The demanding self-sufficiency mountain race will be held between November 13 and 17 with Tejeda as the epicenter of the test
It will have five basecamps, an aid station and three external assistance points
The ninth edition of the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria, which will take place between November 13 and 17, has a route of 258 kilometers and 12,669 meters of positive elevation with the start and finish line in Tejeda. The toughness of this test of self-sufficiency is beyond question, given the last edition only 25 runners were able to finish it and there were 59 abandons, 50 of them in the first 27 hours of competition. The race has a limit of 100 participants, who will have 101 hours to complete the demanding route.
The municipality of Tejeda will once again be the focus of one of the most extreme races in the world of trail running, where the best athletes specialized in self-sufficiency tests will meet.
The 2024 edition will have five basecamps and an aid station , which runners must manage as they see fit according to their race strategy. The big change is the three external assistance points, to help athletes at some points of the race where the supply of establishments open to the public is practically non-existent. The tactics of each runner will become even more important if possible with this variation.
Another of the distinctive characteristics of the 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria is that the course is not marked and the race course is not revealed until ten days before the start. Additionally, athletes who want to participate must have previously completed an Ultra-Trail race; demonstrate orienteering skills with compass and maps; as well as GPS navigation and long-distance hiking experience.
Claire Bannwarth en la edición de 2023. Ian Corless
Until today’s date there are 60 confirmed runners from 12 different countries. Some of them are the Italian legend Luca Papi, who has participated in all editions of the race; Claire Bannwarth, winner of the last four years; the French runner Julien Chorier, who makes his debut in this year’s event; the Spanish Alfredo Vila, the Irish Eoin Keith, or the Italian Vittorio Benvenuti, all of them three-time finishers. In addition to other regular runners in the event who are already part of the 360º The Challenge family.
The registration process is still open on the official website www.360thechallenge.com, and an additional discount is currently available until September 4. Also, Canarian residents will have an additional 20% discount, while finisher runners who have participated in a previous edition of the event will enjoy a discount of 30 euros per edition (up to a maximum of four).
Perfil de la carrera de 2024.
Wendy Cruz, director of the 360º The Challenge, said that “we are delighted that for the third consecutive year both the start and the finish line in a municipality with the beauty of Tejeda.” To which she adds, “once again, the philosophy of the race revolves around the orientation techniques of the athletes, who must also be prepared to withstand changing conditions, as well as control fatigue or lack of sleep”. Cruz affirms that “we are facing one of the toughest tests in the world, but every year we evolve and that is why for this edition we have added several external assistance points to facilitate the the course for the runners, although we are not losing the main characteristics of adventure and strategy that characterizes this type of career.”
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.