The Portuguese runner arrives in Gran Canaria as the first champion of the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors international circuit
After two participations in the Classic, this time he will take part in the 47 km race
Miguel Arsénio (Almeirim, Portugal, 1996) returns for the third consecutive year to The North Face Transgrancanaria. The best Portuguese trail running runner was already second in the Classic of 2023 after Andreu Simón, and now he will try to get on the podium again in the Marathon modality that will start from Tejeda on Friday, February 21.
The Portuguese runner started very young in MTB, where he won several national and regional titles in different categories and was part of his country’s national team. Arsénio made the leap to the trail world in 2019 at just 23 years old, but it was in 2023 when he began to raise his name to the highest level. Despite having been in the discipline for only four years, the HG – amlsport team runner has an ITRA ranking of 917.
Highlights include wins in MaXi-Race (2023); Salomon Ultra Pirineu (2023); Muntanyes de Prades (2023); Trilhos dos Abutres (2024) and Swiss Canyon Trail (2024). In addition to his second places in Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB (2022); The North Face Transgrancanaria Classic (2023); Festival des Templiers (2024) and Ultra-Trail Cape Town (2024). Precisely thanks to that second place in the South African race, together with his victory in the Swiss race, allowed him to become champion of the first edition of Gran Canaria World Trail Majors, where 9,500 runners of more than 60 nationalities participated in the 10 races held.
Already in this 2025 he won the ultra Vouga Trail in Portugal where he also beat the record of the race with 5:03:55. Miguel Arsénio will try to shine this February in The North Face Transgrancanaria 2025 together with the group of elite runners that the race organization has confirmed: Jonathan Albon; Yngvild Kaspersen; Tom Evans; Zach Miller; Judith Wyder; Miguel Heras; Ida Nilsson; Pau Capell and Robert Pkemoi.
The North Face Transgrancanaria is a race organized by Arista Eventos that is sponsored by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria institutions, through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Insular Sports Institute; the Government of the Canary Islands with the Canary Islands Latitude of Life; Maspalomas Costa Canaria; the Municipal Sports Institute of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; the Teror City Council and the Tejeda City Council. In addition, it has the support of private companies as The North Face, San Roque University Hospitals, and Fred. Olsen Express, 226ERS, Sonocom Audiovisuales, Lopesan Hotel Group, ExpoMeloneras and Aguas de Teror.
