The municipality of Lorca has just opened a new outdoor sports facility, marking a significant shift in how physical activity is perceived in the city. This is the first Urban Sports Center (CEDU) in the Region of Murcia, a complex designed for those who enjoy outdoor sports and seek alternatives to traditional gyms.
Located on Avenida de Santa Clara , next to the Ronda Central ring road , this municipal facility brings together in one area a strength circuit, a calisthenics area, a climbing wall, and a pumptrack . The complex has been designed as an open, accessible space suitable for different ages and skill levels, with the aim of becoming a meeting point for urban sports in the city.
A regional benchmark in outdoor urban sports
The opening of the CEDU (Urban Sports Center) positions Lorca as a pioneering municipality in the Region of Murcia in terms of infrastructure specifically designed for urban sports. According to the City Council, the project was born out of a growing demand from residents for modern spaces where they could train outdoors without having to travel to other municipalities or rely on indoor facilities.
The mayor of Lorca, Fulgencio Gil , emphasized during the opening ceremony that the city is "taking a historic step in modernizing our sports facilities" thanks to a space that is "innovative, open, inclusive, and adapted to new sporting trends." The city's intention is for the CEDU (Center for Sports and Recreation) to serve as a hub for practitioners of disciplines such as calisthenics, urban cycling , and skating, while also providing an additional resource for local residents who simply want to stay active.
During the inauguration, attendees were able to try out the different circuits and see firsthand how each area works. The day also included sports demonstrations and a healthy snack for those who attended the opening. The aim is for these types of activities to familiarize the public with the facilities and encourage more active lifestyles.
As it is a public and open-air space, access is free and it aims to promote coexistence among users with very different profiles : from people starting out in physical activity to more experienced athletes, as well as families who come to the walking and rest area integrated into the project.
Nearly 4.000 m² dedicated to urban sports and active leisure
The new Santa Clara Urban Sports Center occupies an area of approximately 4.000 square meters . Within this space, different specialized areas have been distributed to make the most of the available land and allow the practice of various disciplines without interference between users.
One of the main features is the strength training circuit , which covers approximately 390-392 square meters according to various municipal descriptions. It consists of a circuit with fixed equipment anchored to the ground , placed on a continuous surface of treated concrete. At points where the equipment is higher, specific safety zones have been created to minimize risks and facilitate safer use, both for basic training and more demanding routines.
Next to this circuit is an area dedicated to calisthenics , a sport that has been gaining popularity throughout Spain and is based on bodyweight training. In this case, the floor has a sand surface that helps cushion the impact and provides a more comfortable environment, especially for exercises involving jumps or controlled falls.
The complex also includes a climbing wall with varying levels of difficulty , designed so that people of very different skill levels can practice climbing in a controlled environment. This facility expands the local sports offerings by introducing a discipline that until now had very few dedicated, freely accessible spaces in the municipality.
Pumptrack for bikes, skateboards, roller skates and scooters
One of the main attractions of CEDU is its pumptrack , a facility specially designed for use with bicycles , skateboards, roller skates, and scooters . The track covers approximately 900 square meters and is roughly 176 meters long , featuring banked curves and linked ups and downs that allow riders to maintain speed through boosts and weight shifts.
The design includes different levels of difficulty so that both beginners and experienced users can find a course suited to their skill level. In this way, the pumptrack becomes a resource shared by a wide range of urban athletes, promoting progressive learning and recreational use.
This type of facility, already present in other European cities, is becoming established as a safe alternative to improvised practice on streets or sidewalks, as it concentrates users in a controlled environment with a layout specifically designed for riding, turning and linking movements without vehicle traffic.
The City Council's objective is for the track to function both as a training space for local enthusiasts and clubs, and as a leisure venue for young people and families looking for a different activity, taking advantage of the circuit's versatility for different types of wheels.
A project financed entirely with municipal funds
The construction and opening of this Urban Sports Center has involved a municipal investment of €300.000 . The Lorca City Council has fully funded the project, which complements other improvements to sports facilities throughout the municipality.
In addition to the dedicated sports areas, the design has reserved over 2.000 square meters —approximately 2.100-2.150 m² —for walking and relaxation areas . These spaces allow the CEDU to be not only a place to train, but also a pleasant environment where people can walk, sit, or watch others practicing sports.
The project has focused on integrating the new sports facilities into the surrounding landscape of Avenida de Santa Clara, seeking a balance between the sports areas and green spaces. According to the city council, the trees that could not be preserved on the site during construction have been replanted in other parts of the municipality , with the aim of maintaining the tree population and offsetting the work required to develop the space.
From a municipal management perspective, the CEDU (Urban Sports Center) is considered a tool for promoting social well-being , regular exercise, and community life in an urban environment. As it is an open facility, its use is not limited to those with a sports membership, but is available to any resident or visitor who wishes to exercise independently.
With this project, Lorca joins the trend seen in different Spanish and European cities, where there is a focus on multipurpose outdoor facilities that combine sports, leisure and green areas, integrated into the urban fabric and designed for daily use.
The new Urban Sports Centre in Lorca is thus consolidated as a spacious, free and open-air area that brings together a strength circuit, calisthenics, a climbing wall and a pumptrack, backed by a significant public investment and a clear commitment to urban sport, inclusion and the improvement of the environment, with the aim of becoming a benchmark within the Region of Murcia.
