Gran Canaria will once again be the world epicentre of trail running in a 28th edition backed by the historic participation and audience records achieved in 2026
The North Face Transgrancanaria 2027, the 28th edition of the race, will be held from February 24 to 28, 2027. Arista Eventos, the race organiser, will announce in the coming weeks the opening of registrations, as well as further details and updates on locations and routes for the various distances.
The Gran Canaria race will once again offer distances for all types of runners, from elite international athletes to beginners, and will maintain the children’s races that year after year encourage sport among the youngest participants.
Regarding the international circuit, the Classic will again be part of the World Trail Majors, while the Marathon — the most popular category in 2026 with 1,800 registered runners — will compete in the Short Series by World Trail Majors.
The North Face will give naming rights to the event for the fourth consecutive year, as part of a collaboration extended until 2029 with the prestigious American brand, a world reference in mountain equipment and outdoor activities.
Historic records in the 2026 edition
The 2026 edition delivered historic figures: more than 6,000 athletes from 75 countries participated in the race, with 44% international participation. The number of women registered reached 1,617, representing a 70% increase compared to 2024 — a milestone that consolidates the organisation’s commitment to equality in sport.
The streaming broadcast surpassed 220,000 viewers across more than 20 hours of live coverage, with a team of 40 people narrating the action in Spanish and English. More than 100 accredited journalists, the vast majority of them international photographers and videographers, reflect the global interest generated by the event, now firmly established among the most followed trail running events in the world.
The top winners of 2026
The 2026 edition saw the Albon couple as the undisputed stars of the flagship race: Henriette Albon and Jonathan Albon triumphed in the Classic, reaffirming their dominance in elite trail running. Madlen Kappeler and Henri Aymonod were the strongest in the Kilómetro Vertical El Gigante; Estel Roig and Alain Santamaría shone in the Half; again Madlen Kappeler and Daniel Galán dominated the Promo; Ikram Rharsalla and Antonio Martínez won the Marathon; and Tereza Hudcova and Julen Calvó triumphed in the Advanced.
Strong showing from Canarian athletes
Athletes from the archipelago left their mark across all distances. In the Classic, Estanislao Rivero (15th) and Álvaro Santana (19th) broke into the men’s top 20, while Yasmina Castro (12th) and Alba Murcia (19th) did the same in the women’s category. In the Advanced, Alejandro Mayor reached the top 10 with a seventh-place finish, and four Canarian women placed among the top twenty: Dunia Cruz (12th), Paula Teresa Montes (14th), Elena Rodríguez (15th) and Fátima Morales (19th). The Marathon saw David Cruz (12th) among the top men, and four Canarian women in the women’s top 20: Cristina Gutiérrez (11th), Lorena Padrón (14th), Lindsay Ramos (19th) and Beatriz Crespo (20th). In the Half, Álvaro Escuela came close to the podium with a fourth-place finish under two hours, and Moana Lilly Kehres was fifth in the women’s category, competing for position until the very end with the favourites. In the Promo, Jehosua Medina (2nd) and Esteban García (5th) led the men’s representation, while Iris Santana (5th) and Sandra Moreno (8th) stood out among the women. The KV El Gigante featured Raúl Santana (7th) and Esteban García (8th) among the top finishers. In the women’s category, a brilliant Canarian trio filled out the top 10: Moana Lilly Kehres (2nd), Estela Guerra (6th) and Tatiana Cruz (7th).
The North Face Transgrancanaria is a race organised by Arista Eventos and sponsored by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Instituto Insular de Deportes; the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria through the Instituto Municipal de Deportes; the Ayuntamiento de Gáldar; the Ayuntamiento de la Villa de San Bartolomé de Tirajana; the Ayuntamiento de Teror; the Ayuntamiento de Santa Lucía de Tirajana; and the Ayuntamiento de Tejeda. It also 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.
