Transgrancanaria 2023 Summary

Posted on February 26, 2023 by talkultra

Transgrancanaria, year-on-year, the race continues to grow and expand and in 2023, once again, a new level has been reached! For ’23,’ Instead of gathering all races in one weekend, this edition was extended to five days. Overall, more than 3,600 runners from more than 60 different nationalities took part in any of the eight races, the most important change for 2023 was to increase the number of race days to five. Shorter races, were moved to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning including the KV El Gigante, Starter, Promo, Youth, Family, a non-competitive kids race and the marathon.

The ‘Classic’ and ‘Marathon’ races were broadcast, worldwide, with more than 17 hours of live streaming. In total, 16 cameras offered full coverage during the two days of broadcasting with English and Spanish ‘live’ commentary. In addition, journalists, photographers and related media provided global exposure of one of ‘the’ key trail running events in the world.

Transgrancanaria, at the sharp edge of trail running ©iancorless

Transgrancanaria is part of the Spartan Trail World Championship circuit and four races of the TGC week are awarded with ITRA points. As a result, this recognition translated into better prizes for the winners. The Spartan Trail World Championship has awarded $30,000 to the top three finishers of Transgrancanaria 2023.

Gemma Arenas on her way to victory in the Advanced race ©iancorless

A CLASSIC EDITION

From the short and sharp KV to the long and arduous Classic, Transgrancanaria has something for all. However, the pinnacle race of the week is the 128km ‘Classic’ with 7060m of vertical gain. All who toe the line to undertake the challenge are heroes, however, in 2023 a special mention must go to the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Courtney Dauwalter who not only placed 7th overall on GC but ran under 15 hours to stop the clock in 14:40:39. Courtney, over the years, has slowly but surely ticked off victories in the worlds biggest ultras and in the process, along with course records, has set a new level in this crazy sport of ultra running. Now she has a Transgrancanaria course record to add to the list.

Canada’s Jasmine Lowther and Catalonia’s Claudia Tremps placed 2nd and 3rd, for perspective, they were almost 2-hours behind the trailblazing ‘Court!’ One has to ask the question, what is next for this amazing athlete.

In the men’s category, Andreu Simón was the fastest of all in 13:29:33 with an impressive run from the front, his victory never looked in question. A previous winner in Transgrancanari,, 2020 and 2021 in the Marathon distance.

Andreu Simón on his way to victory ©iancorless

Miguel Arsénio from Portugal and Tyler Green (America) completed the podium, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

OTHER RESULTS

George Foster and Azara García won the Advanced, while the Marathon went to Kenyan Robert Pkemoi, and Catalan Nuria Gil. Poland’s Bart Przedwojewski did a double win with Starter and KV El Gigante, while Switzerland’s Rea Iseli won Starter women’s category. Poland’s Katarzyna Solińska joined her countryman Przedwojewski as winner of the KV El Gigante.

France’s Enzo Rati and Italy’s Cecilia Basso Promo finished on top of the podium in the Promo category. In the Youth category, a French double win for Camille Cucherousset and Lili Perignon.

CLASSIFICATION

Classic 128 Km

General Men

Andreu Simón (SPA) 13:29:33
Miguel Arsénio (POR) 13:44:37
Tyler Green (USA) 14:06:46

General Women

Courtney Dauwalter (USA) 14:40:39
Jazmine Lowther (CAN) 16:26:41
Claudia Tremps (SPA) 16:33:34

Advanced 84 Km

General Men

George Foster (GBR) 08:29:14
Alexander Hutter (AUT) 08:45:15
Tom Joly (GBR) 08:49:19

General Women

Azara García de los Salmones (SPA)09:45:54
Johanna Antila (FIN) 09:55:48
Giulia Vinco (ITA) 10:20:38

Marathon 45 Km

General Men

Robert Pkemoi (KEN) 03:25:30
Roberto Delorenzi (SWI) 03:33:20
Juho Ylinen (FIN) 03:34:19

General Women

Nuria Gil (SPA) 04:08:00
Johanna Amström (SWE) 04:18:11
Gemma Arenas (SPA) 04:21:32

Starter 24 Km

General Men

Bart Przedwojewski (POL) 02:02:48.500
Alex García (SPA) 02:02:48.940
Christopher Richards (GBR) 02:04:50

General Women

Rea Iseli (SWI) 02:35:33
Mireia Pons (SPA) 02:40:54
Noemie Vachon (FRA) 02:44:04

Promo

General Men

Enzo Rati (FRA) 00:59:47
Wilson Cardoso (CPV) 01:00:34
Damián Ramis (SPA) 01:02:56

General Women

Cecilia Basso (ITA) 01:09:13
Ainara Uribarri (SPA) 01:11:51
Saida Martín (SPA) 01:30:59

Youth

General Men

Camille Cucherousset (FRA) 00:58:12
Javier Moreno (SPA) 01:07:06
Jiri Vemola (CZE) 01:44:00

General Women

Lili Perignon (FRA) 01:53:18
Sohvi Vapaaoksa (FIN) 01:56:10
Noelia Santana (SPA) 02:26:31

KV El Gigante

General Men

Bart Przedwojewski (POL) 00:39:46
Yoel de Paz (SPA) 00:40:12
Henri Aymonod (ITA) 00:40:47

General Women

Katarzyna Solińska (POL) 00:50:32
Marie Dessart (BEL) 00:51:18
Sophie Horrocks (GBR) 00:57:07

Past winner, Pau Capell missed the podium this year ©iancorless

Follow on:

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

Image sales –www.iancorless.photoshelter.com

Transgrancanaria 2022 – A Dream! A Goal!

