The Kenyan athlete, who began competing in trail running in 2022, convincingly triumphed in his second appearance at the Gran Canaria event
In just two years of competing, he has won the Ultra Pirineu Marathon twice and has been the runner-up in the MaXi-Race marathon
Kenyan athlete Robert Pkemoi, the current champion of The North Face Transgrancanaria Marathon, will run the race that covers the 46 kilometers between Tejeda and Maspalomas for the third consecutive year, scheduled for February 23rd. Pkemoi dominated the race last year and registered 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 30 seconds, almost eight minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Italian Roberto Delorenzi. A year earlier, in the 2022 edition, the athlete trained by Octavio Pérez finished sixth.
Robert Pkemoi is a 29-year-old athlete, a prominent member of the Spanish Skyrunners Kenya program. This project aims to open up new opportunities for African athletes, thus boosting the sports careers of young talents and internationally promising athletes. This initiative has led to the establishment of the first training and technical center in the town of Iten, Kenya, renowned as the global epicenter of top long-distance runners, where these athletes are trained to adapt their skills to the demanding mountain races.
The reigning Marathon champion made his debut in the world of trail running in 2022, where he has had outstanding performances in the races he has competed in. In addition to his victory and sixth-place finish in Transgrancanaria, the African runner has twice conquered the Ultra Pirineu Marathon, finished fifth in two editions of the Zegama Marathon, emerged as the runner-up in the French MaXi-Race marathon in 2023, and secured sixth place in the Mont Blanc marathon in 2022.
The North Face Transgrancanaria is a race organized by Arista Eventos and is sponsored by the Gran Canaria Island Council, through Gran Canaria Tourism and the Insular Sports Institute; the Government of the Canary Islands with Islas Canarias Latitud de Vida; Maspalomas Costa Canaria; the Municipal Sports Institute of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; and the Tejeda City Council. Additionally, it is supported by companies such as The North Face, San Roque University Hospitals, Fred. Olsen Express, 226ERS, Sonocom Audiovisuals, Lopesan Hotel Group, Expomeloneras, and Aguas de Teror.
