When it comes to Red Bull, they love pushing the limits. Because this brand doesn’t feel like it’s so much so about an energy drink but about pushing the limits when it comes to athleticism. Like if you jump on the official Red Bull Instagram right now the pinned videos are pilots landing a plane on a moving train, cyclists using the power of their legs to help launch a plane, and a history-making drop by a skateboarder in Brazil on the biggest skate ramp ever.
How does the chancleta come into all of this?
The people at Red Bull, whether it’s behind-the-scenes running things or the athletes in front of the cameras, they’re from the Latine community. And being part of the Latine community means being familiar with our culture and the iconic staples within it. But also at the same time, there’s this desire to bring what we grew up within our households to a larger platform. And that’s what Red Bull did.
This March, during the 305 festival in Miami, Red Bull brought culture, speed and a playful twist of competition with its first ever Red Bull Chancleta Run. Taking place at the Hialeah Park Casino it was an obstacle course race inspired by the chancleta or chancla. And yes, it was as unexpected but fun as you think it is. Because it wasn’t just athletes competing. Anyone could sign up and they did.
While we were in Miami thanks to Red Bull, the most standout performances were contestants who dressed up as abuelas to enter the Chancleta Run. Because if there’s anyone that knows the full power of a chancla, it’s our abuelas. These contestants had short curly haired wigs and nightgowns that would make your abuela jealous. And maybe they didn’t win the competition, that was Juan Lezcano in first place followed by Alfredo Caprice in second and Pablo Conde in third. But you could tell that these contestants had so much fun in a competition that brought our communities together.
The Chancleta Run involved running through a maze in the Club Line Shuffle, grabbing a cooler and running over a sand pit in Cooler Carry, carrying bags over a flamingo moat in Crossing Flamingo Lane, avoiding getting hit by flying chancletas in Flying Chancletas, target practice with chancletas in Por La Window, and then surviving the monkey bars in Alligator Alley to claim the shortest time. And they did it all in chancletas. No sneakers. No boots. All chancletas.
As a kid who used to play in chancletas, run around in chancletas, hang out in chancletas, explore my neighborhood for hours in chancletas, and (yes) throw chancletas, this Red Bull Chancleta Run was delightfully different in a way where I couldn’t wait to tell my Latine friends how I spent my day in Miami. Because this is how you connect with an audience, not through pandering, but through nostalgia and an understanding of how we grew up. And that’s with the iconic chancleta.
Click through our gallery of photos from the 2026 Chancleta Run below:
Travel and accommodations were provided to the author by Red Bull for the purpose of writing this story.