Invitation to take part in the second La Paz 3,600 race

(La Paz, October 13, 2010).- For the second consecutive year and as part of the department’s activities in defense of practicing sports at high altitudes, this Wednesday, CAF and the Autonomous Municipal Government of La Paz (GAMLP) issued an invitation to take part in the “La Paz 3600” race, which is to be held on November 7 on a 10-kilometer route. Mayor Luis Revilla Herrero and CAF’s representative in Bolivia, Emilio Uquillas, announced at a press conference that the competition seeks to promote and foster physical activity and also to defend the right to practice sports in the place where one was born, which is why all La Paz’s inhabitants have been invited to take part.

“This race, which is going to invite personalities, government service employees, and the general public to take part, is geared to defending the right we, the inhabitants of La Paz, have to practice sports –in this case athletics- in our city,” said La Paz’s mayor, Luís Revilla.

CAF’s director in Bolivia stated that, as far as the institution is concerned, sports are one of the main factors that promote human development and an indispensable element for the comprehensive, sustainable development of countries. “On this understanding, CAF and the municipal government have wanted to give the city a high level competition that is not only geared to great athletes but is also designed to encourage the practicing of this sport among all the country’s inhabitants, but especially in La Paz, demonstrating to everyone that it’s a department of considerable dignity,” he concluded.

This year, the categories for athletes and amateurs –men and women- are: high school students, the under-35s, the 36 to 45 age group, the over 46s, and the physically challenged (wheelchairs). The organizers have announced that the starting point of the race will be in the Plaza del Estudiante and the finishing line in the Plaza Eleodor Camacho and that one of the sponsor companies will provide hydrating beverages along the route.

Registration will open on October 20 and is free of charge. Participants should bring a photocopy of their birth certificate or identity card. Where to register: Dirección Municipal de Deportes (Municipal Sports Department) at Edificio Técnico Municipal, Colombia esq. Mcal Santa Cruz, Piso 11; Obrajes (in Calle 11) and Orkohauira (on Puente Pasoskanki) municipal swimming pools; Palacio del Deporte Luis Lastra, at the end of Presbítero Medina; and Palacio del Deporte Munaypat on Av. Naciones Unidas.

The first three places in each category will receive prizes of USD 200, USD 100, and USD 50, respectively, and in the case of the outright male and female winners, CAF will promote their participation in the CAF Marathon 2011 to be held in Caracas, Venezuela, on February 20, 2011. The first 5,000 athletes to reach to finishing line will also receive a medal for having taken part in the race and a special snack for athletes.

The first La Paz 3600 race took place last year with the participation of 4,970 professional and amateur athletes of all ages. As it is coordinated by the Municipal Athletics Association, La Paz 3600 is one of the official races held in the city and it is planned to have it join international circuits and competitions in the future.