Carles Castillejo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carles Castillejo

Castillejo in the marathon at the 2012 Olympics in London
Personal information
Born	(1978-08-18) August 18, 1978 (age 46)
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight	60 kg (130 lb)
Sport
Country	Spain
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Marathon

Carles Castillejo Salvador, born on August 18, 1978, in Barcelona, is a famous Spanish long-distance runner. He is known for winning many national championships in Spain. These titles include races over 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and the full marathon. Carles has proudly represented his country, Spain, at the Olympic Games four times. He competed in the Olympics in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.

Carles Castillejo's Running Career

Early International Races

Carles Castillejo first competed for Spain on the world stage in 2004. He took part in the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing 57th. Later that year, he had more success on the track. He won the Spanish national title in the 5000 metres race. He also came in second place in the 3000 metres at the 2004 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics.

Olympic Debut and Progress

Carles made his first Olympic appearance at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He ran in the 5,000-meter race but did not make it past the first round. In 2005, he improved his performance at the World Cross Country race, finishing 26th. He also set a new personal best time in the 10,000 metres race. He finished second at the European Cup 10000m with a time of 28 minutes and 6.88 seconds.

Team Medals and Personal Bests

In 2006, Carles finished 29th at the World Cross Country event. He also helped the Spanish team win silver medals at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships. He continued to do well at the European Cup 10000m, earning a bronze medal in 2007 and a silver in 2008. He set another personal best in the 10,000 meters, running it in 27 minutes and 39.79 seconds.

Beijing Olympics and World Championships

After his personal best, Carles competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He finished 23rd overall. In 2009, he achieved his best-ever finish at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, coming in 26th. He then won a silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2009 European Team Championships. His best performance at a major world event was finishing 15th in the 10,000 meters at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.

Marathon Debut and Olympic Marathon

In 2010, Carles finished fifth in the 10,000 meters at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. In 2011, he ran his very first marathon race. This was at the Spanish national championship, the Maratón Ciudad de Castellón. He won the race with an impressive time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 2 seconds. This win meant he was chosen to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In February 2012, he won the Granollers Half Marathon. He even beat Patrick Makau, who held the world record for the marathon at the time. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Carles finished 24th in the marathon. His final professional marathon was at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He finished 49th with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 34 seconds.

Major Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Spain
2003	Universiade	Daegu, South Korea	4th	5000 m	13:57.20
2004	Ibero-American Championships	Huelva, Spain	2nd	3000 m	7:51.26
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	31st (h)	5000 m	13:49.16
2005	Mediterranean Games	Almería, Spain	2nd	10,000 m	29:13.91
	Universiade	Izmir, Turkey	4th	5000 m	13:46.74
			6th	10,000 m	29:23.93
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	23rd	10,000 m	28:13.68
2009	European Team Championships	Leiria, Portugal	2nd	5000 m	13:49.54
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	15th	10,000 m	28:09.89
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	5th	10,000 m	28:49.69
2012	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	5th	10,000 m	28:24.51
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	24th	Marathon	2:16:17
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	—	Marathon	DNF
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	8th	Half marathon	1:03:52
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	49th	Marathon	2:18:34

See also

In Spanish: Carles Castillejo para niños