Tyler Andrews (USA) and Fernanda Maciel (Brasil) have won the 75 kilometres (4.500m+) OSO race, that’s part of the Quito Trail Ecuador. The women’s as well as the men’s race came down to a close finish. The Quito Trail Ecuador is part of the UTMB World Series.
Maciel had at the finish line in Quito a lead of only 6,5 minutes over Carolina Tania Diaz Estevez. 11:13:26 versus 11:20:02. The Argentinian had to fight hard to hold on to her second place. She crossed the last aid station at Mirador Humboldt after 11 hours, 5 minutes and 20 seconds. Only 9 seconds ahead of Lidia Chalacan (Columbia). However, the Columbian didn’t manage to close the gap in the remaining 4,5 kilometres and finished third in 11:20:24.
Close finish Andrews
Andrews finished only five minutes and 41 seconds ahead of Remigio Huaman Quispe (Peru). 8:32:45 versus 8:38:26. Quispe, starting with bib number 1, led the race up until the aid station at Las Palmas. He rounded that 40 kilometres point (2.354m+) after 4 hours, 18 minutes and 7 seconds. Andrews came through only 2,5 minutes behind him.
However the American climbed very well and when they hit the aid station at Cascada Chirincho, the roles were reversed. Andrews passed after 6 hours, 29 minutes and 13 seconds. Quispe trailed by 3 minutes and didn’t see Andrews back up until the finish. Andrews: “I feel super at home here in Quito. I remember the moment when my friend Joaquín López sent me a message in September or October last year and told me ‘yes, there’s a UTMB race in Ecuador’, and I said I had to go. The course was a bit of everything because we started in Mindo which is full jungle, cloud forest at almost a thousand meters, full humidity, full jungle, full mud and then we climbed up to the páramo at almost 4.000 meters by the cable car area, so you pass through many different climates, different types of terrain, different types of trails. There are super narrow trails, there are parts that are like roads so it has everything; a 100 percent Ecuadorian experience.”
Herrera completes podium
Both leaders didn’t have to look over their shoulder, as Edgar Marcelo Segovia Herrera (Ecuador) and Horacio Penaloza Grossi (Argentina) were far behind. Those two were in a battle of their own for third place. One that Segovia Herrera won by 3 minutes; 9:45:24.
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Photo: UTMB
