The race, organised by La Santa Club, brought together more than 1,000 participants over five days of competition. Irish runners Colm Parnell and Catherine Thornton were crowned overall champions
Lanzarote was the backdrop for a new edition of the Lanzarote International Running Challenge, a firmly established event on the international sporting calendar that brought together more than 1,000 participants of up to 27 nationalities. In this 35th edition, Ireland’s Colm Parnel (2:46:27) and Catherine Thornton (3:11:45) were proclaimed overall champions, with Parnell leading the men’s category and Thornton the women’s, both dominating the competition from the very first race.
During five days of intense activity, the participants ran through some of Lanzarote’s most iconic landscapes, including volcanoes, beaches and rural roads, offering athletes and spectators a unique experience that combines sport, tourism and nature. In addition, the average temperature of around 24 Cº that the participants experienced throughout the competition helped them to feel the everlasting summer of the island.
The race kicked off with the popular Night Run, an event that brought together adults and children in a party of sport and entertainment. With live music, food trucks and the La Santa Club facilities as a stage, the Tinajo night was lit up with the sporting and festive spirit. The winners of the 4 and 7 km distances were Hugo Pérez Robayna (12:07) and Anita Hor (13:41) in the male and female 4 km categories, while Laurens Verluyten (22:07) and Nina Falck Najbjerg (26:32) won the 7 km.
The event continued with the 10K Vince Regan Memorial Classic Road Run on Sunday, where participants enjoyed a ten-kilometer course on asphalt, with Laurens Verluyten and Catherine Thornton emerging as the winners. In the team event, the Crusaders AC club was the fastest in both the men’s and women’s categories.
The competition also included the 13K Ridge Run challenge, which took runners around a nearby volcano, with winners Colm Parnell (47:02) and Catherine Thornton (53:19) again standing out. The Milton Buzzards Men A and Sportsworld A team were the fastest in their respective categories.
On Tuesday, the 5K Beach Run provided participants with the opportunity to run on the sand of Los Pocillos Beach. Ireland’s Colm Parnell again set the pace with a time of 17:33, while Nina Falck Najbjerg completed the race in 21:00. The Crusaders AC and Sportsworld A teams won the team race.
Finally, the race culminated with La Vuelta de Tinajo, the longest stage of the event, with a 21 kilometre route that combined asphalt and dirt roads, offering participants a comprehensive experience of Lanzarote’s volcanic geography. In this last stage, Colm Parnell (1:09:34) and Catherine Thornton (1:20:33) were crowned as the race champions, while Milton Buzzards and Sportsworld A were the winners in the team category.
On the men’s podium, Poland’s Pawel Krochmal (2:50:32) and Ireland’s Kevin Minnock (2:53:51) joined Parnell, while Ireland’s Shona Keane (3:22:41) and Sarah Flanagan (3:25:19) completed the top positions in the women’s category.
The Lanzarote International Running Challenge has once again proved to be an event that not only promotes sport, but also tourism on the island, highlighting its natural beauty and its ideal infrastructure for high-level events. With a perfect combination of physical exercise and leisure, the event has established itself as an attraction for tourists looking for a unique and exciting experience in one of the most beautiful destinations in the Canary Islands.
The island of Lanzarote remains a benchmark for sports tourism, and this edition of the event has left an everlasting memory for both the participants and the thousands of fans who have followed the competition throughout these five days of sporting festivities.
