Record participation: more than 700 registered and thousands set to gather this weekend for the 11th Baifo Extreme

Mount Tindaya will once again become the centre of obstacle-course sport in the Canary Islands this weekend. The Baifo Extreme is celebrating its 11th edition — and Baifo Kids its tenth — with a record number of participants: more than 700 people registered and thousands expected in the municipality of La Oliva from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September for three days of sport, nature, tourism, gastronomy and, in turn, economic activity on the island of Fuerteventura.

Established as one of the leading OCR (obstacle course racing) events in the Canary Islands, Baifo Extreme attracts runners of all levels each year: local and island-wide, regional, national and international. This year, more than 75% of participants are from outside the island, travelling not only from mainland Spain but also from other countries. They include elite athletes who have just returned from the World Championship in China, such as Samuel Torres and Andrea Azkune. Beyond the competition, the event offers a full programme of additional activities throughout the weekend: music, environmental workshops with the Fuerteventura Island Council, the Tourism Board and the Biosphere Reserve, and the third Sustainability Fair. The programme also includes the ‘Eco Tindaya’ clean-up, reinforcing the organisers’ commitment to the environmental fragility and natural wealth of the Tindaya area.

Statements

La Oliva Mayor Isaí Blanco highlighted the event’s international profile: “Baifo has become a high-level race and a leading event in the Canary Islands, with more than 75% of participants coming from outside the island. We are proud of that, because it reflects the direction this municipality has been pursuing for years: becoming an international sporting reference. We are achieving that thanks to events like this. I encourage everyone to enjoy the weekend and the Tindaya area”.

Canary Islands Government Tourism Minister Marlene Figueroa stressed the event’s strategic value: “Year after year, Baifo is establishing itself as a leading sporting event, but it is also part of a much broader programme that creates an island-wide strategy and a new way of understanding tourism in the Canary Islands, complementing sun-and-beach tourism. We encourage the organisers to continue backing these activities and to strengthen the link between tourism and sport in Fuerteventura”.

Gesprotur chief executive Ignacio Solana said: “We are very pleased to support Baifo Extreme, an event that has established itself as a sporting fixture which generates activity and helps enrich the islands’ leisure and sporting calendar”. Solana also noted: “Initiatives of this kind demonstrate the value of public-private collaboration. Baifo Extreme is a good example, with strong participation, an offering that also caters to families, and a growing commitment to sustainability and social responsibility”.

Fuerteventura Island Council Sports Councillor Luiso González emphasised the race’s local character: “Baifo Extreme is a race from here, with a strong majorero identity, at a time when OCR is growing around the world. It is much more than sport: it brings together sport, tourism, the environment and economic development, because a village like Tindaya also has the opportunity to develop during these days. Congratulations to Club Deportivo Al Máximo, a group of local people whose organisation is close to excellence”.

La Oliva Sports Councillor Gleiber Carreño thanked the organising team for its work: “I am very fortunate to have Club Deportivo Al Máximo, led by Jonay. Behind every weekend in Tindaya there is a year of work and impeccable management, which has made us a national reference point. Thanks to that effort, we are joining forces around sports tourism in the municipality. Thank you all for your work”.

Club Deportivo Al Máximo representative Jonay Marín brought the statements to a close: “This is the 11th year of Baifo Extreme. I want to thank the Canary Islands Government, La Oliva Town Council, the Fuerteventura Island Council and all our sponsors, because this would not be possible without you. See you this weekend: the world of sport awaits you in Tindaya”.

The Baifo Extreme organisers also extended their thanks to all the institutions and organisations making the event possible once again: the Canary Islands Government — through its Tourism Department and Gesprotur — the Fuerteventura Island Council and La Oliva Town Council, among others, as well as all the private sponsors and partners supporting the event.

A weekend of sport in Tindaya

The 11th Baifo Extreme begins on Friday 11 September and runs throughout the weekend, with Baifo Kids on Saturday and the main event, Baifo Extreme, on Sunday. Full information and registration are available at www.baifoextreme.com.

Baifo Extreme is an obstacle course race (OCR) organised by Club Deportivo Al Máximo and held every year in Tindaya (La Oliva, Fuerteventura). More than a competition, it is a sporting, tourism and environmental experience that establishes the island as a leading destination for obstacle-course sport in the Canary Islands.