Race Coverage

Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

Atacama Crossing Home

The Atacama Crossing – A Dream Eight Years in the Making

Karina from Canada joined and completed the Atacama Crossing 2025. After completing the race, she wants people to know that they don't have to wait eight years to hear the drums.

"This wasn’t just a race. It was a journey of perseverance, of grit, of dreaming big and working harder than you ever thought possible. It was about facing the unknown, pushing through pain, and finding beauty—in the landscape, in the people, and in yourself.

"I still can't believe it. I am now at my desk, trying to work for the year end (I'm an accountant) and don't feel like it. I am still thinking of the salt flats, the tunnel where I didn't see anything inside because I had my sunglasses on (whoops!), the canyons with the freezing water.

"I’m still trying to find the right words to describe what the Atacama Crossing meant to me—how deeply it moved me, challenged me, and changed me. After dreaming about it for eight years, watching videos, studying pictures of that legendary finish line banner, thinking it was something out of reach… I finally stood under it. And I crossed it. And I cried.

"This race was absolutely fantastic—one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that somehow lives up to and even surpasses every expectation. The landscapes? Completely surreal. I’ve never seen anything like it. Each stage revealed a new, wildly beautiful part of the Atacama Desert: endless salt flats that crunched under my feet, canyons carved by wind and time, surreal rock formations, sand dunes that seemed to go on forever, and wide open skies that shifted from glowing orange sunrises to star-drenched nights. I never saw such an alive sky like this.

"And then came the long stage—through the Valley of the Moon. Sounds dreamy, right? Except I went through it in pitch black, guided only by my headlamp and the stars above. I couldn’t see anything of that incredible terrain—so now I have to go back. How can you go through the Valley of the Moon and not actually see it?! That’s just unfinished business."

"But beyond the scenery, it was the people that made this race what it was.

  • The volunteers—my goodness, they were absolutely wonderful. These legends were out there in the heat all day, cheering, clapping, filling bottles, cracking jokes, and somehow always knowing my name and not because they were reading it on my bib. I was too far for them to see. I still don’t know how they did that. They were a steady, joyful presence through the exhaustion and heat, and—bonus points—they put up with me placing ridiculous food orders at nearly every checkpoint: “Can I get a latte this time? Maybe sunny-side eggs and steak? Don’t forget the ketchup on the side!” Every single time, they played along with a smile, even when I was dusty, delirious, and dreaming of a breakfast buffet.
  • The photographers were just as amazing—stationed in the middle of nowhere, waiting patiently to catch us at just the right moment. They made me feel like a star, capturing shots that somehow make me look way cooler than I felt while hauling my tired legs through those dunes. Their presence reminded me that we were all part of something bigger—something worth remembering and celebrating.
  • And the best part? I met incredible people along the way—kind, hilarious, inspiring souls I’m still in touch with. We’re already talking about future races together. Because that’s what RacingThePlanet does: it brings together strangers and turns them into lifelong friends.

"And the finish line… I don’t even have the words. Right in the heart of town, surrounded by cheers and warmth and emotion. The moment you took away my GPS and said “you’re done”—I broke down. I don’t get emotional often, but I cried all the way through that final stretch until I crossed the finish line. It was relief, pride, disbelief, joy—it was everything.

"The Atacama Crossing changed my life. And I know I’ll be back.

"Thank you RacingThePlanet for this race, for how welcome it made me feel, how privileged I felt now that I saw places I wouldn't be able to see as a simple tourist.

I will see you again!!”

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Karina Ragalie is a mother of two from Romania who lives in Ottawa, Canada. She works as a financial accountant. She started running in 2019 when her manager at that time registered a team for a 5k charity race. The Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2025 was her first RacingThePlanet event which she hopes will be the start of many more.