There are three days left until the start of the ninth edition of the ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º Menorca, which will have a luxury line-up this year. The race will be held in three stages of trail running and mountain biking around the island, with participants competing in pairs or alone. The main new development is the 1Day version.
Everything is ready for the ninth edition of the ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º Menorca on 3, 4 and 5 November. The race is already a fixture on the calendar and is held in three stages of trail running and mountain biking along a route that completely encircles the island. Once again, participants can compete in teams of two (male or female) or in the solo category.
The main new development this year is the premiere of the 1Day version, which lets participants compete in only one of the three stages of the race (the second, on Saturday, 4 November) and find out what the Epic experience means. This version is reserved for teams of two. Both 1Day participants and the rest will be able to experience the charming atmosphere of a race that is not just a sporting challenge, but promotes a philosophy based on values such as camaraderie, teamwork and respect for the environment and people.
Select participation
Total participation in the 2023 edition will reach 360 people, 15% of them foreigners coming from nine different countries.
With these great numbers, the ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º Menorca 2023 will have a luxury line-up, with more top-level participants than ever. Competitors in the foot race will include Miguel Heras, Oihana Kortazar, Pablo Villa and Aritz Egea. There will also be prominent local runners: Mari Allés will compete in the TrailRun after winning the Experience 2022. Albert Martínez will also participate in the long-distance race, while Pau Benejam (who finished second in 2022) and Javi Pons (the winner of the 2018 edition) will compete in the Experience.
Famous cyclists will participate in the mountain bike events, such as Ismael Ventura, Guillem Cassú, Ismael Esteban and Oliver Avilés, in addition to those who finished first and second in the solo category in 2022: Gerard Minoves and Aaron Genestar. Siblings Núria Bosch and Jaume Bosch and local duo Francesc Barber and Joan Mir will compete in the 1Day version, making this an event that everyone will want to watch.
A complete tour around the island
Just like last year, the participants in the TrailRun Epic 360º and MountainBike Epic 360º categories will take on a route that will run around the entire perimeter of the island, mainly along the historical Camí de Cavalls (GR 223) in all three stages of the race. As usual, competitors in the Experience 360º category will face a shorter route, which will also preserve the atmosphere of the Camí de Cavalls and take them through the most emblematic landscapes of Menorca.
Stage 1: Camí del Pilar – Maó (TrailRun / MTB: 69 km long and 1,580 m difference in altitude / Experience: Addaia – Maó, 32 km long and 635 m difference in altitude). This stage will run through much of the northern part of the island, starting with the stretch with the steepest slope in the whole competition. It continues through iconic beaches like Pregonda and Cavalleria and through S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park.
Stage 2: Es Castell – Cala Galdana (TrailRun: 56 km long and 870 m difference in altitude / MTB: 58 km long and 900 m difference in altitude / Experience: Es Canutells – Cala Galdana, 33 km long and 631 m difference in altitude). This is southern Menorca in all its splendour, with its rocky limestone areas, its white sand beaches surrounded by pine forests and its ravines that give character to its relief.
Stage 3: Camí del Pilar – Cala Galdana (TrailRun: 65 km long and 780 m difference in altitude / MTB: 63 km long and 800 m difference in altitude / Experience: Ciutadella – Cala Galdana, 32 km long and 223 m difference in altitude). This stage runs through western Menorca, characterised by great contrasts between hard, rocky stretches of coastline, forested areas and the distinctive white sand coves in the south.
A unique event
This race has never been like any other. It has always been an original event, with unique features and unquestionable appeal for everyone who has been part of it. “One island, three stages, one epic adventure” is the eternal slogan of a challenge that year after year leads participants to “start as strangers, continue as friends and end up as family”, which is how many describe it after they cross the finish line.
The Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º began in 2015, a result of the creativity of the Camí de Cavalls 360º team. In fact, the race is a competitive option that is part of the initial Camí de Cavalls 360º project, one of the self-guided and participant-paced routes that the company 40 Nord Outdoor has developed since it was founded in 2011.
In addition to the sporting challenge and the new developments, the ARTIEM Epic Cami de Cavalls 360º is firmly committed to respecting the environment. The race regulations clearly stipulate the commitment to good environmental practices that the competitors make when they register. The event has been using single-use cups for years and all the participants’ containers and wrappers throughout the course of the event are marked with their bib number. They also cannot leave the marked route, shout or make noise. The race crosses many different natural spaces, many of which are fragile and protected, such as S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park and the Red Natura 2000 areas.
The ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º has been participating for years in the project to conserve the Camí de Cavalls, promoted by the organising company 40º Nord. A part of the amount collected for each registration, as well as the participants’ voluntary contributions, is allocated to maintaining and conserving this historical trail.
The ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º 2022 is an event sponsored by the Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca, with the cooperation of the Spanish government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU and the government of the Balearic Islands’ Tourism Strategy Agency. This is an event that works to promote tourism unrelated to sun and sand, seeking to diversify away from seasonal tourism and lengthen the tourist season.
How to follow the event
You can follow the ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º Menorca 2023 through the organisation’s different channels:
App: app.epiccdc360.com
Instagram: @epiccamidecavalls360
Facebook: @epiccamidecavalls360
Website: https://epic.camidecavalls360.com
Live results: www.elitechip.net