Actualidad

• Supported by Promotur Turismo de Canarias and Turismo de Tenerife, the sixth edition of the Tenerife Bluetrail is fast becoming a world-renowned event helping to strengthen the Canary Islands tourism brand within the active tourism category as part of the ‘Extremosphere Reserve’.

The increasing popularity of amateur races and the surge in interest of more able athletes in competing on unique natural routes in the world find their mark in the Canary Islands. The Tenerife Bluetrail, the highest trail running race in Spain, brought together around 1,800 runners over the second weekend in June to take on the Teide volcano challenge and cross the island from south to north.

In its sixth edition, the race was designed to be one of the promotional tools of the Canary Islands and, in particular, the island of Tenerife, thanks to the support of Promotur Turismo de Canarias and Turismo de Tenerife. In the mounting excitement surrounding the event, national and international media positioned themselves on the starting and finishing lines, publishing over a hundred related news items and reaching an approximate audience of 16 million different users in various European countries, equating to advertising revenue of 880,000 euros. This has been an authentic platform to consolidate the Canary Islands brand as a leader in active tourism within the context of the ‘Extremosphere Reserve’.

Given its international renown as a qualifier for the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail (UTMB) (the most prestigious in the world), the Tenerife Bluetrail has attracted hundreds of participants from other parts of the world, drawing together runners from 36 nationalities on the starting line, with at least five hundred visiting the island to practise their highly specialised skills on complicated routes.

The toughest Tenerife Bluetrail route of the five on offer challenges participants to a 97-kilometre course through the Teide National Park, from its lowest point on the sands of Las Vistas beach in Los Cristianos to over 3,550 metres up on the top of the Teide volcano. As if this was not enough, the finishing line is even further on in Puerto de la Cruz, back down at sea level on the northern side of the island. In all it is a unique route with an accumulated ascent of 12,800 metres, to be completed in 23 hours.

The winner of the most demanding race of the 2016 edition was the well-known Nepalese runner Sange Sherpa, after getting the almost 100 kilometres of this tough route over Europe´s most famous volcano under his belt in a little over 12 hours. There was no shortage of race assistants stationed along the course and the race could be followed live on social media with spectacular images thanks to drone technology.