Posted on March 15, 2022 by talkultra

Imagine starting in the far north on a volcanic island and travelling to the southern tip by foot. During a night, a day and maybe even another night, it is possible to cross mountain peaks, run through deep valleys, past incredible rock formations, through pine forest and along dry riverbeds taking in the flagship race that makes the Transgrancanaria ‘Classic’ race – now 20-years old.

“I love Transgrancanaria because it’s the ultimate race. It has everything. Technical paths, flow paths, heat, running through the night and both terrain and time of day change. The atmosphere is top notch, both among the runners and those who cheer.” – Margrethe Fjetland Løvold

A rollercoaster, both mentally and physically, the trip will require you to dig deep, but in the process create unforgettable memories. Night trails to Teror and Artenara. The village of Tajeda. Sunrise at Roque Nublo. The steep climbing and descent to San Bartolomé de Tirajana and then the dusty, rocky and sandy trails that lead to the finish in Maspalomas.

“Transgrancanaria is a race I have dreamed of for several years. Standing on the starting line with 700 other like-minded ultra-runners in an insane mood is difficult to describe. There are people everywhere on the trail, at all hours of the day, cheering you on. One of my highlights as an ultra-runner!” – Frode Wiggen

This is Transgrancanaria! A point-to-point race that allows one to experience some of the best trails that Gran Canaria has to offer. The race is world famous and attracts thousands of runners from around the world. Here the elite gather to compete for the honor and glory in Europe’s first big race of the season.

It’s a race for all, not just the elite. The 2022 edition was won by Pablo Villa and Ragna Debats, but most who start just dream of a finish. Winning in 13-hours for the 128km race is far removed from those who will battle one day and two nights to finish in under 30-hours. No matter what time, the welcome is incredible.

The 2022 edition will be remembered for a wild and challenging night – cold temperatures, strong winds, rain and even snow. It was a challenge for all! But soon after Roque Nublo, dropping below the cloud, the weather changed and warm sun and blue skies welcomed participants. It was unbelievable to witness and no doubt challenged each runner as they tried to adapt.

Pabo Villa paced himself through the night and took a convincing lead as daylight arrived. He was pursued by Pau Capell – the duo finished side-by-side in 2020. However, Pablo was too strong and he took an incredible win ahead of Pau and Pere Aurell.

For the women, Abby Hall lead the way through the night feeling very strong. However, Ragna Debats eventually caught the adidas athlete and passed her to forge ahead for victory in 16:21:29, a lead of 21-minutes over Abby. Claudia Tremps completed the podium.

In the Advanced race, Tom Evans had one of those classic stories that you read in many magazines… Plagued by injury, he had some serious operations in 2021, started a long rehabilitation process and then returned to a big race and won! What a story. Aritz Egea pushed the adidas athlete but in the end, Tom was too strong, Aritz finished 10-minutes later. Matthieu Delpeuch finished 3rd.

Ariana Wilhem finished ahead of Johanna Antila and Leah Yingling for a closely fought female Advanced podium.

In the marathon, Sebastian Ljungdahl and Sara Alonso ran too incredible and fast performances to take victory. Sara’s performance a course record. Despite the speed, they were close races with Marten Boström and Antonio Martínez completing the men’s podium. For the women, Toni McCann had a great first race in Europe placing 2nd and Anna Comet placed 3rd.

Full results listed below.

The Classic and the Marathon races feature in the Spartan Trail World Championships.

IMAGE GALLERIES HERE

Transgrancanaria has distances for every runner, the organization realise that a north-to-south journey is too much for many. Therefore, they offer multiple options: Advanced (62km), Marathon (43km), Starter (26km) or Promo (15km) – all taking place on sections of the full route.VK El Gigante, new for 2022, is a great 1000m climb starting from San Pedro in the Ageate area of the island.

Experienced ultra and mountain runner, Abelone Lyng toed the line of the Advanced race after a full-on week pre-race, exploring the island.

“The weather was wild in the first 30 km with gusts of wind that almost blew me over a couple of times. We had mud and believe it or not, snow! But the last half of the race was cloudless skies and scorching sun. I liked the trail after Roque Nublo, it was steep and technical.”

The iconic Roque Nublo – a stunning backdrop.

With stunning beaches, sea, stunning weather, trails and mountains, this island in the Canaries is one of ‘the’ go-to places for racing or training. It’s no coincidence that Transgrancanaria is now in its 21^st year – a clear example of why this island is a Mecca for trail and mountain runners. So, what are you going?

