Close to 600 triathletes will participate in the Doñana Challenge 2016

They would have to add 230 boys and girls in the Mini Challenge, sport promotion test parallel to the seventh edition of the competition

 

The seventh edition of the Doñana Challenge It is held on Saturday, September 24, one of the toughest endurance sports events that are usually held in Andalusia, under a surprising and exciting format very new in the world of long-distance triathlon. A total challenge for the most complete athletes, since the real challenge is to complete the competition.  

The event will include the participation of 800 athletes, 549 triathletes in the absolute event - 384 singles and 165 by relays - and 230 boys and girls in the Mini Challenge, promotion triathlon that will take place in parallel at Bajo Beach Guide. 

And Doñana returns to be one of the main protagonists of the competition. This authentic multi-adventure "challenge" will once again go through this unique natural space in the world due to its singularities and its great extension. 30 km will be crossed. of virgin beach sand in the segment of running race with departure and arrival in Punta de Malandar, novel route in recent editions.

This test is included in the segment of long distance events composed of three sports disciplines: cycling, swimming and running. It is unique within the supply of the sector, and its uniqueness is determined by aspects such as different order and distances of disciplines; travel that runs through places and environments of singular beauty and sensitivity, such as the mouth of the Guadalquivir and the Doñana National Park; and by the concept of "living" travel, dependent on the tides and currents of the river itself. 

Touring the National Park is possibly the most impressive point of competition for athletes enrolled in the event. On their virgin sand the triathletes will have to complete 30 kilometers of race on foot practically in solitary, 15 of return and other 15 of return. It is an authentic adventure for professionals and amateur athletes who compete, since never before a long distance triathlon had been developed on a super protected and closed natural space like this until the first edition was held at 2009.

Desafío Doñana is contested individually, both in women and men, and by relay teams. The cycling sector, first unlike the traditional triathlon events, will once again have as its starting point and end the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The 10.00 will start in Bajo de Guía the competition with 100 km of bike ride - one of the main novelties of this year's edition - for the municipal districts of Sanlúcar, Trebujena - another of the novelties -, Jerez de la Frontera, The Port of Santa María, Rota, Chipiona and Sanlúcar again. Next, the 1 km swim will be developed at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, crossing to Punta del Malandar - 2,8 km. if it is by teams of relays -. 

The Challenge ends with a walking race of 30 km by Doñana beach with exit and finish at Punta del Malandar. This consolidates a path of great hardness and physical and mental demand, maintaining the differentiating elements that make it unique. In no other sporting event you have the opportunity to cross the mouth of the Guadalquivir River and travel alone on the Doñana sands. 

To maintain and support the protectionist policy that is responsible for monitoring the preservation of Doñana, no motor vehicle outside the park can step on this long and beautiful beach, which implies an important organizational effort to maintain attention on athletes and volunteers. Before, during and after the passage of the triathletes, an entire operation is started so that nothing changes the normal running of this space, with special attention to cleanliness. 

Desafío Doñana is not exclusive for athletes specialized in long distance events. It is also focused on cyclists, runners or duathletes who want to participate in this extreme triathlon formula. In addition, the relay teams test is a great opportunity to participate with friends and colleagues, each of them specialized in a certain segment. It is a test with great participation, especially for the attractiveness and hardness of its route.

Six editions have been developed to date, the first of them in 2009, becoming one of the competitions with greater participation in this type of endurance tests, especially for the attractiveness and hardness of its route, when traveling by bicycle in places of great beauty of the province of Cádiz, swim across the mouth of the Guadalquivir in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and possibly the hardest, run on foot along the beach of the Doñana National Park.

 

Mini Challenge Doñana

One more year the Doñana Challenge will have a promotion activity parallel to the absolute test and that will promote a sport such as triathlon, the Mini Challenge, which will take place on the beach promenade and Bajo Guía Beach in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

 

The youngest between 7 and 17 years can also live their own Doñana Challenge. The test will be developed from the 10, once the exit to the absolute test. The modality to be disputed will be an attractive free aquatlon for minors, organized by the Andalusian Triathlon Federation, with categories of age groups and very affordable and ideal distances to promote this sport. 

The race on foot (first and third segment) will be held in Bajo Guía, and swimming in the waters of the beach itself. The distances to be covered will vary according to the age of the participants: there will be several departures per category, which will vary from the 125 m. of running, 50 m. of swimming and 125 m. of the Pre-Benjamins race (7 to 8 years), up to the 1.000 m.-400 m.-1.000 m. of the Cadets (15-17 years).

 

Sportsman Expo

In the municipal pavilion of Sanlúcar de Barrameda is also located the Sports Expo with stands of brands and entities related to the world of triathlon, sports nutrition, nutrition, material, etc., which will be open to all publics today Friday and tomorrow Saturday , day of the test, during the morning. In it the athletes also collect their bib number and all the relevant information about the race.

 

Desafío Doñana 2016 is organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Junta de Andalucía with the technical support of the Andalusian Triathlon Federation, and with the collaboration of the municipalities of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Trebujena, Jerez, El Puerto de Santa María , Rota and Chipiona and the Doñana Natural Area. It also counts as sponsors with Infisport, Powerade, Acquajet, GM Technology, Barbadillo and Cruzcampo Radler.

 

All the information of the competition can be followed through the official page of the competition: www.desafiodonana.com and on the test's social media profiles: Facebook: Desafio Doñana, Twitter: defiodonana and Instagram: Desafío_Doñana.