Night-time racing becoming more and more popular

Athletes looking for a boost in adrenaline are taking to the mountains, at night. No longer satisfied with running or cycling the streets, more and more are taking to the mountain trails to do their sport.

In Elche there are hundreds of sportsmen and women enjoying taking the extra risk and sense of freedom that comes from hitting trails in the dark. Among them are policemen, doctors, painters, show workers, builders, vets, dentists and others, who after finishing their days work head the trails, with their spotlights to make their way through the many trails hidden in the mountains.

“We started running at night because we were looking for something new, we were tired of the city,” says José, who is part of a club that regularly runs and cycles the night-time routes. “Before they called us crazy, but now it is seen as standard, but still it is a very motivating adventure,” explains Hector Ibarra, a member of a group that organises night-time cycling races, known as the Pixorros.

The growing trend is not absent of risks, as darkness and the difficult terrain could easily become the enemy of the athlete, although most of those who participate know the routes inside out and ensure that they do not go alone, just in case of an accident. The athletes also have insurance, again a precautionary measure to protect them should something happen.