Rojas took the victory in the 10 kilometres men’s race in 32min 22sec, while Ortiz was a popular winner of the women's race in 37:24 in Parque de Samanes in this Ecuadoran city known as a gateway to Pacific beaches and the Galapagos Islands.

The 26-year-old Rojas, who has run 13:38.6 for 5,000 metres and 29:16.2 for 10,000m on the track, added this honour to the 5,000m Ibero-American title he won in Trujillo in 2018. 

Rojas beat the Brazilian trio of Jhonatas Cruz, who finished 10 seconds behind, and Gilberto Lopes and André Ramos de Souza, to qualify for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in Denmark on March 30. 

"It was a hard course, mostly because of the sharp turns," Rojas told the IAAF website. 

"I am very pleased with the victory and I am very happy to qualify for the World Championships."

Rojas added: "Now I will prepare for that event at Huancayo, at 3,200 [metres] of altitude. 

"This is a very important season, as we are heading to the Pan-American Games, which will be held in Lima."

Ortiz, who is also 26, was a surprise winner by 18 seconds ahead of Peru's Gladys Tejeda and Nélida Sulca on a day when temperatures reached 28 degrees Celsius with humidity above 80 per cent.

Colombia's Jagannatha Sánchez and Peru's Liz Campos won the men and women's under-20 races.

Peru won both the men and women's under-18 events thanks to Guido Bustamante and Jhenyfer Melchor respectively. 

Melchor is the niece of Inés Melchor, the South American Marathon record holder.