More than 500 triathletes take the start in the Doñana Challenge 2014
368 athletes in the absolute test and 157 boys and girls in the Mini Challenge will fight to win the victory in the fifth edition of the test
Today, Saturday, a new edition is celebrated, and now there are five, Doñana Challenge, one of the toughest endurance sports events 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, which is organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport together with the technical support of the Andalusian Triathlon Federation, will have the participation of more 500 athletes, 368 triathletes in the absolute proof and 157 guys and girls in el Mini Challenge, promotion triathlon that will be developed in parallel in Bajo Guía.
And Doñana returns to be one of the main protagonists of the competition. East authentic multi-adventure "challenge" will travel again this unique natural space in the world for its singularities and for 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 of the previous edition.
This test is included in the segment of the long distance events composed of three sports disciplines: cycling, swimming and running. It is a unique test within the offer of the sector, and its uniqueness is determined by aspects such as different order and distances of the disciplines; a route 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" route, dependent on the tides and currents of the Guadalquivir river.
Touring the National Park is possibly the most impressive point of competition for athletes enrolled in the event. On their virgin arena the triathletes have to complete 30 kilometers of running on foot practically alone. It is a real adventure for professionals and amateur athletes who compete, since a long distance triathlon has never been developed on a super protected and closed natural space like this until the first edition was held at 2009.
The test will be played individually, both in women and men, and by relay teams. The cycling sector, the first to be held against the traditional triathlon tests, will once again have the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda as its starting point and end point. At the 7.30 will start in Bajo de Guía the competition with 90 km of bike tour through the municipalities of Sanlúcar, Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria, 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.
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.
Four editions have been held 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 serve to promote a sport such as triathlon, the MiniDesafío, which will take place on the beach promenade and beach of Bajo Guía in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
The youngest between 7 and 17 years can also live their own Doñana MiniDesafío. The test will be developed from the 10. 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, throughout the day. In it the athletes also collect their bib number and all the relevant information about the race.
It is present companies such as Infisport, Powerade, Vodafone, Infex, Triatienda, Acquajet, GM Technology and QAPSADE (Quality in Personalized Health Care Athlete) that today will offer studies of the footprint and the backbone to 24 participants chosen by lottery previously.
The Doñana Challenge 2014 is organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport 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, Jerez, El Puerto de Santa María , Rota and Chipiona and the Doñana Natural Area.
All the information of the competition can be followed through the official page of the competition:
There are no previous results.
