DesafÃo Columbia Cataratas
DesafÃo Columbia Cataratas, Iguazú National Park, Argentina
24.07.2008
July 2008:With more than 100 racers participating, the DesafÃo Columbia Cataratas (Columbia Waterfalls Challenge) took place this past 12th and 13th of July, with leader in the field of the manufacture of outdoor gear in the role of title sponsor.
The Club de Corredores organized this staged race, which involved two days of cross-country running, paddling, and biking, in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world: the waterfalls of Iguazú.
The race took place inside Iguazú National Park, one of Argentina’s most well-known locations - a region in which the extraordinary beauty of the waterfalls and the lushness of the jungle combine to make it one of the great tourist destinations on our planet.
Columbia, with its commitment to creating awareness about some of the unique wilderness locations on the planet, has already sponsored previous races in the DesafÃo series, including the DesafÃo Ballenas (Whale Challenge) in the Valdés Peninsula in 2005 and 2006, and the DesafÃo Talampaya in 2007. For this year, they have chosen the spectacular scenery of Iguazú.
The race, of approximately 80 km each day, was undertaken both by teams of three as well as by solo racers. It started with a run through the innumerable trails that cross the park. Then, in their canoes (teams) and kayaks (solos), competitors paddled the impressive Iguazú River, which forms the border with neighbouring countries Paraguay and Brazil. Then they rode the beautiful roads in the region, which are characterized by their intense red colour, and were able to admire the powerful “Garganta del Diablo� (“Devil’s Throat).
In the general teams category, the winners were Marcos RamÃrez, Jorge Ferreira and Esteban Oliver with a final time of 7h:58m:47s. In the individual male category the winner was Damián Lias who finished the course in 7h:42m:20s. In the solo women, the winner was Gabriela Castillo with a final time of 8h:17m:52s.
The Sheraton Hotel & Resort Iguazú, located within the National Park and with the most pretty views in the region, were the centre of the event - where racers registered and where both stages of the competition started and ended.See All Event Posts
