Romanian Claudiu Beletoiu firmly leads the race after 140 kilometers, followed by the French athlete Claire Bannwarth.Fifty athletes have dropped out of the competition in the first 27 hours, with 30 of them at the Mogán life base, located at kilometer 74
The heat recorded during the last 24 hours in Gran Canaria has affected the runners competing since early Wednesday morning in the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria. This has led to 50 out of the 84 athletes who started the race to abandon, with Romanian Claudiu Beletoiu solidly leading, having already covered more than half of the 269-kilometer distance. The heat forecasts proved accurate, prompting the organizers to set up three replenishment points this year where, unlike previous editions, participants were not only allowed to take water, but were also provided with food and refreshments.
In the early hours of the race, Beletoiu formed a tandem with local runner Javier Blanco. Both reached the Mogán life base at kilometer 74 around 8:30 p.m., more than two hours later than planned by the organizers. The two athletes left the town’s urban center to spend the night together, taking turns leading the race. However, in the morning, after the replenishment in the Ayagaures area, the Romanian runner passed kilometer 110 alone for the first time, as Blanco began to experience throat problems that hindered his breathing. Blanco managed to reach the Santa Lucía de Tirajana life base and is currently undecided about continuing the competition.
During the morning, two other athletes reached this point, overtaking Javier Blanco. Thus, French athlete Claire Bannwarth moved up to the second position in the race, seven kilometers and about two hours behind the leader. Following her, about a kilometer later, is the Palma runner José Bordón, making his debut in the 360º, who was overtaken by Bannwarth at the second life base rest.
In the women’s category, two out of the five athletes who started the race have withdrawn: Sandra Moreno from Telde, who left the race 16 hours and 21 minutes after leaving Tejeda at the Mogán life base—where 29 other participants dropped out—and Montse Caso from the Balearic Islands, who abandoned at 1:46 p.m. in the La Aldea de San Nicolás replenishment. Slovakian Soňa Kopčoková is in second place in the women’s category and has passed kilometer 90, while Hungarian Szilvia Lubics is at the back of the race—alongside her compatriot Attila Kele and the Spaniard Marco Antonio Martínez—around kilometer 90 after noon.
In the men’s category, there are 29 athletes left out of the 75 who started, with notable withdrawals such as locals Yeray Durán and Álex Fraguela. After the top three runners, Italian Luca Papi and Frenchman Sylvain Chapays are over four hours behind, heading towards kilometer 120 after passing through Fataga at noon on Thursday. An hour later are Tenerife’s Ignacio García del Castillo and Melilla’s Juan Diego Aguilar.
Finally, in the relay category, only the duo formed by Canarians Esteban García and Francisco Estévez remains, as Zigor Iturrieta, Iker Karrera’s partner, abandoned in Cercados de Espino, around kilometer 100 of the race.
The GPS position tracking of each participant still in the race can be done through the website https://chronorace.tracktherace.com/es/eventos-deportivos/trail-running/360-the-challenge-gran-canaria/carrera. Additionally, daily updates on the race are posted on social media.
The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria is organized by Arista Eventos and 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. It also has the collaboration of the companies Lorenzo González Automoción, Gofio La Piña, Inerza, and Provital.