LEGAL RULES OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

What are the requirements to participate?

• Submit a photo of yourself in PNG or JPG format taken during the GENERALI Málaga Marathon 2024. 
• Follow the Instagram account @maratonmalaga. 

2. How many categories will there be?

There are four categories:

• Women’s Half Marathon
• Men’s Half Marathon
• Women’s Marathon
• Men’s Marathon

Each category will have a maximum of 40 photographs. If we receive more than 40 photos per category, only the first 40 submissions that meet all the criteria outlined in this document will be considered.

3. When and how can I submit my photo?

Send your photo via email to info@generalimaratonmalaga.com.
Any photos submitted through other means will not be considered.

Deadline: Wednesday, 2nd April at 23:59.

Your email must include:

• Subject: Competition + Category 
• Message body:
  • Full name
  • Instagram username
  • Province, nationality

Example:
 Subject: Men’s Marathon Competition
José García
@josegarcia
Málaga, Spain

Any emails that do not follow this format will not be considered for the competition.

• Only one photo per participant will be accepted. If multiple photos are submitted, the organisers will select one at their discretion. 
• Elimination round photos will be resized to 1080×1080 px.
• Final round photos will be resized to 1080×1350 px.
• Photos with watermarks will not be accepted.
• Montages will not be accepted, the photo must be original.
• You may or may not appear in the photo. If you are not physically present, the image must include something representative of the race, such as a medal, bib number, or race shirt.

4. How will the competition work?

The first 40 photos submitted in each category will be entered into the competition, which will be conducted exclusively on the Instagram account @maratonmalaga.

If we receive more than 10 photos, an elimination round will take place. One-on-one matchups will be created randomly and posted in Instagram Stories, where @maratonmalaga followers will vote to decide which photo progresses to the next round.

Once the elimination rounds are completed, the final will feature a maximum of 10 photos.

5. When will the voting take place?

Voting will take place throughout April. Announcements will be made on the Instagram account @maratonmalaga.

6. How will the winner of each category be chosen?

Through a public vote on Instagram.

A maximum of 10 photos will reach the final in each category—these will be the winners of the previous elimination rounds. Each photo will be assigned a number, and users will vote for their favourite photo on @maratonmalaga.

Only one vote per user will be counted.

7. How will the votes in the final be counted?

Votes will be counted using a web application. The process will follow these steps:

1. Data Collection and Initial Filtering:

• All comments will be extracted into a text file or spreadsheet. 
• The frequency of each number will be counted to determine the most mentioned one. 

1. Identifying “Invalid Votes”:

• Duplicate Votes by the Same User: If a user votes more than once, only their first vote will be counted. 
• Unintentional Mentions:
  • The context of the number in the comment will be analysed. 
  • If the number appears within a word, username, hashtag, or another number (e.g. “21K”), it will not be considered a vote. 
  • Only standalone numbers or those explicitly indicating a vote (e.g. “I vote for 3”) will be counted. 

1. Final Vote Calculation:

• Once valid votes have been identified, the number with the most votes will be declared the winner. 

8. What is the prize?

The winner of each category will receive a free race bib for the GENERALI Málaga Marathon 2025.

If the winner is already registered for 2025, the prize will be a race bib for the 2026 edition.

A total of 4 prizes will be awarded—one per category.

9. Changes and Acceptance of Legal Terms

The organisers reserve the right to modify or expand these Terms and Conditions, provided that such changes do not harm or infringe upon participants’ rights.

By entering the competition, participants fully accept these Terms and Conditions.

Additionally, participation in this contest implies acceptance of Instagram’s community guidelines and rules, as the competition will take place on this platform.