El Mirador del Río hosted this Wednesday the official presentation of the program for the XXX "El Río" Swim Crossing 2026, one of the most anticipated sporting and social events of the calendar that connects the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
The event was attended by the Minister of Physical Activity and Sports of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Juan Monzón; the mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba; and the councilor for Sports of the Teguise City Council, Alejandro Ramírez.
“The 'El Río' Swim Crossing is not only a benchmark sporting competition in the Canary Islands, but a symbol of union between Lanzarote and La Graciosa. We face this edition with the utmost enthusiasm and with a security and organization deployment focused on providing the best experience to swimmers, companions, and residents,” assured the Minister of Physical Activity and Sports, Juan Monzón, who thanked both city councils “for their collaboration in making a new edition possible”.
In this 2026 edition, a total of 500 swimmers will start, distributed in the adult category (180 women and 280 men), minors (20 girls and 21 boys) and the Chinijos category (23 girls and 22 boys). The event has representation from seven countries (Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, and Austria) and athletes from 11 Spanish provinces and five Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and La Palma).
Among the participants, the presence of Ricardo Armas Orihuela, the oldest swimmer at 89 years old, stands out, as well as the defense of the title by the winners of the last edition, Álvaro Cabrera (Gran Canaria) and Natalia Sasu (Club Natación Nadamas of Lanzarote).
Official Program of Events
The program begins this Thursday, September 17, at the Ciudad Deportiva Lanzarote with the collection of the swimmer's bag (from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM).
Collection will continue on Friday, September 18 (from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM) and Saturday, September 19 (from 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM) in the parish hall of Caleta del Sebo.
The main day, Saturday, September 19, will unfold according to the following schedule:
10:00 AM: Chinij@s Crossing.
10:30 AM to 2:00 PM: Luggage storage service available for participants.
11:30 AM (approx.): Boarding and transfer of athletes to the starting line at Playa de Bajo el Risco (Lanzarote).
12:30 PM (approx.): Official start of the XXX "El Río" Swim Crossing 2026.
2:00 PM (approx.): Award ceremony in Caleta de Sebo.
18:00 h: Festive closing with DJ performance and live music.
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