Runner Aythami Rodríguez Suárez, from Bikila Canarias, will start the 888 Challenge on November 28: eight consecutive marathons, one on each island of the Archipelago, to raise funds for the Pequeño Valiente foundation.
Tenerife runner Aythami Rodríguez Suárez will face one of the most demanding sports challenges ever seen in the Canary Islands starting November 28. For eight consecutive days, he will complete a marathon on each of the eight islands of the Archipelago, adding up to more than 42 kilometres daily. However, the goal transcends the sporting aspect: to raise awareness and funds for the Pequeño Valiente foundation, which supports children with cancer and their families.
The idea for the 888 Challenge, as he has named it, was born during a training trip to Kenya with runner Sergio Turull, known on social media as Pitufollow. There, Rodríguez felt the need to do something different, linked to his homeland. What initially was just the idea of running eight marathons soon took shape by connecting the eight Canary Islands.
The support from the Bikila Canarias club was key to turning the conversation into a real project. “Without visibility, you don’t get very far,” admits the runner, who took the definitive step in February and publicly presented the challenge a month later. Since then, all his preparation has revolved around the end of November.
The choice of Pequeño Valiente was not accidental. It was his wife and mother who made him realise that an adventure of such magnitude should go beyond sport. “Since it’s going to be such a crazy thing, let’s try to do something bigger,” summarises Rodríguez. The runner from Finca España believes that the fight against childhood cancer “doesn’t have all the help it should have.”
Rodríguez already had the opportunity to get to know the families of the foundation closely during an activity organised for the Day of the Canary Islands. He spent time with the children, participated in traditional games, and even built a volcano with them. “Getting to know them directly... it hit me hard. Imagine, I’m a father of a small child,” he recounts. Since then, that emotional bond has become one of the major driving forces behind the challenge.
The runner does not consider the possibility of not completing it: “I’m going to do it, no matter what. There’s no maybe,” he asserts. For him, the success of the challenge will depend more on the mind than on physical condition. “The legs will reach a point where they will walk on their own. It’s more of a mental challenge,” he explains. Each day will involve managing travel, maintaining nutrition, respecting rest, and getting back on the next plane or boat.
La Graciosa will be the starting point of the first marathon. From there, the order of the islands has yet to be detailed, but the plan is to cover all eight in eight days. The challenge not only aims to raise funds but also to raise awareness about the reality of childhood cancer in the Canary Islands. Pequeño Valiente, a foundation based in Tenerife, provides psychological, economic, and social support to families during treatment and hospitalisation.
For those who wish to contribute, the foundation has donation channels available on its website. Additionally, the challenge is expected to receive coverage on social media and local media to follow the daily progress. Rodríguez hopes that his sporting madness will encourage many people to join the cause.
On November 28, Aythami Rodríguez will begin running in La Graciosa. Eight days later, if all goes as planned, he will have completed 336 kilometres and visited every corner of the Archipelago. An effort that, as he himself says, goes far beyond sport.
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