The Maltese islands have hosted their fair share of marathons in recent years, but none are quite like the one we’re about to share.
“I have two passions in life, dogs and running,” explains renowed Maltese athlete Fabio Spiteri. With four pooches at home and running as his full-time job, Fabio decided to merge the two together to launch the first edition of Canicross, a marathon where both runners and their dogs are able to participate.
“Training for such an event is a good way to keep owner and dog in a good and healthy condition,” Fabio asserts. The athlete warns against over exertion, and offers some tips for those who would like to participate but are not quite in the ideal shape: “As a running coach, I would advise people who never train in their life to alternate between one minute of walking and one minute of jogging until they reach the 20-minute mark,” he says. Dogs can also adopt a similar training regimen: “By gradually building up the overall time you’ll be able to dedicate more time to running and less time to walking.”
The athlete emphasises that not all dogs are made for running and offers one example to highlight this: “One of my dogs is a pug and I would never imagine him running 5km, but walking the distance yes,” he says. Due to the different capabilities of different breeds, runners and their pets are invited to adapt to the race according to their abilities: “I have dogs who are going to walk or just jog and there will also be some fast dogs and runners too, so I’m expecting fast times as well,” says Fabio.
The 5km marathon, the location of which has not yet been announced but is scheduled for Sunday 8th March, should be the equivalent of a 40-minute walk. A shorter marathon spanning a 1km distance is also being organised for children. The response to Malta’s first athlete-and-dog marathon has been phenomenal, with Fabio already receiving close to 100 applications. “The aim is to reach 150 dogs for the first edition and it appears there is a demand for such event,” says Fabio.
Fabio assures that all care is being taken to ensure that no dog is mistreated during the marathon: “There will be marshals on bikes to see that no dogs are abused if they decide to walk instead of run,” he says, adding that water will also be provided to dogs before and after the event. Event caterers Saracino's will also be donating all proceeds from sales to the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA), while event organisers will be forwarding 10% of the profits to the association as well. Fabio will also be collecting old clothes and tinned dog food to donate to AAA and reveals one incredibly heart-warming inclusion: “Dogs from the shelter will also be taking part with the possibility of being adopted,” he says.
While there are prizes to be won by those who come in first, second and third place, every participant will be granted a medal which will be handed out by Malta’s sports ambassador, Jake Vella.
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