“It is a source of pride that Tejeda transcends internationally thanks to the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria,” says Mayor Francisco Juan Perera.
Tejeda is preparing to host the tenth edition of the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria, considered one of the most prestigious ultra-distance races in the world. From November 5 to 9, the municipality will be the start and finish point for the 120 runners from 22 nationalities who will face the 265 kilometers and more than 12,600 meters of positive elevation gain around the island.
The event, which starts at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, celebrates its tenth anniversary with record numbers: 120 participants (the largest number in its history) and 11 women on the starting line. After touring the entire island in a self-sufficiency regime, passing through Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Guía, La Aldea, Mogán, and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the athletes will return to the municipality to cross the finish line after up to five days of competition.
Tejeda, pride and commitment to elite sport
“For us, it is a source of pride that a race of this magnitude starts and finishes in this municipality. The international projection that the 360º gives us, with a record number of registrations and high-level runners, confirms that Tejeda is the perfect natural enclave in the center of Gran Canaria to host this type of elite event,” said Mayor Francisco Juan Perera.
The mayor of Tejeda, recognized as one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, highlighted that the municipality offers a unique natural and cultural heritage, ideal for this type of competition: “Many people already come on weekends to hike on these slopes. It is an incentive to further promote sport.”
An epic route with the Roque Nublo as a witness
The route will begin in the urban area of Tejeda with the emblematic Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga as a backdrop. After the first climb to Cruz de Tejeda, participants will begin a descent towards Valleseco, Osorio, and Teror, to then cross the capital of Gran Canaria—which returns to the route after several years—and continue along the north coast to La Aldea.
The final stretch of the race will once again enter the Roque Nublo Rural Park, with the last life base in Cercados de Araña (kilometer 246), before facing the final 20 kilometers to return to Tejeda via the path of La Plata and La Culata.
Self-sufficiency and orientation: One of the Most Demanding Races in the World
The toughness and demands of the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria lie in its format: participants must carry all mandatory material from the start and manage their food and energy. With only five life bases along the route for refueling and rest, the race is not marked. Runners must orient themselves exclusively using GPS and maps, a technical component that consolidates it as one of the most demanding ultra-distance races in the world.
The mayor made a final call for institutional collaboration for the success of the event: “We have to go hand in hand with Arista Eventos and the neighboring municipalities. It is a challenge and together we have to work to make Gran Canaria known worldwide as one of the best places to carry out sports activities of this nature.”
The tenth edition of the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria is organized by Arista Eventos, with the sponsorship of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Insular Sports Institute; the Government of the Canary Islands with Promotur – Islas Canarias; Tejeda City Council; Joma and Fred. Olsen Express; and the collaboration of the companies Aguas de Teror, Pepsi, Lorenzo González Automoción, Emicela, Gofio La Piña, Bonflex, Provital, and Inetel, as well as the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council through the Municipal Institute for the Promotion of Physical Activity and Sport (IMD), Guía de Gran Canaria City Council, Mogán City Council, La Aldea de San Nicolás City Council, and San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council.