Glory awaits the best athletes on the planet at the 27th edition of The North Face Transgrancanaria

The wait is over, The North Face Transgrancanaria begins its 27th edition to put the island of Gran Canaria at the epicenter of world trail running for another year. The best athletes in the world have already landed to compete again in the Classic (125 km) modalities, the flagship distance of this great race of the World Trail Majors circuit, Advanced (81 km), Marathon (46 km), Half (23 km), Promo (12 km) and El Gigante VK.

 

With 36,000 euros in prizes for the first three men and women in Classic, Advanced, Marathon and Half, and the World Trail Majors Short Series (Marathon) completely consolidated, a spectacular week of trail is expected for everyone. Beyond the big figures, The North Face Transgrancanaria once again offers the opportunity to compete to future generations of champions and to any lover of this sport in the Promo, Short, Family and Transgrancanaria Kids Abora by Lopesan Hotels modalities.

 

 

It is the flagship distance, the 125-kilometer route with 6,800 meters of positive elevation gain where legends are forged. The third stop of the World Trail Majors – after Hong Kong 100 and Black Canyon Ultras – challenges more than a thousand runners who will depart from the spectacular starting line at Las Canteras Beach (Friday, 11:59 p.m.) in search of the great victory.

 

Henriette Albon, winner in 2025, once again leads all the bets in a race where great performances are also expected from contenders such as Claudia Tremps, runner-up last edition, the Polish Katarzyna Dombrowska or the British Eleanor Whyman-Davis among others.

 

For their part, among the favorites in the men’s category, illustrious names appear such as the British Tom Evans, Josh Wade and Jonathan Albon or the German Hannes Namberger. Without the presence of Caleb Olson, winner of the last edition, the spotlight returns to Albon and Wade, who completed the Classic podium in 2025.

 

The 81 kilometers and 4,314 meters of positive elevation gain starting from the beautiful historic center of the town of Teror once again show competitors the “miniature continent” that is the island of Gran Canaria. The Nublo Rural Park, the Tejeda Caldera and the iconic villages of Artenara and Tejeda star in a tough first half of the race that continues with the dizzying descent down the south face.

 

Varvara Shikanova, Wu Yuan Yuan, Tereza Hudcova, Marjo Liikanen and Stephanie Howe are the headliners of an Advanced race that is always open to surprises. Itziar Oteiza, Dunia Cruz or Graciela Acosta are the national athletes emerging on the elite list who will fight for victory at the Parque Sur finish line.

 

Competition will also be truly high in the men’s category, which this year will feature the presence of Anton Gustafsson, Marcos Ramos, Pau Capell or a Tomás Hudec who already signed a notable third position last year and returns ‘hungry’ for more.

 

 

Speed is once again the main attraction of the Marathon modality in this record edition, where nearly 1,800 runners will face a 46-kilometer challenge that gives no respite. After a staggered start, participants will undertake the vertical ascent to the roof of the island, reaching 1,719 meters of altitude, to begin a dizzying descent from there where agility and technique will be the best allies. With the Maspalomas finish line etched in their minds, the race crosses landscapes of breathtaking beauty such as the Camino de La Plata, featuring key aid stations in Degollada del Dinero and Ayagaures; two strategic stops to recover strength just before the final climbs that will test the physical endurance and mental fortitude of the runners.

 

Also in this edition there will be many elites to follow, especially the Spaniards Ikram Rharsalla, debuting this year at TNF Transgrancanaria; Gemma Arenas, with her ticket obtained with her victory in the Ultra of the 3 Días Trail Ibiza; and Nuria Gil, who seeks to repeat the victory of 2023. They are the favorites among a great roster of international runners of the stature of Léa Duhet, Caterina Stentea or Pina Deiana among others.

 

The same occurs in the men’s category, where the list of elites is headed by Antonio Martínez from Alicante and Miguel Benítez from Cádiz. Alongside them appear the names of Henri Aymonod, Tiago Viera or Bartlomiej Przedwojewski among others with many options to be crowned at the Parque Sur finish line.

 

 

The North Face Transgrancanaria 2026 once again unites the Half (23 KM) and Promo (12 KM) modalities on Thursday, two short, fast and technical routes that reveal the most surprising places on the island to the runners. Nearly 1,800 participants will enter into action on a festive day in Tejeda, which will once again shine with its emblematic finish line.

