balearic Islands).
In the Balearic Islands there are 76 known diagnosed cases, but statistics speak of between 85 and 90 possible cases.
The awareness project of the Respiralia Foundation aims to raise awareness of this disease in order to discover those cases of people who have Cystic Fibrosis but have not yet been diagnosed.
