The mountain race will take place this Saturday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and has more than 1,000 registered runners.
The design of the runner’s T-shirt is inspired by the Canary Garden, where the 21 kilometer race will take place.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will host this Saturday, March 16, the ninth edition of the LPA Trail, a mountain race that will take place within the capital city and will run through emblematic places such as the batteries of San Juan, Barranco Seco, El Fondillo, the Casa del Gallo, the Canary Garden, the University Campus of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Guiniguada ravine, culminating in the Plaza de Santa Ana. There is an estimation of more than 1,000 registered between the three distances and the LPA Kids, which for the second consecutive year will be held in the streets of Vegueta.
The presentation of the event took place this Thursday in a ceremony attended by the manager of the Sports Institute of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Leticia López; the Councilor for Sports of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carla Campoamor; the Vice Rector of Culture, Sports and Campus Activation of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, José Miguel Álamo; the head of Sales of Fred.Olsen Express, Lorenzo Spinelli; and the director of the LPA Trail, Jazmina Benítez.
The director of the LPA Trail explained that the race has three modalities, all with a finish line in the Plaza de Santa Ana. The longest race, 21 kilometers, will start in front of the cathedral; the medium, 10 kilometers, from the University Campus of Tafira; and the short, 6 kilometers, from the soccer field of Lomo Blanco. “This year the participation of women, who make up 33% of the entries, has increased, and we also include the categories of cadet, children and youth training, which together with the second edition of the LPA Kids, with more than 120 entries, demonstrates the firm commitment of Arista Events for the promotion of the quarry of the trail”, explained Benítez, who named among the favorite athletes to the Canary Estela Guerra and Zaid Ait Malek and Anders Kjaerevik.
Meanwhile, Leticia Lopez added that the LPA Trail “is a consolidated event in the calendar of trail races on the island” and that every year adds new records, this year with more than 1,000 registered athletes of 17 different nationalities. In addition, Carla Campoamor stressed that the Guiniguada riverbed is a “beautiful” framework that, thanks to events like these, the various places of the capital are made known to the public.
José Miguel Álamo explained that the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, from whose soccer field of the Tafira Campus the middle distance starts, joins for the first time this event, which will also be part of the Rector’s Trophy. “As a higher education center it is important to link sport and respect for the environment as this race does,” he said. Finally, the head of Sales of Fred.Olsen Express, Lorenzo Spinelli, congratulated the organization of the race for having already nine editions and recalled that the shipping company, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this 2024, offers participants special rates to attend the race.
During the press conference the runner’s T-shirt was also presented, which this year is inspired by the Viera y Clavijo Canary Botanical Garden. Because the LPA Trail in the distance of 21 kilometers is the only sporting event that runs through the interior of this center dedicated to the endemic flora of the islands.
The LPA Trail is organized by Arista Eventos and is sponsored by the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through the Municipal Institute of Sports (IMD); the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through the Insular Institute of Sports; Tourism of Gran Canaria; the Viera y Clavijo Canary Botanical Garden; the Government of the Canary Islands, with Promotur – Tourism of the Canary Islands; Fred. Olsen Express; University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Gofio La Piña; Aguas de Teror; Pepsi; Lorenzo González Automoción and Inerza.