130 Runners Take on Illimani Saturday | 130 Corredores Desafían el Illimani este Sábado

By Boliviaski.com:

Skyrace Illimani to Be Held This Saturday with More Than 130 Athletes

The event will feature national and international competitors and will take place on the slopes of La Paz’s iconic Illimani mountain.

The 2026 National Skyrunning Championship will continue this Saturday with its third stage: Skyrace Illimani, which will be held in La Paz with the participation of more than 130 runners from Bolivia and abroad.

The competition, organized by Skyrunning Bolivia and endorsed by the Bolivian Ski and Mountaineering Federation, is part of the qualification process for the national team that will compete in the 2027 South American Championship.

“We will have more than 130 runners from both Bolivia and other countries. International athletes are coming from the United States, France, Spain, and Peru. Within Bolivia, participants will represent Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Cobija, Oruro, Tarija, Potosí, and La Paz. They have accepted the challenge of racing in below-freezing temperatures, starting at five in the morning on this emblematic mountain,” said Paolo Choque, director of Skyrunning Bolivia.

The main attraction of the event is that it will take place on Illimani, the country’s most famous snow-capped mountain. The low temperatures will require participants to be well equipped to avoid difficulties during the race.

There will be three race distances: 29, 22, and 10 kilometers, for both women and men.

“The race will start from the community of Pinaya, located at 3,990 meters above sea level. This is the starting point for mountaineers ascending the mountain and now also for trail runners. Competitors will then reach the slopes of the glacier area known as Puente Roto, the base camp for climbers attempting the summit of Illimani, reaching a maximum altitude of 4,500 meters,” Choque explained.

He added that “the race has the support of the Municipality of Palca and its mayor, David Luna Mamani, who promotes the race route as a tourist attraction for visitors.”

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