Words and Text by Abelone Lyng

CLASIFICACIÓN CLASSIC

Men’s

1. Pablo Villa (SPA). 13:37:30

2. Pau Capell (SPA). 13:58:47

3. Pere Aurell (SPA). 14:12:02

Women’s

1. Ragna Debats (NED). 16:00:14

2. Abby Hall (USA). 16:21:29

3. Claudia Tremps (SPA). 16:45:35

CLASIFICACIÓN ADVANCED

Men’s

1. Tom Evans (GRB). 05:10:39

2. Aritz Egea (SPA). 05:20:25

3. Matthieu Delpeuch (FRA). 05:31:44

Women’s

1. Ariana Wilhem (SUI). 06:06:16

2. Johanna Antila (FIN). 06:10:29

3. Leah Yingling (USA). 06:35:49

CLASIFICACIÓN MARATÓN

Men’s

1. Sebastian Ljungdahl (SUE). 03:02:00

2. Marten Boström (FIN). 03:05:07

3. Antonio Martínez (SPA). 03:08:02

Women’s

1. Sara Alonso (SPA). 03:30:10

2. Toni McCann (ZAF). 03:34:03

3. Anna Comet (SPA). 03:37:26

CLASIFICACIÓN STARTER

Men’s

1. Alberto Vender (ITA). 01:35:51

2. Eduard Hernández (SPA). 01:38:34

3. Damián Ramis (SPA). 01:40:50

Women’s

1. Mélina Grosjean (FRA). 01:57:45

2. Ainara Uribarri (SPA). 02:00:20

3. Georgia Tindley (GRB). 02:04:11

CLASIFICACIÓN PROMO

Men’s

1. Daniel Pattis (ITA). 00:44:31

2. Jürgen Lui (GER). 00:53:38

3. Jorge Álvarez (SPA). 00:54:14

Women’s

1. Sasa Torkar (SLO). 01:07:47

2. Lara Cordero (SPA). 01:08:28

3. Mar González (SPA). 01:08:36

CLASIFICACIÓN YOUTH

Men’s

1. Mael Allaire (FRA). 00:46:40

2. Saúl Rodríguez (SPA). 00:51:47

3. Aarón Felipe (SPA). 00:53:23

Women’s

1. Noelia Santana (SPA). 01:28:35

CLASIFICACIÓN KV EL GIGANTE

Men’s

1. Chris Richards (GBR). 00:39:05

2. Ricardo Cherta (SPA). 00:41:33

3. Yoann Stuck (FRA). 00:42:48

Women’s

1. Gisela Carrión (SPA). 00:48:50

2. Georgia Tindley (GBR). 00:49:40

3. Mélina Clerc-Grosjean (FRA). 00:53:23

Follow on:

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

Image sales –www.iancorless.photoshelter.com

Transgrancanaria 2016 – Race Summary and Images

Posted on March 6, 2016 by talkultra

The 2016 Transgrancanaria concluded in Maspalomas this morning at 5am after many runners battled through two nights and a long hot day to achieve the goal of completing the 125km journey from the north to the south of the island. It’s a race of many challenges!

The first big European race on the calendar, Transgrancanaria always attracts a high quality elite field and this year was no different. Starting at 2300 hours on Friday under warm skies, runners left the coastal town of Agaete and then weaved a route through many climbs and descents on what is a very demanding island to run on.

Aurelien Collet and Caroline Chaverot started the race like two possessed animals, constantly pushing and dictating the pace at the front. Chaverot was not a surprise after her string of recent high quality results and her 2nd place in Transgrancanaria last year. Collet though was a surprise!

As the runners ran into the night, Artenara was one of the first key aid stations and it soon became clear that the evening temperatures were causing many problems. A wind had started to increase off the coast and with it temperatures dropped.

By contrast, day temperatures were very warm and in the men’s race Roque Nublo became a significant point in the race as 2015 winner, Gediminas Grinius closed on Collet who had dictated the pace from the start.

Hermansen was also closing on Grinius and we knew the race was on!

In the ladies race, Chaverot’s lead was so huge it would have taken an injury for her to lose her lead, particularly after the withdrawal of Nuria Picas in the night with an injury. Emelie Lecomte, Andrea Huser and Uxue Fraile were pursuing but they were in a different race.

Hermansen finally took hold of the race in the section between Garanon and Pico de las Nieves when he overtook Collet. Grinius pursued but Hermann was committed to victory, something that he had prepared meticulously for having placed 2nd in 2015. He stopped the clock in 13:41:48 which established a new course record*

Pau Capell, winner of Transgrancanaria’s Advanced race in 2015, moved up a notch to finish on the podium jointly with Diego Pazos for third.

Caroline Chaverot was in a league of her own this year, committed, focused and dedicated, she was like a machine! Despite her huge lead, Chaverot continued to push the pace all the way to the finish and she also, like Hermansen, set a new course record and finished in the top-20 overall. Her closest rival was Andrea Huser who was almost 2 hours behind. Uxue Fraile finished 3rd.

*This years course has now been changed over the final 25km which is slightly less distance but more technical.

Results