The Czech runner flew from the start in Teror and left no room for her pursuers: Marjo Liikanen and Itziar Oteiza completed the podium.
The Catalan overtook Leonard Mitrica in a final sprint and was crowned champion at the Parque Sur finish line
The North Face Transgrancanaria 2026 once again closed a spectacular edition at its Parque Sur finish line with the arrival of the great competitors of the Advanced modality. The fans first vibrated with the arrival of the Classic modality shortly after noon, but the boost was even greater in the early afternoon during the triumphant arrivals of Tereza Hudcova and Julen Calvó, the great champions in the female and male modalities of the 82 kilometers.
The beautiful village of Teror became the idyllic setting for the start; to the sound of ‘Ay mi Gran Canaria’, the runners adjusted their shoes while some of those present in the Plaza de la Basílica del Pino let escape a few tears of emotion. A quick starting gunshot cut the emotionality short to unleash the most fierce competitiveness.
Tereza Hudcova gave no option to her pursuers
Without looking back, Tereza Hudcova (Salomon) started in the female modality. From the first steps in Teror to the finish line in Parquesur, she did nothing but escape from her pursuers at a stratospheric pace.
She only needed the first few kilometers to achieve a considerable margin over the next runner, the American Stephanie Howe, whom she led by five minutes during her passage through Fontanales (10:23 hours). She would not stop pushing, so much so that she reached the El Garañón aid station 21 minutes before Marjo Liikanen passed through it.
The battle, of course, was centered on the next two positions of the podium. The competition was between Marjo, Itziar Oteiza (Soronea Ammma K.K.), Genevieve Asselin – Demers (Craft Pro Team), Stephanie Howe (The North Face), Marta Vigano (Runaway Milano ASD), and Sara Lorenzo. Howe led that battle until Tejeda, when her step back gave a free path to the Finn to take a second place that no one would take away from her.
Third was the Spaniard Itziar Oteiza, who held off Genevieve Asselin – Demers to cross the finish line at 18:52 hours, 34 minutes after the great Czech champion did so at 18:18 hours, with a smashing time of 9 hours, 18 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Epic victory for Julen Calvó in the final sprint
The male modality soon revealed the main protagonists, as after covering the first 12.1 kilometers to the passage of Fontanales, runners such as Julen Calvó (Joma), Leonard Mitrica (Joma), Tomas Macecek (Salomon), Marcos Ramos (Asics), Anton Gustafsson (X-Bionic), Morten Antonsen (Dynafit), and Tomas Hudec were already showing a great pace.
After that first ‘touch point’, it was the ascent to Artenara—a test that revealed the cards of the main contenders. Proof of this was the step forward taken by Julen Calvó, capable of gaining three positions to place himself in a beautiful battle with the Romanian Leonard Mitrica. The ‘ganxet’, a debutant in Gran Canaria, showed that he came with a great rhythm and hunger to take the race. Marcos Ramos, Tomas Macecek, or even Anton Gustafsson did not come to speculate either, being luxury spectators of the battle that Julen and Leonard were fighting ahead.
The two leaders pushed even harder between the passages through Roque Nublo and El Garañón, achieving a lead that portended a two-way battle for the champion’s crown. The man from Reus led the race until his passage through Degollada del Dinero at 14:24 hours, just one minute before the Romanian. However, from the rear, the latter prepared an attack with which he took the lead again to head towards the Parquesur finish line with many options.
Behind, the battle continued between Marcos Ramos, Macecek, and Gustafsson for the third spot on the podium. Nevertheless, Marcos Ramos gained ground as the kilometers passed and was able to open a small gap with his pursuers, but insufficient to think of anything more in a race that would still provide one more surprise after passing through Ayagaures.
And the thing is, if in the surge after the last aid station it was Leonard Mitrica who pushed, the one who did it with all his soul on the descent to Maspalomas was the Catalan, who in an epic final sprint would end up taking the victory in a heart-stopping finish. Third across the finish line was the Spaniard Marcos Ramos González to complete the podium with a time of 7 hours, 41 minutes, and 29 seconds.
Amid cheers, the Catalan Julen Calvó crossed the finish line with a time of 7 hours, 26 minutes, and 2 seconds, which makes him the new king of the Advanced modality in his first, and very epic, participation in The North Face Transgrancanaria.
ADVANCED Classifications
Female category
- Tereza Hudcova (CZ) 9:18:12
- Marjo Liikanen (FIN) 9:38:01
- Itziar Oteiza (ES) 9:52:04
Male category
- Julen Calvó (ESP) 7:26:02
- Leonard Mitrica (DE) 7:29:41
- Marcos Ramos (ESP) 7:41:29
The North Face Transgrancanaria es una carrera organizada por Arista Eventos que cuenta con el patrocinio del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, a través de Turismo de Gran Canaria y el Instituto Insular de Deportes; el Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria a través del Instituto Municipal de Deportes; el Ayuntamiento de Teror y el Ayuntamiento de Tejeda. Además, cuenta con el respaldo de The North Face, Hospitales Universitarios San Roque, Lopesan Hotel Group, ExpoMeloneras, 226ERS, Fred. Olsen Express, Sonocom Audiovisuales y Aguas de Teror.
