The British athlete targets his first victory following a brilliant second-place finish in 2025
The Polish runner returns to take on the Classic after previous triumphs in the Starter, VK, and Marathon events in Gran Canaria
The North Face Transgrancanaria has confirmed two major new additions for its 2026 edition: Britain’s Jonathan Albon and Poland’s Katarzyna Dombrowska. Both athletes will be on the start line of the Classic at midnight on 6th March. Albon will look to claim the top spot on the podium following his stellar performance in 2025, while Dombrowska will make her debut in the event’s flagship race a 126km course with nearly 7,000 metres of positive elevation gain.
Albon returns to the island with the goal of securing the victory that eluded him in 2025, when he finished in an extraordinary second place, trailing only a record-breaking performance by American Caleb Olson. The North Face team athlete, who holds an ITRA index of 932, arrives in exceptional form after a prestigious 2025 season that saw him win the Salomon Ultra Pirineu 100K in 10 hours and 40 minutes, as well as the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB in his home country.
At 36, the Briton has cemented his status among the world’s elite with an impressive CV. In 2024, he took victories at Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB, Wildstrubel by UTMB, and Transvulcania. A former Trail Running World Champion (Coimbra, 2019), his list of honours includes wins at the Festival Des Templiers (2021 and 2023), UTMB CCC (2023), Marathon du Mont Blanc (2022), the Salomon Ultra Pirineu Marathon (2021), and UTMB OCC (2021). These wins sit alongside podium finishes at iconic races such as Zegama-Aizkorri (2023) and UTMB CCC (2022).
JONATHAN ALBON QUOTES
“My goal is always to run as fast as I can and execute to the best of my ability, but obviously winning is the next target. I came second in 2025, so it would be great to cross the finish line in first place.”
“Preparation is going well; it’s always different every year. I think it’s great that the race is a little later this edition, as it gives us a few extra weeks of training. I’ll do much of my prep in Norway, but in February we’ll have a training camp in Gran Canaria with The North Face. I’m really looking forward to it because it’s an incredible place to run—I love coming here to train, not just to compete.”
“I think in the Classic, the real race doesn’t start until after Artenara. The night section at the beginning is key, but you have to ensure there’s enough fuel left in the tank to push hard to the finish line. It’s a very special race with a lot of downhill at the end, so you have to save your legs, but there are also some climbs in there, making for a very interesting profile.”
“I still remember the sunrise reaching me on the stretch between Artenara and Cruz de Tejeda, which I think is one of my favourite trail sections in the world. Last year, I was experiencing my lowest point of the race right then, but the sun came up, the energy returned, and you go from thinking ‘I want to be anywhere else in the world’ to simply wanting to be right there because it’s a truly special moment.”
Katarzyna Dombrovska, en la pasada edición de The North Face Transgrancanaria Advanced.
Meanwhile, Katarzyna Dombrowska returns to The North Face Transgrancanaria with the ambition of conquering the Classic for the first time, seeking what would be her third victory on the island. Representing the ON team with an ITRA index of 769, she has demonstrated a special affinity for Gran Canaria with one of the most consistent track records in the event’s history.
The 35-year-old Polish athlete has competed on the island on multiple occasions with outstanding results: third place in the Advanced category in 2025, victory in the Starter (now known as the Half) in 2024, a ninth-place finish in the Marathon in 2023 -the same year she won the El Gigante VK- and a particularly memorable win in the 2019 Marathon, which marked her first major international victory. With this pedigree, Dombrowska enters the race as a top contender for the 126km podium.
Her 2025 season has been equally strong, featuring a fourth place at Lavaredo Ultra-Trail by UTMB and third in the Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB half marathon. Furthermore, she holds back-to-back wins at Trail Verbier St Bernard by UTMB (2023 and 2024) over 76km and 61km respectively. Her honours also include a fifth place at the CCC (2021) and two further podiums at Lavaredo (2021 and 2022).
Albon and Dombrowska join an elite roster for the Classic that already includes UTMB champion Tom Evans, Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth, Britain’s Josh Wade, Basque runner Maite Maiora, Norway’s Henriette Albon, and France’s Martin Kern. Additionally, the Marathon distance will feature Sara Alonso and Robert Pkemoi, both former winners of the 47km race.
The North Face Transgrancanaria is organised by Arista Eventos and is sponsored by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria (through Tourism of Gran Canaria and the Insular Sports Institute); the Government of the Canary Islands (Islas Canarias Latitud de Vida); the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Municipal Sports Institute); the Ayuntamiento de Teror and the Ayuntamiento de Tejeda. It is also supported by The North Face, Hospitales Universitarios San Roque, Lopesan Hotel Group, ExpoMeloneras, 226ERS, Fred. Olsen Express, Sonocom Audiovisuales, and Aguas de Teror.
