The 47th edition of the Cross Internacional das Amendoeiras em Flor will take place on the 25th of February, on the Açoteias track, in Albufeira, and will feature more than 420 athletes from various categories.
José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, revealed at the press conference on February 8th that «this is the most international event in Portuguese athletics, with almost 50 years of history and which positively impacts the promotion of Albufeira in the low season of tourism”.
The mayor expressed his greatest pride in being part of the organization of «one of the most international events in Portuguese athletics».
The mayor made a point of highlighting «the impact of the event on promoting Albufeira during the low tourism season, which contributes to the dilution of seasonality in the municipality».
«The Açoteias track, well known on the international scene, favors the practice of this sport which, together with the investment in the construction and maintenance of sports equipment capable of hosting major events, is undoubtedly one of the reasons for its attractiveness for internships and training of international teams throughout the year and one of the criteria that gives us guarantees that Albufeira will be the European Capital of Sports in 2026", concluded the president of the Municipality of Albufeira.
«February 25th will be Athletics Day in Portugal» said the technical director of the Algarve Athletics Association.
The 106 teams from 93 clubs, 22 countries and more than 420 athletes from the various categories competing «highlight the importance of the event for the region and demonstrate that the sport 'is alive' in this part of the country».
Rui Costa also referred to the importance of «this unique event in Portugal, which is part of the World Athleltics Cross Country Gold Level circuit, the highest level for these athletes and the relevance of this sporting moment for achieving rankings and scores that qualify them for other major events, such as the Olympic Games».
Fátima Catarina, vice-president of the Algarve Tourism Region, highlighted in her speech this «proof as one of the mechanisms that favor the reduction of seasonality in the region, as it attracts national and international tourists to the Algarve».
«Albufeira once again becomes the capital of the Cross of Portugal» were the words chosen by the regional director of Instinto Português do Desporto e da Juventude. Custódio Moreno revealed that «the oldest and most prestigious athletics event in our country is a calling card for the Algarve during the low season».
In turn, Francisco Chumbinho, president of AAALG – Algarve Athletics Association, congratulated the Municipality, confirming that without the support of the municipality it would not be possible to organize this type of events.
«We have, in Albufeira, for the first time, the largest number of teams competing, surpassing the values of other international competitions, something that fills us with pride», he concluded.
«This event represents how much the Municipality of Albufeira invests in Sport and in promoting the region», highlighted Jorge Vieira, president of the Portuguese Athletics Federation.
«It is an honor for the Federation to follow the resilience, tradition, effort and continuous work that Albufeira makes available, annually, to hold the event, as well as in the historical recognition of this competition that has been held since 1977», he said.
Cristiano Cabrita reinforces that «we have managed to bring outstanding sporting events to Albufeira, similar to the Cross das Amendoeiras, thanks to the network of infrastructure and equipment that we have built and improved over the years, demonstrating the Municipality's commitment to sports tourism».
In addition to the 47th edition of the main competition, the European Champion Clubs' Cup, the Regional Cross Country Championship and the Interassociações Jovem de Cross Country will take place on the same day.
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