The ninth edition of one of the world’s leading self-sufficiency races started this Wednesday from the town of Tejeda

97 athletes took the start, who have 101 hours to complete the route

With a vibrant atmosphere and excellent weather conditions, the 95 athletes (89 men and six women) registered for the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria anxiously awaited the race start at 9:00 a.m. from the town of Tejeda. The smiles and nerves before the competition were palpable in the atmosphere before starting the 258-kilometer route of this edition. After the formal signatures of all the runners on the race mural, the most emotional moment came when the students of the Tejeda school said goodbye to all the competitors waving the flags of each of the 14 nationalities represented in this edition.

The athletes have until Sunday at 2:00 p.m. as the deadline to complete the race, which on this occasion accumulates 12,669 meters of positive elevation. Apart from the difficulty of the route, the participants will have to deal with sudden changes in temperature that are expected in the coming days, with rain forecast throughout the island.

Thanks to the GPS marker carried by each participant, the organization and fans can follow the progress of all of them in real time through the website https://chronorace.tracktherace.com/es/eventos-deportivos/trail-running/360-the-challenge-gran-canaria-2024/live.

After the first four hours of competition, the Frenchwoman and top favorite to repeat her triumph in the women’s category, Claire Bannwarth, was just 15 minutes away from Gran Canaria’s Sandra Moreno. In the men’s category, Italian Marco Gubert led the race with a slight advantage over his closest pursuers, a trio made up of Frenchman Julien Chorier, Romanian Claudiu Beletoui and Dutchman Wouter Huitzing, after the first 30 kilometers along the Barranco de Pilancones.

Marco Gubert. Ian Corless

At around 2:45 p.m., the first athletes are expected to arrive at the first basecamp in Mogán, where they will be able to receive external assistance from a companion and use a backpack with their belongings that they handed over before the start in La Vaguada de Tejeda. In addition, runners will be able to use this point to eat, rest, wash and charge their electronic devices.

For the mayor of Tejeda, Francisco Perera, “it is a very important moment for the town that an event of this magnitude has its start in Tejeda.” “It is a window to the outside, at a national and international level thanks to this event,” adds the mayor. He also expresses his best wishes to all participants, “hopefully we will see the 95 cross the finish line.”

The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria is a test organized by Arista Eventos, with the sponsorship of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Insular Sports Institute; the Government of the Canary Islands with Promotur – Canary Islands; Tejeda and Fred City Council. Olsen Express; and the collaboration of the companies Lorenzo González Automoción, Gofio La Piña, Inerza, Emicela and Provital.