Neuquén celebrated in style when hosting the ARWS South American Adventure Racing Championship, an international event with 150 athletes from 5 countries staged by the ANSILTA XK RACE on November 27, 28, and 29.
Neuquén celebrated in style when hosting the ARWS South American Adventure Racing Championship, an international event with 150 athletes from 5 countries staged by the ANSILTA XK RACE on November 27, 28, and 29.
On the afternoon of Thursday, November 27, the competitors arrived at the tents set up on Isla 132 in Neuquén, along the riverfront.
After undergoing a thorough equipment check and completing their check-ins, the race was oficially presented with the city authorities, and just 2 hours before the start, teams received their maps and route sheets, ready to begin promptly at 11:30 PM.
The first stage was a 70 km mountain bike section that tested the 20 Elite teams, who had to navigate with their compasses across a desert-like hilly terrain, with winds that dropped the temperature and tested their endurance during the opening hours of the race.
An 8 km pure orienteering stage in the hills of the Anfiteatro provided the perfect setting for sunrise, allowing several teams to capitalize on strategic decision-making. It was Sport Total San Juan who began the second MTB stage in the lead.
After 50 km and passing through Pueblo Blanco and Villa El Chocón, the leading teams arrived at Balcón del Lago, where their kayaks awaited them for the water section in Embalse Arroyito.
Due to strong winds, this stage was nearly cancelled, but thanks to the Coast Guard and the support of private boats and the Nautical Police, it was carried out on a shorter 8 km course with heavy waves, which made progress difficult and caused some teams to capsize.
After the kayak section, teams faced two very technical ropes sections simultaneously: one pair of team members performed a Jumar (vertical rope ascent up a waterfall), while the other pair crossed a canyon using fixed ropes and then traversed it via a zipline.
After completing this challenge, teams began a long 40 km trekking section with complex navigation, which most of them would do at night.
The battle between Sport Total San Juan and the Outdoor team was the highlight of the race.
By the end of the trekking section, the gap between them was only 5 minutes, but there was still much of the race ahead, including two more stages: a MTB section to Senillosa, followed by an epic 40 km kayak section down the Limay River to the finish line, which had to be3 completed before they could celebrate on Isla 132 along Neuquén's Costa Pase.
20 Years for This Result – The Vallejo Brothers
About 20 years ago, Lucas and Nicolás Vallejo began competing in adventure races and they have frequently stood on the podium in top-level races.
From the start of the race, the team, completed by Florencia Delaporte and Edgardo Gonzalez, was contesting first and second place, capitalizing on their strengths and aiming to finish strongly.
In the final stage, during the special challenge involving a river swim and kayak ascent to retrieve their bikes, they saw Team Outdoor about 20 minutes behind and assessed whether it was enough to maintain the lead against a very strong, kayaking-specialist team. They never doubted themselves, never looked back, and set a pace navigating better than their rivals to be crowned South American champions.
After 20 Years of Racing A First Direct Qualification to a World Championship
“The navigation in this XK Race was very challenging, making the race competitive until the very end,” said Nicolás Vallejo during the awards ceremony.
Regarding their qualification, his brother Lucas added, “We hope everyone supports us, that we plan it well, and we will be prepared for the tough race ahead.”
The Argentine flag will be represented for the second time at an ARWS World Championship, with Sportotal representing their province of San Juan, their country, and their continent, having been crowned the strongest adventure racing team in South America.
The 6th cycle of the ARWS South America regional round will take place in 2026 and will feature the best races from Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, and the Brazil Series across 4 destinations.
More information about the ARWS South America calendar will be released soon.
For more information about XK Race visit https://xkrace.com.ar/
