This is Transgrancanaria!

Are you ready to experience The North Face Transgrancanaria with SportsShoes?

Transgrancanaria is one of the longest-running ultramarathons on the international calendar. Held each year in February, it serves as a season-opener and includes races across Gran Canaria.  

The blue riband event is the Classic Race, which challenges runners from around the world to traverse the island from end to end.  

Featuring diverse sections of dense forest and exposed volcanic rock, the 126km route includes over 6,800 vertical  metres – the ultimate test of end-to-end endurance.

This is Transgrancanaria!

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The North Face Transgrancanaria 2025 looks for its next champions

The countdown is over and the 26th edition of Transgrancanaria starts this Wednesday 19th February with the Vertical Kilometer from the Agaete Valley.

More than 5,300 runners from 70 countries will participate across the different races and will feature a star-studded line-up of runners such as Jonathan Albon, Yngvild Kaspersen, Zach Miller, Judith Wyder, Miguel Heras, Ida Nilsson, Pau Capell, Robert Pkemoi and Raul Butaci, among other elites.

The North Face Transgrancanaria will have the 'Classic' as the main event, which will once again be part of the international circuit Gran Canaria World Trail Majors. As a novelty, the 47-kilometer Marathon will be scored for the Short Series of Gran Canaria World Trail Majors.

For the second consecutive year, the race will distribute 36,000 euros in prizes, matching last year's amount, for the first three finishers in the Classic, Advanced, Marathon and Starter races.

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The TGC Races: 19th - 23rd February 2025

(In order of date/start)

This latest edition of Transgrancanaria has a five day schedule with six races: Classic, 126k; Advanced, 84k; Marathon, 46k; The Half, 21k; Promo and Family, 12k; and the Vertical Kilometer El Gigante.

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VK El Gigante

Wednesday, 19th February 2025 @ 15:30pm

Valle de Agaete – Tamadaba

5.5KM - 1060M of elevation

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Photo credit: Transgrancanaria

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The Vertical Kilometre = The Giant. And what a giant! Starting in the iconic Valle de Agaete, the runners have before them the wall of the Tamadaba massif: 1,130 meters of positive elevation gain in just 5.5 kilometres that puts the power of their legs to the ultimate test.

There are some big names on the start line, such as Judith Wyder, Jennifer Lichter and Yuri Yoshikumi. As for the male runners, the North American athlete of The North Face, Zach Miller, will participate for the first time in this distance, along with other protagonists like the Spaniards Alain Santamaría, Yoel De Paz and last year's winner, Henri Aymonod.

The Vertical Kilometre is a challenge for those who want to test the strength of their body and mind.

Want to know more about Vertical Kilometre challenges?

Click here to read our VK guide.

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The Half 21KM

Thursday, 20th February 2025 @10:30am

Tunte – Tejeda

12KM - 1400M of elevation

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Photo credit: Transgrancanaria

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The Transgrancanaria Starter takes runners to discover the astonishing south face of Gran Canaria. Starting in the small village of Tunte, trail runners will begin with one of the most beautiful climbs in the Archipelago: the La Plata trail.

Runners will enjoy a thrilling descent that will first take them through the La Culata neighborhood and then to Tejeda, where the finish line of one of the races will be located. Despite its short distance, it is one of the most spectacular races in the Canary Islands.

The Swiss runner Judith Wyder, despite being a rookie in The North Face Transgrancanaria, will undoubtedly be one of the top favorites in this distance. The Spanish Naira Irigoyen, is another of the debutants in the race, without forgetting other names such as the national runner Sheila Avilés.

This distance has an important line-up of Spanish runners who can opt for the final victory, such as Antonio Martínez, Alain Santamaría, Fabián Venero and Josep Miret, among others.

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Promo Youth & Family Trail 12KM

Thursday, 20th February 2025 @ 11:00am

Artenara – Tejeda

12KM - 730M of elevation

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Photo credit: Transgrancanaria

The Transgrancanaria Promo is the best way to start trail running in style. It passes through incredibly beautiful landscapes and, above all, it runs between the two highest villages in Gran Canaria, known as the “municipios cumbreros”. Runners will discover the dense pine forest of Pinos de Gáldar along a path that borders the Caldera de Tejeda, which the philosopher Miguel de Unamuno described as the “petrified tempest.”

