On March 2nd and 3rd, 300 athletes from different parts of the world gathered at Santo Domingo Beach, Isla de Ometepe, to experience the Fire and Water ultra marathon, which combines trail running with climbing and descending volcanoes; an event that has gained international recognition and attracts runners from around the world seeking a unique challenge in a spectacular setting.
The race has been held in the country since 2008, with Isla de Ometepe chosen as the venue by its organizers.
In 2024, after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was successfully held with the participation of 27 countries, including: Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, Poland, England, Ireland, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. Frenchman Thomas Blant, the event’s general coordinator, said that organizing the 2024 Fire and Water event took months of preparation in collaboration with the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur), and the local governments of Altagracia and Moyogalpa.
“We restart with more strength and energy… I came as a volunteer to the event eight years ago and fell in love with the island, with this special energy of these two volcanoes in the middle of a lake, and as I enjoy running, I saw that this project was on pause and I wanted to push it to restart and put Nicaragua on the map as a country where tourism and sports can be done,” he added.
The runners were divided into categories of 14 km, 25 km, 50 km, and 100 km, as well as a special category of 10 and 100 km on bicycles.
Claudia Cotí, from Guatemala, winner of the third place in the 25 km race, said she was happy with the results as it was a challenging race. “It requires a lot of technique, but being up there and feeling Mother Nature all that time with that vibe, is something that I definitely had to live and feel… I appreciated the whole course, it was quite cloudy up there but the sounds of nature were always there.”
Yader Espinales, came with his team from Chinandega. “It was tough, I thought of doing the race between eight and ten hours, but up there it was difficult, there were moments of wanting to give up… In 2020 I came and ran 25 km and the volcano was cloudy, but today with the 50 km, I had the joy of seeing Ometepe, the Madera volcano and it was beautiful,” said the runner.
Félix Sánchez, National Promotion Officer of Intur, welcomed all the participants from Hotel Villa Paraíso, and invited them to enjoy “Nicaragua… unique, original”, where Nicaraguans, along with the natural beauty of the country, will always welcome them with open arms. Fire and Water ended on Sunday, March 3rd, with a race for children and the award ceremony for the winners of the 100 km, who spent over 30 hours on the course.
