The European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships will serve to support the reconstruction of the areas affected by the volcanic catastrophe and to build bridges between the different European cultures, which are so necessary at this time.
The complicated moments that the people of La Palma are going through will be overcome thanks to the tenacity of its inhabitants, but also thanks to the many supports that are coming from outside our borders. The municipality of El Paso, from where the volcano that has sadly changed the lives of thousands of clappers, has found an ally in the European Athletics (European Athletics Federation), an entity that selected this municipality, many before the volcanic eruption, to host the first European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in history, championships, absolute individual, sub20 and national teams, which will be held within the framework of the tenth edition of Reventón El Paso between June 30 and 3 July 2022.
This natural misfortune has reinforced the wisdom of this choice, since this innovative European Championship, which combines the disciplines of trail running and mountain running, will not only serve to build bridges between the different European cultures, so necessary at this precise moment, but also which will also serve to support the reconstruction of the areas affected by the volcanic catastrophe with an economic item.
European Athletics recently reported its firm commitment to holding this European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships. Those words are already being proven by deeds. These days have visited La Palma two representatives of EA, Ede Rutkovsky and Sarah Rowell. Both carried out important field work, accompanied by members of Reventón El Paso, to advance in the organization of a sporting event that will bring together more than 2,000 runners, counting those who will participate in the traditional tests of the palm race, which can finally celebrate his tenth birthday.
Popular and national teams will share routes, in the same way that European Athletics and the El Paso City Council will work together to alleviate the social emergency suffered by thousands of clappers who have lost practically everything. To do this, the European entity will contribute an economic item and, in addition, the two entities are already working on formulating an action that has a direct impact on those who most need help at this time. The dates scheduled for the celebration of the first European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships will be from June 30 to July 3, 2022 and the program planned by the organization includes within the framework of the traditional popular tests of Reventón El Paso, which will begin to be held from Thursday June 30.
That day the event will begin with the third edition of the Ascent to the Stars, a pioneering test in achieving the sports seal of the Starlight Foundation, a 3.2-kilometer vertical that runs under the incomparable night sky of La Palma. The following day the official competition program of the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships opens with the dispute of the different modalities of the Uphill Mountain Race.
On Saturday, July 2, the main course of the competition arrives with the modalities of the Trail Races. The race will be held over a distance of 47.4 kilometers, coinciding with the popular Marathon, Classic (31.9 kilometers) and Sprint (16.8 kilometers) events in Reventon El Paso. That same afternoon the organization has planned the celebration of the popular Reventón Kids, a race aimed at promoting the participation of athletics among the youngest. And finally, on Sunday the finishing touch is put on a long athletic weekend with the Up & Down Mountain Races, on the circular route of the Reventón Sprint modality, of 16.8 kilometers.
With all the registrations complete, thanks to the support and confidence that the Reventón El Paso runners have maintained for years, El Paso will concentrate during those days more than 2,000 athletes and as many fans, family members and friends, which will also have repercussions in paving the path of reconstruction, given that it will result in the local and insular economy. “Since we began to suffer from this natural tragedy, we have felt the warmth and expressions of support from countless people and entities. Now we have to thank European Athletics for the help it is giving us to recover the pulse of a land that will continue to vibrate with its sport”, explains Sergio Rodríguez, mayor of the El Paso City Council.
For his part, Ede Rutkovsky, a member of EA, stated that “European Athletics is very proud to contribute to the recovery of El Paso. We are working side by side with the local organization, we are excited to see how they work, how every detail is taken care of and we are convinced that the European Championship can help the municipality on its way to recovering normality. We are also working together with the organizing team to find imaginative and effective formulas from European Athletics to help the people affected”. Meanwhile, Sarah Rowell stated that “the organizing team of Reventon El Paso has designed spectacular tours.
They will be tough but fair and respectful of the tradition of mountain and trail running, respectively. And at the same time it guarantees that it will show all the beauty of unique landscapes like the ones we have found in La Palma and El Paso. We can be sure that we will enjoy races of the highest level, which will reward the best runners on the continent, but all the participants will enjoy a beautiful experience”.
And lastly, Omar Hernández, Councilor for Tourism of the city council of El Paso, also values “the enormous commitment that EA has shown with this land, thus understanding the special and extreme situation that El Paso is experiencing, which is the municipality that hosts the championship. We intend that this championship be one more engine to promote the reconstruction of the lives of the thousands of palm trees that the volcano devastated “
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