The Island Council invites runners from La Palma to participate free of charge in the Tenerife Bluetrail 2022

The Tenerife Island Council will invite runners from La Palma to participate free of charge in the next edition of the Tenerife Bluetrail, Spain’s highest mountain race, which will take place from June 2nd to 5th. This was announced by the First Vice President, Enrique Arriaga, at the presentation of this emblematic event, which was also attended by the Councilor for Sports, Concepción Rivero, and the race director, Fernando Ordóñez.

In this regard, Arriaga pointed out that “this is a gesture of solidarity with the athletes of La Palma, who will simply have to prove their residency during the registration process, which opens today, Thursday, December 23, for all race categories through the website www.tenerifebluetrail.com”.

The vice president also highlighted that “this new edition incorporates new features, the most striking being the change of route. A new course that is just as spectacular, challenging, and fun, with less asphalt and more prominent trails on the island.”

In this respect, Concepción Rivero noted that “the change of route is due to ecological reasons to reduce environmental impact, as well as aesthetic reasons to make the race more attractive to runners and allow them to discover new landscapes on the island. It also allows for the participation of new municipalities and gives them greater visibility.”

The councilor also highlighted that “the new routes reduce the amount of asphalt, the kilometers in urban areas, and make it easier for the public to follow the runners.”

Fernando Ordóñez emphasized “the work that Tenerife Bluetrail has been doing for years to ensure that the footprint of each edition of the race is imperceptible. For this reason, the use of plastics is reduced, recycled, and reused. The course markers are made with biocompostable material and follow the best practices manual for natural and protected areas. In addition, all the race apparel is made from recycled ocean plastics.”

Changes to the Route and Schedule

The marathon’s start for the first time from the Basilica of Candelaria and the prominent role of the GR 131 long-distance trail, which will cover approximately 46 kilometers of the race, are some of the main new features of the upcoming Tenerife Bluetrail. The race will also incorporate a novel finish line as it enters Puerto de la Cruz. The route will pass through the Martiánez Tunnel after going along the beaches of El Ancón, Los Patos, and El Bollullo, before reaching the finish line, which will once again be located at Lago Martiánez in the resort town.

The Tenerife Bluetrail, organized by the Island Council through Ideco, the Sports Department, and co-financed by Turismo de Tenerife, will pass for the first time through the municipalities of Candelaria, La Matanza, La Victoria, and Santa Úrsula. The race will traverse the Sanguinos Grove, a unique and ecologically valuable area in the Canary Islands, characterized by laurel forest species that have grown together in this zone, forming a peculiar and unusual woodland. Adeje, Vilaflor, La Orotava, Granadilla, and Puerto de la Cruz complete the list of municipalities hosting the 2022 edition.

There will also be new features in the nighttime vertical race, which this year will run between Barranco Hondo and Las Lagunetas, covering a distance of 5.25 kilometers with an elevation gain of 990 meters.

This year, the Tenerife Bluetrail will offer seven distances: the Ultra, a 104-kilometer race; The Trail, with a distance of 73 kilometers, also has a relay option with legs of 25 and 48 kilometers; the Marathon, with a total distance of 44 kilometers; the Half Marathon, which covers a distance of 24 kilometers; and the Bluetrail Challenge for people with disabilities, which includes three distances of 7, 5, and 1 kilometers, in addition to the 5.25-kilometer nighttime vertical race to be held on June 2nd.

The next edition of the race will have a maximum of 2,900 runners, but the limit on participants crossing Teide National Park remains in place to respect the area and the quality of the race. Given the success of the Trail Relay and Vertical races, the number of available places has been increased to 100 pairs and 200 runners, respectively. The Ultra version will have 500 participants, the same as the Trail, while the Half Marathon and Marathon will each have 700 places. The prices set by the organizers range from 130 euros for the Ultra to 35 euros for the Half Marathon.