The Family Trail is the opportunity for the youngsters in the house to have fun in the mountains with their parents. The route, which coincides with the Promo, joins the summit towns of Artenara and Tejeda and, despite having a significant elevation and drop, is very attractive for sharing a family experience.

The Roque Nublo and the Bentayga will witness this beautiful race that gives us the most emotional images of the Transgrancanaria.

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Marathon 46KM

Friday, 21st February 2025, 09:30am

Tejeda – Maspalomas

46KM - 1900M of elevation

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Photo credit: Transgrancanaria

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If there’s something that defines the Transgrancanaria Marathon, it’s speed. But first, there’s the climb. Starting from Tejeda and the initial ascent to the iconic Roque Nublo, then we embark on a dizzying and technical descent that passes through impressive sections like the La Plata trail.

The descent is interrupted by the aid stations of Tunte and Ayagaures, which serve as a prelude to two more climbs with a gentle slope before the long-awaited arrival in Maspalomas. The Transgrancanaria Marathon is a true challenge that enriches the body and, above all, the soul.

The Marathon is the race where the number of registered participants has grown the most, exceeding 1,600 participants, who will start in three waves from the center of the municipality.

Jennifer Lichter; Sylvia Nordskar and Rosa María Lara will be some of the names to follow in the 47-kilometer distance. The North American from The North Face team already won the 2024 edition. The Spaniard Rosa María Lara also climbed the podium last year, while the Norwegian of the HOKA team makes her debut in the Gran Canaria race.

In the men's category there will be a tough rivalry between several top riders such as Francesco Puppi, Robert Pkemoi and Miguel Arsénio. The Italian Puppi has an ITRA ranking of 928 and it will also be his first time on the island. Kenyan athlete Robert Pkemoi will try to chain his third consecutive victory in the race and make history. As for the Portuguese Miguel Arsénio, he is the recent winner of the international circuit Gran Canaria World Trail Majors and has participated twice in the Classic modality. Nor should the Italian Henri Aymonod, winner of the KV El Gigante last year, be ruled out.

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Classic 126KM

Friday, February 21st 2025 @ 23:59 h

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – Maspalomas

126KM - 6804M of elevation

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Photo credit: Transgrancanaria

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The Transgrancanaria Classic is like life itself. It consists of 126 kilometers and 7,000 meters of positive elevation gain that transport you to a world of physical and psychological sensations that unfold as the hours go by.

Maspalomas awaits with open arms to welcome runners after 12, 15, 20, or 30 hours that seem like a lifetime.

The queen race will be the third stop of the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors after Hong Kong 100 and Black Canyon Ultras. A thousand runners will take the start on the beach of Las Canteras on Friday 21 at 23.59 hours, a spectacle worth seeing in the heart of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The debutant Yngvild Kaspersen will be one of the favorites to cross the Parque Sur finish line first. The Norwegian, winner in CCC and Zegama-Aizkorri has an ITRA ranking of 822, the highest among the riders of the main event. Her compatriot, Henriette Albon, winner in races such as Festival des Templiers and Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB, will be another of those who will fight for victory. Spain's Claudia Tremps, six-time finisher with four podiums, and Maite Maiora, with two Marathon participations, are other names to watch.

In the men's category, some of the main runners to follow are Jonathan Albon, Miguel Heras or Pau Capell. Albon, runner of The North Face team and trail world champion with ITRA 910 ranking, makes his debut in the Gran Canaria race and is one of the main favorites for the victory. Miguel Heras, Spanish trail legend, who was already champion in 2010 and runner-up last year, will try to be again among the favorites. Likewise, the king of the event, the Catalan of The North Face team Pau Capell, with four consecutive victories between 2017 and 2020, will try to return to the path of triumph.

