Two of Spain’s top trail running athletes will compete again in the race featuring a new start line in Santa Lucía de Tirajana
The North Face Transgrancanaria has confirmed the return of two major figures in Spanish trail running for the Half modality: Alain Santamaría and Naiara Irigoyen. Both members of the Open Team Trail will be at the starting line on March 5th in Santa Lucía de Tirajana.
The two athletes return with excellent credentials following their successful 2025 debut, where both reached the podium in both the Half and the KV El Gigante, proving their affinity for the island’s demanding terrain.
Alain Santamaría: A Dream Year Santamaría arrives in Gran Canaria in exceptional form, backed by an ITRA ranking of 912 points. The Riojan athlete recently won the Trail Zoquetes Half Marathon this past January and returns to the event where, in 2025, he secured second place in both the KV El Gigante and the Half.
His 2025 season placed him among the world’s elite specialists, with victories at Andorra 100 by UTMB, the Vertical at Ultra Trail Cordillera, the ETC in Courmayeur, the Saint Jeoire Skyrace Half Marathon, and the Corendon Tahtali Run to Sky in Turkey. Furthermore, he was crowned Team World Champion with Spain at the Canfranc Trail World Championships, finishing 4th in the Short Trail and 14th in the Vertical Uphill.
Naiara Irigoyen: A Historic Season With an ITRA ranking of 753 points, Irigoyen completed a 2025 season for the history books. Following her 3rd place in the Half and 2nd in the KV El Gigante last year, the Navarrese athlete achieved outstanding results throughout the year.
Highlights include victories at Andorra 100 by UTMB, SkyRun the Mournes, the Saint Jeoire Skyrace in France, and the Vertical at Ultra Trail Cordillera Blanca in Peru. She was also crowned Spanish Vertical Uphill Champion and competed in the Canfranc World Championships.
A Spectacular Race Both athletes will start on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 AM in Santa Lucía de Tirajana to face 23 kilometers and 1,817 meters of positive elevation gain ending in Tejeda.
With just three weeks to go until the 27th edition, The North Face Transgrancanaria is set to be a historic event with over 6,000 registered athletes across eight modalities.