 

The starting gun will first be fired for the Transgrancanaria Half from its new start in Santa Lucía de Tirajana (9:00 a.m.), a 23-kilometer route with 1,817 meters of positive elevation gain that crosses unique landscapes. The Caldera de Tirajana, the Llanos de Pargana and the Llanos de la Pez challenge the athletes before facing one of the most spectacular climbs in the Archipelago: the Paso de La Plata.

 

This year the list of favorites once again has a lot of Spanish representation with runners such as Marta Martínez herself, María Fuentes, Inés Astrain, Estel Roig or Greta García, among other international representatives such as the Italian Camilla Magliano, the Swede Barbro Fjällstedt or the Swiss Flavia Van der Zon.

 

For its part, in the men’s category names appear such as Alain Santamaría, Daniel Osanz, Marcos Villamuera, Andrés García Blanco, who are also joined by athletes from the international scene such as the Italian Luca Merli, the Swede Linus Hultegard, the Chilean Nicolás Ignacio Benavides or the British Brennan Townshend among others.

 

Just an hour and a half after the start of the Half, the Promo modality will begin, with a distance of 12 kilometers and a positive elevation gain of 869 meters, in which the competition will be experienced to the fullest among athletes starting out in trail running. Not only the speed and fun of the route stand out, but also the beauty of a path that runs between the two highest villages in Gran Canaria, the so-called summit municipalities.

 

This race presents itself as a key opportunity for the cast of Canarian runners. The names of Sandra Moreno and Esteban García stand out, with serious options to raise the Canarian flag to the highest step of the podium as the local athlete Ione Guerra from the Arista Pro Team did last year.

 

 

Of course, the challenge of the El Gigante Vertical Kilometer, which opens this edition again on Wednesday, stands as the best possible appetizer for The North Face Transgrancanaria. Starting in the iconic Agaete Valley, runners have before them the wall of the Tamadaba massif: 1,090 meters of positive elevation gain in just 5.5 kilometers that test the power of their legs.

 

Among the registered female runners, the name of the Italian Camilla Magliani shines, who is doing a double in this edition and is one of the big favorites along with the German Ida-Sophie Hegemann and the American Stephanie Howe, both from The North Face team.

 

In the roster of male runners, Henri Aymonod, winner of the last two years and also from The North Face team, is the big favorite among other bets that point to runners like Shota Matsumoto, Diego Menéndez or Eduardo Rossano.

 

Modalities for all types of runners and families

 

The North Face Transgrancanaria will also feature this year the Short (5km), Family and Transgrancanaria Kids Abora by Lopesan Hotels modalities, for younger athletes and those who want to enjoy outdoor sports as a family.

 

The Short and Family modalities will provide the opportunity for the little ones of the house to have fun in the mountains together with their parents. Teror will once again host both races, an ideal municipality for adults and children to share a unique experience.

 

On the other hand, the Transgrancanaria Kids returns, sponsored by Abora by Lopesan Hotels, the event for the little ones that this year repeats its start and finish line at Las Canteras Beach. The race for children between 7 and 12 years old has the main objective of promoting the love for mountain sports among the youngest and sports practice as a family.

 

 

As in every edition, the runner’s fair of The North Face Transgrancanaria 2026 once again welcomes trail lovers to the Expomeloneras Convention Center. From March 3 to 6, this 4,000m² space will receive the more than 6,000 athletes who will participate in the race, in addition to companions and the general public.

 

Participants will be able to collect their runner’s bag, make last-minute purchases and learn about the latest in the sector with more than 40 stands and with the presence of reference brands such as 226ers or Petzl and a stand from the Arista store with exclusive products. In addition, The North Face, main sponsor of the event, welcomes visitors with a space where they can purchase brand products, test footwear and enjoy different surprises together with their main athletes.

 

You can also consult the news of the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors international circuit or of companies and institutions such as Turismo de Gran Canaria, Pepsi, Tirma, City Sightseeing Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

 

– Tuesday, March 3: 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

– Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 March: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

– Friday, March 6: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

The North Face Transgrancanaria is a race organized by Arista Eventos that has the sponsorship of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Instituto Insular de Deportes; the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria through the Municipal Sports Institute; the City Council of Teror and the City Council of Tejeda. Furthermore, it has the support of The North Face, Hospitales Universitarios San Roque, Lopesan Hotel Group, ExpoMeloneras, 226ERS, Fred. Olsen Express, Sonocom Audiovisuales and Aguas de Teror.