The 44th annual Cristo Popular Run kicks off in La Laguna with over 800 participants at the starting line.
The 44th Cristo Popular Race is taking place in La Laguna, a sporting event included in the UNESCO World Heritage Cities program, with a modified route and entertainment program.
Today in La Laguna, the 44th annual Cristo Popular Race will take place! This is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the summer, included in the program of races in cities that are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The race is organized by the local sports organization together with judges from the Canary Athletics Federation.
Everything will start at 5:00 PM with children's races. Young athletes aged 8 to 16 will run distances from 460 to 1050 meters. And at 5:30 PM, the adults will start – with a choice of distances of 5 or 10 kilometers. The short distance is the most popular, chosen by 60% of participants, while 27% will run the long distance. In total, more than 800 people will take part in the race, and it is pleasing that 38% of them are women.
The president of the La Laguna sports organization, Badel Albelo, thanked all participants, organizers, and the security service for their work. He also noted that the large number of women among the participants has become a good tradition for sporting events in the city. "I invite all residents of La Laguna to support the runners and enjoy this wonderful day!" added Albelo.
The race organizer, Ivo López, said that the route has changed this year. Usually, the race took place around Cristo Square, but this time, on the occasion of the city's festivities, the start has been moved to the headquarters of the sports organization on Alonso Suárez Melián Street.
López also emphasized that this is a race for the whole family, and that an entertainment program will be organized near the cathedral before and after the race.
One lap is 2.5 kilometers long, so participants in the 5 km distance will need to run two laps, and those in the 10 km distance will need to run four. Numbers, chips, and participant bags can be picked up at the starting location (Alonso Suárez Melián Street) today from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.