The cross-country race kicks off the Canary Islands School-Age Championships    

The Director General of Physical Activity and Sports for the Government of the Canary Islands, José Francisco Pérez, along with the Sports Councilor for the Tenerife Island Council, Yolanda Moliné; the Councilor for Sports of the Candelaria City Council, Manuel González; and the President of the Management Committee of the Canary Islands Athletics Federation, Omar Hernández, presented today, January 12, in the Noble Hall of the Tenerife Island Council, the 41st edition of the Canary Islands School-Age Championships.

Between January and July, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote will host the events for 14 of the 16 sports disciplines that make up the 2024 edition of the aforementioned championship, which kicks off this Saturday in Candelaria (Tenerife) with the cross-country race, as announced by the organizers.

Later, in February, it will be the turn of futsal and table tennis in the Majorca municipalities of Tuineje and Pájara. In April, the judo, rhythmic gymnastics, and volleyball championships will be held in Tenerife, while the municipality of Breña Alta on La Palma will host the chess and orienteering championships.

The basketball, badminton, and track and field championships are scheduled for May in Tenerife. The handball championship, also in May, will be held on the island of Gran Canaria. Pending official confirmation of the dates for bola and Canarian wrestling, the championships will culminate with the triathlon in June on Lanzarote and beach volleyball in July on Fuerteventura.

Cross-Country, This Saturday

The cross-country race, which kicks off the Canary Islands School-Age Championship season, will be held this Saturday at the MTB circuit in the Tenerife municipality of Candelaria. A total of 76 athletes in the youth (U-18) and cadet (U-16) categories will participate, representing six of the eight islands. The athletes will cover a distance of 4,000 meters for the junior category and 2,800 meters for the cadet category.

The starting gun for the first race—in the boys’ U16 category—is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. The girls’ race in the same category will begin half an hour later. The boys’ and girls’ U18 events will start at 12:30 p.m. and 1:10 p.m., respectively, and the day will conclude at 1:45 p.m. with the awards ceremony honoring the winners in both the individual and island team categories.

This event, organized by the Canary Islands Government’s General Directorate of Sports and the Canary Islands Athletics Federation, offers a unique opportunity for young people from the archipelago to enjoy a day of fellowship that helps bridge the distances inherent in a fragmented territory like the Canary Islands.