
Fuengirola Charity Mile Raises Funds for Cudeca Hospice
Hundreds of participants united along the Los Boliches seafront for the annual Pedro Cuevas community run and coastal walk supporting vital hospice care.
Hundreds Turn Out on the Fuengirola Seafront
The promenade at Los Boliches filled with trainers, running vests and pushchairs on Saturday 19 September as locals and visitors gathered for the annual Pedro Cuevas Mile and March, one of the fixtures on the Fuengirola sporting calendar that consistently draws a crowd well beyond the usual running crowd. Foreign residents, Spanish families and holidaymakers who happened to be strolling the seafront that morning stood shoulder to shoulder to support a cause that touches many households along this stretch of coast: the work of the Fundación Cudeca hospice.
The race takes its name from Pedro Cuevas, and over the years it has grown from a small local outing into a fixture that blends competitive athletics with a genuine community fundraising drive. This year's edition kept faith with that formula, offering something for serious runners and casual participants alike without losing sight of its original purpose.
Two Ways to Take Part, One Shared Purpose
Organisers structured the morning around two distinct formats, both starting from the same stretch of coastal promenade. The headline event was a timed one-mile road race, contested at genuine competitive pace by club runners and age-group athletes, with the local athletics federation providing technical oversight and volunteer marshals stationed along the route. Alongside it ran a considerably more relaxed walking march, aimed squarely at families, older residents and anyone who wanted to be part of the occasion without the pressure of a stopwatch.
Trophies were handed out across a wide spread of categories, from youth and junior runners through to veteran age brackets, reflecting an event designed to be inclusive rather than purely elite. That structure matters: it is precisely why the Pedro Cuevas Mile has managed to keep attracting new participants year after year rather than becoming a niche fixture for club athletes only.
Where the Money Goes
Entry fees, personal sponsorship pledges and a charity raffle held at the finish line combined to raise funds directly for Fundación Cudeca, the palliative care charity whose hospice sits in neighbouring Benalmádena. Cudeca provides specialised end-of-life care and home-support services for cancer patients across the Costa del Sol, working with families through what is often the hardest period of their lives. The foundation relies heavily on public fundraising and community events of exactly this kind to keep its home-visit teams and hospice beds funded, since statutory healthcare provision alone does not cover the full scope of the care it offers.
For residents unfamiliar with the charity, Cudeca has built a long-standing presence on the coast, and events like this one are often how newcomers to the area first encounter its work. Organisers confirmed that donation channels linked to the race remain open online, meaning anyone who missed Saturday's event, or who simply wants to add to what was raised on the day, can still contribute.
Part of a Wider Push for Active Living
The mile and march form one strand of Fuengirola en Forma, the town hall's year-round wellbeing programme that spans 21 separate sporting activities aimed at getting residents of all ages moving. The scheme has become a recognisable part of municipal life in Fuengirola, pairing structured sport with public health messaging in a way that tries to reach beyond the usual gym-going demographic.
What stood out on Saturday was the visible presence of expat running clubs and social groups, who turned out in numbers alongside Spanish neighbours and families. That mix says something about how sport and charity fundraising have become a genuine meeting point between the international community settled along this coast and the town's own civic life, rather than two separate worlds running in parallel.
What Happens Next
Town representatives thanked both participants and the residents who lined the route to cheer them on, and reiterated the importance of keeping grassroots sport tied to charitable causes rather than treating fixtures like this purely as recreational events. With online donation channels for Cudeca still active, the practical upshot for anyone on the coast who wants to help is straightforward: the fundraising window has not closed simply because the race is over. For homeowners, long-term residents and visitors alike, it is a reminder that support for local causes on the Costa del Sol does not stop at the finish line.
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