Spartan Race Encamp 10th Edition Draws 4500+ with Patrick Laqueche Winning Elite Super

The 10th edition of the Spartan Race in Encamp concluded successfully on Sunday, drawing over 4,500 participants across various distances and obstacles, with organisers and local authorities expressing strong commitment to its long-term future.

The event, a highlight of Andorra's sports tourism calendar, featured a special route to mark the milestone anniversary. It began Friday with the Spartan Kids race, involving nearly 800 schoolchildren from Encamp and Pas de la Casa on 1-3km courses with age-adapted obstacles. Saturday brought the demanding Ultra (50km, 60 obstacles), Beast (21km, 30 obstacles) and Sprint (5km, 20 obstacles) categories, while Sunday hosted the remaining Sprint events and the Super (10km, 25 obstacles).

In the Elite Super men's category, Patrick Laqueche Saralegui from Irun claimed victory in 1:02:21, ahead of Italy's Manuel Moriconi (1:02:51) and France's Alban Baudrier from Montpellier (1:03:58). Leyre Rodríguez from Vilamòs won the women's Elite Super in 1:31:59, followed by Karina Fuertes from Sant Sebastià (1:33:33) and Qing Inmaculada Zhou Chen from Madrid (1:35:26).

Earlier highlights included Pau Nacenta Merinas topping the Elite Beast men's field in 2:25:46, with Jonathan Garcia second (2:27:16) and Albert Soley third (2:28:50). Veronika Drinkova led the women's Beast in 3:10:03, ahead of Muntsa Ciuró Boixadera (3:35:04) and María del Pilar Simón Recio (3:38:36). The Ultra saw Oriol Torró win men's in 6:30:28 and Michaela Varyova take women's in 8:15:28.

Organisers noted 55% of entrants were first-time Spartan participants, with half of those new to Andorra entirely, and 45% returning competitors. Ángel Sanz, director of Spartan Race Spain-Andorra, called the edition "impeccable," praising the venue's appeal and public-private collaboration. He confirmed the current four-year agreement, signed in 2023, secures the 2027 event and voiced hopes for renewal beyond that, despite upcoming communal elections in December 2027.

Nino Marot, Encamp's councillor for Sports and Economic Reactivation, described the impact as "matchless" for sports tourism and desestacionalisation, with full hotels and restaurants. He affirmed work has begun on 2027 preparations, viewing the past decade as "the first of many." Authorities highlighted smooth traffic management and prior communication minimising disruptions.

The event, launched in Grau Roig in 2016 and moved to central Encamp in 2020, included tributes to 10 loyal participants and Andorra Turisme support, underscoring its economic boost.