Dozens of runners setting off along a cobbled street lined with colonial houses

2013 – 2027

History

Fifteen years running the Chicamocha Canyon: from a first edition with 300 runners to Colombia's only 100-mile race.

Our story

Brave, tough and beautiful

In 2013, Colombia's first trail running race longer than 100 kilometers was born. Since then, Chicamocha Canyon Race has become the flagship of Colombian trail running: the race that brought 100 miles to the country, that introduced the Chicamocha Canyon to runners from dozens of nations and that now celebrates its 15th edition.

This is the story, year by year.

By the numbers

Fifteen years of trail

years of history: 15
runners at the first edition (2013): +300
nationalities on the 2019 start line: 29
runners in the 2020 virtual challenge: +5,000
runners at the 2025 edition: +1,100

Timeline

Year by year

2013
First edition
Colombia's first trail running race longer than 100 kilometers on paths and trails. More than 300 Colombian and international runners discovered how tough and beautiful the canyon is. Distances: 108 km, 48 km, 22 km and 15 km.
2014
The first 100 miles
We staged the first 100-mile race in the history of Colombian trail running. Since then, the race has counted toward entry to UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), the most important trail race in the world.
2015
Going international
Runners from more than 12 nations take the start: the race opens up to the world.
2016
The brand is born
For the first time in a Colombian trail race, every runner carried live satellite tracking through an app. We added medical assistance insurance, a specialized rescue team in the wildest sections and an environmental management plan with the #EcoResponsables campaign. The Chicamocha Canyon Race brand was born.
2017
Record time
The toughest edition up to that point. Julio González set the 100-mile record at 25:20:45 (broken in 2022 and 2023). The half marathon and marathon settled on their routes: starting in Jordán and finishing in Barichara, often called the prettiest village in Colombia, and in San Gil, respectively.
2018
More than 600 runners
Five distances through the Chicamocha Canyon (100 miles, 116 km, 75 km, marathon and half marathon), plus a recreational race, were the adventure of more than 600 runners. A year of learning that will always stay in our hearts. Half marathon record: 2:16:44.6, unbeaten until 2025.
2019
29 countries
We opened a new start for the ultra distances, through arid zones, forests and endemic canyon flora such as the ceiba barrigona (bottle tree), adding technicality and difficulty. Runners from 29 nations lined up at the start.
2020
From a distance
During the pandemic we came together in the #RetoCCR2020 Reactivados challenge: a free platform with a bib and an automatic digital certificate. More than 5,000 runners around the world ran one of the CCR distances from home, and many completed the 100 miles in stages.
2021
111 km
We met the challenge of staging the race in the middle of the pandemic, with successful biosafety protocols. It was a much-needed reunion of the CCR family. The longest distance was 111 km on a highly technical route. Marathon record: 4:59:50, broken in 2024.
2022
10 years of history
We celebrated the 10th edition with more than 800 runners. We looked back on a brave, tough and beautiful history, and discovered new routes and towns for the ultra distances.
2023
Flying over the canyon
Our emblem, the chestnut-bellied hummingbird, is endemic to the Chicamocha. That year, 100-mile runners crossed the Chicamocha River by cable car (tarabita), because the suspension bridge had been closed a few months before the race.
2024
The country of beauty
Colombian runners voted it the country's best trail race and best trail running route. We launched the Walkers category in the half marathon, and William Gil and Carmen Montaño became two-time and three-time 100-mile champions, respectively.
2025
World Championship qualifier
Endorsed by the Colombian Athletics Federation, the race was a round of the National Trail and Mountain Running Championship, and the 80K was a qualifier for the Trail World Championships in Spain. More than 1,100 runners from 30 countries, and new routes brought records in every distance.
2026
Pairs join the race
The 14th edition, held July 17–20, introduced the Pairs category in the 80K and 100 miles: two runners who start, move and finish together, with a single team time.
2027
15th edition: fifteen years
From June 4 to 7, 2027, we celebrate 15 years with the 15th edition in San Gil: half marathon, marathon, 80K and 100 miles through the Chicamocha Canyon. Your name can be part of this story.