Extreme heat conditions accentuate the physical requirement of the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria

With a light calima breeze and a temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius, the 84 athletes (75 men, five women, and four relay participants) registered in the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria set off this Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. from Tejeda to cover the 269 kilometers of this eighth edition. They have until Sunday at 2:00 p.m. to complete this challenge, which accumulates 14,000 meters of positive elevation gain. Besides the toughness of the course, participants will have to face the high temperatures expected on the island throughout the week, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius during the day.

Students from the Tejeda school bid farewell to all competitors with flags representing each of the 18 nationalities represented in this edition. Each runner carries a GPS beacon, allowing both the organizers and fans to track their progress in real-time through the website https://chronorace.tracktherace.com/es/eventos-deportivos/trail-running/360-the-challenge-gran-canaria/carrera. This system also ensures the safety of all participants with prompt attention in case of an accident.

After the first three hours of competition, a group led by Romanian Claudiu Beletoiu and Canarian Javier Blanco jointly led the race after covering more than 20 kilometers, followed by Italian Marco Gubert, Spaniard José Bordón, and Frenchwoman Claire Bannwarth.

Around 2:00 p.m., it is expected that the first athletes will reach the La Aldea de San Nicolás supply point, while around 6:00 p.m., they are estimated to reach the first life base in Mogán. There, they can receive external assistance and use a backpack with their belongings that they handed over before the start, in addition to food, rest areas, a place to charge their electronic devices, and showers.

For the mayor of Tejeda, Francisco Perera, it is “very important” that his municipality has hosted the start and finish of the race for the second consecutive year because it represents an economic attraction for the town, in addition to highlighting the “bravery” of the participants, whom he wishes “all the luck” in these days.

Before the start, Canarian Sandra Moreno admitted to feeling nervous about her third 360º, where she finished in third place last year. “There is a technical part at the beginning of the race,” she said, highlighting that the most challenging area is “from the second night onwards with more fatigue.”

Meanwhile, Italian Luca Papi, who has won four of the seven editions, acknowledged that the course of the race is “difficult with a lot of sections with challenging navigation.” Therefore, his main goal this year is to reach the finish line for the eighth time on an island that he already considers his home.

The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria is organized by Arista Eventos and is sponsored by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Turismo de Gran Canaria and Gran Canaria Isla Europea del Deporte, the Government of the Canary Islands with Promotur – Islas Canarias, the Tejeda City Council, and Fred. Olsen Express; with the collaboration of companies Lorenzo González Automoción, Gofio La Piña, Inerza, and Provital.