Top Manta announces ‘historic’ first anti-racist run in Barcelona

Top Manta has launched a new “historic” initiative: the first-ever anti-racist race ever celebrated in Barcelona.

The five-kilometer circular run will take place on June 1, starting and ending in the Sants neighborhood of the Catalan capital.

Organized by Top Manta, a cooperative of street vendors known as ‘manters’, the event marks the group’s tenth anniversary this year and is backed by more than 50 social organizations.

A stand against racism

The goal of the project is “to push back against the rise of hate speech and far-right movements,” both nationally and globally.

According to Top Manta, Catalonia accounts for 40% of all reported racist incidents in Spain, which highlights “the importance” of the “historic movement.”

The organizers hope will also serve as “ an inspiration for other social movements”.

New collection: Agua Running Club

To coincide with the event, Top Manta is also launching a new limited edition clothes collection called Agua Running Club. The line includes a running T-shirt, sleeves, and a vinyl patch.

During the presentation of the event, Top Manta explained that the word ‘agua’ (Spanish for ‘water’) is commonly used by the street vendors to warn each other when the police is coming and they need to start running.

Who can participate, and how to sign up?

The race is open to  “everyone” over the age of 16, regardless of running experience, and Top Manta stresses that the most important thing is “to show up.”

Participants aged 13 to 16 can join with parental consent.

During the presentation, Top Manta criticized Barcelona’s city authorities for placing “obstacles” to organizing the run and capping participation at just 1,000 runners. Despite this, the cooperative encourages everyone to attend in solidarity.

Registration starts at 20€, with three sign-up options available. Supporters who cannot attend can contribute by purchasing a “Zero bib.”

All proceeds from the race will support the cooperative’s social mission.