[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest writer and runner, Deki Fourcin.]
Simply earlier than midnight on Friday night time, February 21, over 870 runners launched into the 2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k, the third race within the 2025 World Path Majors, and the primary European race of the sequence.
Caleb Olson of america and Norway’s Henriette Albon got here dwelling champions in an epic race that saved us on the sides of our seats till the very finish. Olson ran a spectacular race, by no means removed from the entrance, and storming to a course report in 12:17:25, over 25 minutes sooner than Pau Capell’s 2019 report of 12:42:40. Henriette Albon paced her race to perfection, holding again within the opening miles earlier than powering into the lead within the second half, crossing the road in 15:02:50.
The Transgrancanaria Traditional begins on the seaside in Las Palmas, within the northeast of the island, and winds 78.3 miles (126 kilometers) to the end in Maspalomas on the southern coast. The course entails greater than 22,300 toes (6,800 meters) of elevation achieve, most of which is concentrated between 12 and 56 miles (20k and 90k), culminating with the enormous volcanic peak of the Roque Nublo, earlier than a grueling descent to the end.
The stacked fields included quite a few previous winners and podium finishers, in addition to a hefty sprinkling of high runners collaborating within the race for the primary time, promising an exhilarating and extremely aggressive race.
Returning champions within the males’s race had been Spaniards Pau Capell (four-time winner between 2017 and 2020) and Miguel Heras (second in 2024 and winner in 2010), alongside Ionel Manole (Romania), who completed third in 2024. Additionally current was Jonathon Albon (U.Ok.), who was sixth within the 2024 Western States 100.
Within the girls’s race, Claudia Tremps (Spain) (second in 2024 and third in 2023) was again for the seventh time in pursuit of glory. Different favorites had been Yngvild Kaspersen from Norway, fifth-place finisher within the 2024 Western States 100, and Maryline Nakache of France, who got here second within the 2024 Diagonale des Fous.
The beginning of the 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional. Picture: Transgrancanaria/David Delfour
2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Males’s Race
Caleb Olson is a relative newcomer to the ultrarunning scene however already has a powerful checklist of achievements to his title, together with the fastest-ever Western States 100 debut on his option to fifth place in 2024. Within the lead group from the very begin, Olson took management of the race round 80k in and dominated to the end.
Jonathan Albon is understood for his strategic pacing and speedy descents, and he didn’t disappoint on the course. Sticking with the leaders in third place for almost all of the race, Albon made his transfer round 100k, powering previous Josh Wade (U.Ok.) into second place. Wade, who got here in eighth on the 2024 Transgranaria, saved the strain on the leaders all through and completed in third place.
Olson led via the primary two assist stations at 11k and 19k, going into the primary massive climb two minutes forward of Wade and three minutes forward of the remainder of the pack. The chasing group included Spaniards Abel Carretero, José Ángel Fernández, Miguel Heras, and Zaid Ait Malek, in addition to Albon and Ionel Manole. The course was unforgiving on the Spanish contingency, with all of these within the lead pack withdrawing over the course of the race.
The Tejeda assist station at 80k is a crucial level within the race, as runners head into the ultimate main climb earlier than the leg-destroying 2,000 meters of descent to the end. Wade and Olson got here via inside seconds of one another, with Albon 4 minutes behind, and Heras 20 minutes behind the leaders. Olson took off towards the summit, quickly placing distance between himself and Wade. Additional again, Manole used the climb to his benefit, coming from behind to maneuver previous Heras into fourth place.
By 100k, Albon had put his glorious downhill expertise into play over the primary portion of the descent, overtaking Wade and starting to achieve on Olson. Manole continued to maneuver easily, holding on to fourth place. Heras dropped out at this level within the race, with the Romanian Catalin Sorecau, who had been advancing impressively via the ranks, moved into fifth.
Olson was wanting sturdy via the ultimate assist station at 112k, coming via round six minutes forward of Albon. With 14k, it appeared that his victory was inevitable, and Caleb Olson continued to extend his result in the end line, flying to a brand new course report in 12:17:25. Jonathan Albon remained targeted on the chase, battling via the warmth to complete in 12:25:06. Josh Wade rounded off the rostrum in a implausible 12:40:17, which means that the entire high three finishers had been underneath the earlier course report of 12:42:40.
Caleb Olson, the 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional males’s champion. Picture: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso
Ionel Manole crossed the road in fourth place, in 13:04:46, concluding a tactical race. This was his second participation in a 2025 World Path Majors race after ending in the identical place on the Hong Kong 100k earlier within the 12 months. Rounding off the highest 5 was Catalin Sorecau, ending in 13:53:41.
Abel Carretero withdrew at 32k, Fernández Jiménez and Zaid Ait Malek Oulkis withdrew at 80k, and Miguel Heras withdrew at 89k.
