Valley Camp’s Second Year at the Andes Race

2025 marked the 10th anniversary of the Andes Race, an event that brings together sports, culture, tourism, and community in the breathtaking Urubamba Mountain Range. Each year, more than a thousand runners gather in late August to take on trail runs of 13 km, 30 km, 60 km, and 100 km.

Alex from Pitumarca running

This year, Valley Camp was honored to participate for the second year in a row. Mateo from our Urubamba Leadership Club and Alex from our Pitumarca Leadership Club proudly represented our organization in the 13 km race, joined by Deysi, our dedicated administrative assistant, and Cole York, our founder and executive director.

Mateo from Urubamba crossing the finish line

On August 30th, the team set out bright and early from the community of Huilloc, running down to the plaza of Ollantaytambo. Along the way, they enjoyed sunshine, mountain views, and the electric energy of the race atmosphere. We are especially proud of our two young leaders: Mateo finished in 13th place with a time of 01:12:38, while Alex crossed the finish line in an incredible 3rd place (!!) with a time of 58:42. Both showed determination, resilience, and enormous potential for a future in sports.

At the finish line in the Ollantaytambo plaza, the runners were warmly greeted by other members of the Valley Camp team, including Julian, our program director, our Urubamba Leadership Club instructors, and fellow participants. Together, we celebrated everyone’s achievements and the joy of sharing this unforgettable experience as a community.