Cártama town hall pays tribute to long-distance mountain trail runner 'Super Paco'

Cártama town hall has unveiled a colourful new mural that pays tribute to one of the town’s most admired residents, Francisco Contreras, or ‘Super Paco', as he was known among the locals.

The mural, painted by Guillermo Paz (Nesui SRC), portrays Contreras with his trademark straw hat and wooden cane holding a trophy after finishing La Legión de Ronda, a 101-kilometre endurance test at which he was a regular participant.

The mural decorates the side of a building in Calle Primavera in the El Sexmo district of the town, just a few metres from the house where the dedicated athlete lived, and where his family still reside today.

Contreras, who died at the age of 81 in 2019, always stood out among the rest of the participants due to his slightly eccentric attire, and he earned his nickname because of his extensive track record in various mountain races.

He began running at the age of 60 in order to control his cholesterol levels, becoming a popular participant at numerous races, including the Summum Ultra Cup.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Guillermo Paz and members of Contreras’ family, along with the town’s mayor, Jorge Gallardo, who said, “We want to recognise Paco, because he was very admired in the sports world, since he participated in mountain races of great difficulty, both locally and outside our borders.”