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Advanced 84KM

Saturday, 22nd February 2025 @08:00am

Agaete – Maspalomas

84KM - 4800M of elevation

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Photo credit: Transgrancanaria

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The race, which premieres new starting line in the municipality of Teror, will be the last to kick off on Saturday at 9.00 am. 82 kilometers with 4,265 meters of elevation gain where runners will be able to discover a miniature continent.

Some of the runners who start as favorites are the Swedish Ida Nilsson, winner in big races such as Marathon du Mont-Blanc The North Face Endurance Challenge California or Zegama-Aizkorri; the Japanese Yuri Yoshikumi, who was sixth last year in her debut in the race; Gemma Arenas, with two podiums in the Marathon distance or the Belgian based in Gran Canaria Dominique Van Mechgelen, athlete of the Arista Pro Team, winner of the Promo and Starter in 2015 and 2016, who also already has two participations in the Classic.

In the men's category, several of the runners who will have to put the magnifying glass are Andrzej Witek, reigning champion of the distance; Raul Butaci, last winner of the Classic; the Italian Daniel Jung or the Portuguese Andre Rodrigues.

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The North Face x SportsShoes Trail Team 2025

This year, in partnership with The North Face, 6 x SportsShoes athletes will compete in 4 of the Transgrancaria races;

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1. Kirsty Hall - VK RACE

3 x former BOFRA Champion (British Open Fell Running Association), Kirsty is a short-distance/VK specialist. 

She has previously finished 3rd in the World Masters Mountain Running Championship (2016) and has finished 4th and 5th respectively in 2022 and 2023 at the Matterhorn Ultraks VK. She has over 40 years of competitive racing experience having competed since junior level.

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Follow Kirsty on Strava

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2. Ben Mounsey - 21KM RACE

With multiple caps for Yorkshire, England and Great Britain, Ben has long been at the forefront of the UK fell/trail and mountain running scene. He is also the SportsShoes Trail Running athlete and a Strava ambassador.

His career highlights include UK Inter-counties fell running champion (2015), 2nd in the World Masters Mountain Running Championship (2019) and twice Yorkshire Fell Running Champion. Ben has been racing competitively for the last 29 years, mostly as an elite athlete.

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Follow Ben on Strava

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3. Katie Brown - 21KM RACE

An avid cyclist and runner, Katie has recently made the transition from road-to-trail, having enjoyed plenty of athletic success from 5k to marathon distance. 

Katie is a sub 35-min 10K and sub 3-hour marathon athlete, with a 5K PB of 16.44. Last year, she finished 7th in the 21km race and will be hoping to challenge for a podium place this time round.

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Follow Katie on Stava

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4. Josh Beaumont - 84KM RACE

Following a successful gymnastics career and life-long dedication to the gym, Josh began cycling and running around 5 years ago. Since then he has upped his mileage and has now competed in a number of ultra-distance races, with a dream of one day racing UTMB.

Last year, he competed in the marathon distance at Transgrancanaria and is stepping up the distance to 84km this year.

Josh was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in March 2021 -a form of inflammatory Arthritis which mainly affects the spine. It is a life-long condition causing extreme debilitating pain, severe fatigue and in some cases can lead to individual bones in your spine fusing together.

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Follow Josh on Strava

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5. Ben Johnson - 46KM RACE

Inspired by last year's event, Ben is competing in only his 2nd trail event and this is the longest distance he has tackled to date and his first ever race on foreign shores.

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6. Rich Gill - 46KM RACE

Following a stellar performance in the OCC at the UTMB World Finals in 2024, Rich will make his debut at Transgrancanaria in the Marathon Race.

An experienced ultra-trail runner, he will be looking to add another international race to his ever-growing list of achievements.

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Follow Rich on Strava

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Keep a close eye on our socials to follow our progress and share the experience as we head to Gran Canaria to tackle the trails on this magical island.

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About The North Face

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. Today they are the world’s leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. They protect our outdoor playgrounds and minimize our impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability.

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SportsShoes is committed to organising the most exciting and unique races, whether it's on the track, road or trail. Keen to find out more? Then check out our Races category for more information about events, latest news and results. Because it's no fun standing still.