Jonathan Albon takes second on the 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional. Picture: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso
2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Males’s Outcomes
- Caleb Olson (U.S.) – 12:17:25
- Jonathan Albon (U.Ok., lives in Norway) – 12:25:06
- Josh Wade (U.Ok.) – 12:40:17
- Ionel Manole (Romania, lives in Spain) – 13:04:46
- Catalin Sorecau (Romania) – 13:53:41
- Victor Richard (Belgium) – 14:15:51
- Adur Mendizabal (Spain) – 14:26:11
- Estanislao Rivero (Spain) – 14:27:10
- Andy Fìor-Berry (U.Ok.) – 14:32:15
- Albert Martinez (Spain) – 14:35:27
The 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional males’s high three: (left-to-right) 2. Jonathan Albon, 1. Caleb Olson, 3. Josh Wade. Picture: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso
2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Ladies’s Race
Claudia Tremps had her eye on the prize from the beginning. She placed on a powerful efficiency, going out laborious and main the primary half of the race nearly solely. In the end, nevertheless, Tremps was pressured to simply accept silver for the second 12 months in a row after Henriette Albon moved from behind to take management within the second half.
Claudia Tremps working via the night time part to take second on the 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional. Picture: Transgrancanaria/Ian Corless
Albon stormed over the ultimate climbs and right down to the end, crossing the road over an hour forward of the remainder of the sector. Impressively, this was her first race over 100k, after profitable outcomes over shorter distances, together with a win on the 2024 Extremely Path Snowdonia 50k and third on the 2024 Trofeo Kima.
Martina Klančnik Potrč (Slovenia), completed in third place. She ran a constant race, sticking with the 2 leaders from early on and preventing for her place on the rostrum till the very finish.
Tremps flew via the primary assist station at 11k within the lead, and by the second assist station, at 19k, was over 5 minutes forward of the remainder of the pack. Viktorija Senutiene (Lithuania) adopted in second, two minutes forward of Eevi Bengs (Finland) and Yngvild Kaspersen. Tremps continued to steer up the primary massive climb, passing via the third assist station two minutes forward of Senutiene, Klančnik Potrč, and Markéta Šimková (Czech Republic). Maryline Nakache was in fifth, adopted by Henriette Albon. Kaspersen dropped out of the race at this level.
Albon picked up the tempo from there, taking a flip within the lead via the help station at 53k, forward of Tremps and Klančnik Potrč, earlier than settling in behind Tremps at 67k. The three leaders had separated from the remainder of the sector, with Šimková and Nakache following 12 and 13 minutes behind.
Albon made her definitive transfer coming into the Tejeda assist station at 80k. Powering forward towards the best level of the course seven minutes forward of Tremps. By 89k, just under the summit, Albon had stretched her lead over Tremps to 17 minutes. Klančnik Potrč chased the leaders, adopted by Nakache, then Bengs, who had moved previous Šimková. With nearly the entire elevation achieve safely behind them, it was time to see whose legs would maintain out over the two,000 meters of descent and 40 kilometers to the end.
By 101k, after the primary stretch of downhill, Albon’s lead over Tremps had elevated to nearly 32 minutes, and it appeared like her victory was all however sealed. We had been in for an exhilarating battle for the remainder of the rostrum from right here, with Klančnik Potrč closing in on Tremps and Nakache working laborious to maneuver into third.
Albon cruised via the ultimate descent, crossing the end line to say victory in 15:02:50. She was greeted on the road by her husband, Jonathan Albon, second-place finisher within the males’s race.
Henriette Albon, the 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional girls’s champion. Picture: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso
Tremps held onto second place, ending in 16:09:20, digging deep within the final kilometer to maintain her place. Klančnik Potrč rounded off the rostrum, crossing the road lower than two minutes later in 16:11:07.
Nakache wasn’t far behind, coming over the road in 16:18:13, and Bengs closed the highest 5, ending in 16:43:20.
2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Ladies’s Outcomes
- Henriette Albon (Norway) – 15:02:50
- Claudia Tremps (Spain) – 16:09:20
- Martina Klančnik Potrč (Slovenia) – 16:11:07
- Maryline Nakache (France) – 16:18:13
- Eevi Bengs (Finland) – 16:43:20
- Viktorija Senutiene (Lithuania) – 16:43:24
- Marketa Simkova (Czech Republic) – 16:55:23
- Maite Maiora (Spain) – 16:59:31
- Anna Fisher (U.S.) – 17:14:55
- Elisabeth Rios (Bolivia) – 18:23:01
Martina Klančnik Potrč, the 2025 Transgrancanaria Traditional third-place girl. Picture: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso