Loja Province is over 2,000 meters over the see level and has a perfect climate. Its capital, also called Loja, is one of the oldest cities in the country and renowned as the “cradle of the arts, literature and music” of Ecuador. In this area, there are a variety of accommodations, but only one has been a finalist in the prices of London World Travel (Best Hotel and Spa Resort). Just 2 km from the parish of Vilcabamba (“Sacred Valley” in pre-Quechua language), watching the majestic Andes, lies the heavenly hotel-spa Madre Tierra.

Feel the “Ruta de las iglesias” race from a runner’s perspective. That night, only two minutes before leaving home, I decided to take my video camera. Of course it meant that I couldn’t run as fast as I could because I had to share a little more with the people, looking for the surrounding churches, etc. But it was worth, I am happy that I can show you the race from the runners perspective, to let you know how fun it could be, and motivate you to run the next edition of the race.

What we in Spanish call “la previa” from the 10k race that was held in the night of august 30, 2008, in the narroww streets of San Franciso de Quito.

Running races are very popular events in Quito. During the year there are several races, such as the “Ultimas Noticias 15k”, “UTE, 10k”, “Pronaca 5k”, and several races held in certain neighborhoods of the city.