The acting Vice Governor of the Executive Branch, Mónica Urquiza, the president of the Fuegian Tourism Institute, Dante Querciali, and the president of the Innovation Agency, Analía Cubinos, along with the organizers, took part in the opening ceremony held this Tuesday at the Talent Factory.
“I welcome you to the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, to the land of the Malvinas Islands. We are honored and grateful to the organizers for choosing us, and we hope you continue to come, as these types of events help us grow and work together,” said Urquiza, highlighting the excellent teamwork achieved by the institutions supporting this event, the security forces, and the private sector.
Meanwhile, Querciali stated that "the provincial government continues to work to consolidate the tourist destination to host more sporting events that draw large crowds, considering them a fundamental part of promoting the End of the World."
For his part, Alejandro Ochoa, UTMB's representative in Latin America, expressed that "we were looking for an iconic destination and this place undoubtedly fulfills it perfectly. I am astonished at the end of the world." He also stated that "this is a combination of wills and dreams, and a long-term project," thanking the authorities for their support, especially the President of INFUETUR for accompanying the project presentation in France last year.
"Before launching the event, we projected huge international interest, and what happened pleasantly surprised us. It exceeded our average estimates. Within the American continent, not including Argentina, we have more than 850 runners from virtually every country in the Americas, more than 500 runners from Europe, runners from Asia, and the participation of athletes from more than 50 nationalities. Very few UTMB races have these characteristics. After this first edition, runners will spread the word about the affection, the place, and the experience of coming to the End of the World," he highlighted, anticipating future events in the province.
Within this framework, the Talent Factory is the main meeting point for participants, organizers, staff, and sponsors throughout this week and in the days leading up to the event, strategically located to welcome runners in downtown Ushuaia. In this regard, Cubinos thanked the organizers for making this event possible, a historic event for the country and Tierra del Fuego.
Thus, runners of different nationalities, both Argentinian and local, are already following the schedule of activities, awaiting the start on Thursday and Friday. "I'm very excited to be in the land of the end of the world for the first time. My expectations are to enjoy every kilometer and every landscape. We're having a party and we're here to enjoy this place," said Valeria Martínez, one of the participants from Peru, who will run the 32k.
Tierra del Fuego has countless natural settings, forests, lakes, mountain ranges and mountain trails that make it a unique environment for developing sports competitions that challenge its participants, who will compete in 6 distances: Epic 130K, Advance 85K, Challenge 50K, Courage 32K, Power 22K and Explore 12K, covering unique natural spaces such as Cerro del Medio, Cerro Cortez, Cerro Martial, Margot, Esmeralda, Turquesa, Tricolor, del Ausente and Submarino lagoons, as well as passing through the areas of the Arakur Hotel, Bahía Encerrada, Plaza Islas Malvinas and the mountain centers of Cerro Castor, Tierra Mayor, Llanos de Castor and Haruwen.
Regarding this major sporting event, INFUETUR emphasized that participants not only come individually but also are accompanied by their peers, family members, training groups, and physical trainers. This generates significant movement of people and impacts the local economy through the use of tourism services and amenities, thus multiplying the promotion of the destination and its experience at sporting events.
The opening ceremony of Valhöll Argentina by UTMB was also attended by the Minister of Public Works and Services, Gabriela Castillo, and the Minister of Production and Environment, Karina Fernández; the Legal Secretary of the Government, Emiliano Fosatto; the head of the Tierra del Fuego Chamber of Tourism, Patricio Cornejo; representatives of the security forces, municipal authorities, runners, and the media.