On the stroke of midnight, on Saturday, February 24, greater than 750 runners set out for the 2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k, the principle occasion of the Transgrancanaria competition of races on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria off of the coast of Morocco.
Touring 78.3 miles (126 kilometers) of mountainous terrain from Las Palmas on the northern tip of the island to the southern finish in Maspalomas, the race route gives up greater than 22,300 ft (6,800 meters) of elevation acquire and is an early season traditional that at all times attracts large names within the path working world. This yr, the occasion was the third race within the World Path Majors collection.
All eyes had been on final yr’s returning girls’s champion, Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.), who was coming again to racing after an enormous break following her huge 2023 race marketing campaign. Additionally trying to vie for the highest spot was Claudia Tremps (Spain), who completed third in 2023 and 2022 and second in 2021. Azara García (Spain) was additionally aiming to make a mark.
On the lads’s facet, 2023 winner Andreu Simon (Spain) was again, as was Miguel Arsénio (Portugal), who was trying to enhance on his 2023 second place. Raul Butaci (Romania, lives in Spain), who completed fourth in 2023, was additionally on the beginning line. Zach Miller (U.S.) arrived hoping for a powerful displaying in his Transgrancanaria debut.
Courtney Dauwalter made it via an evening of difficult climate to take pleasure in blue sky working on her method to her second Transgrancanaria win. Photograph: Transgrancanaria/Ian Corless
The midnight begin is a reasonably distinctive characteristic for this race, and whereas runners began in dry circumstances, it didn’t take lengthy for the climate to unleash. Sturdy winds, fog, chilly temperatures, and ample precipitation continued at nighttime earlier than easing off to cloudy skies at dawn. Good working climate circumstances prevailed for the second half of the race as runners made their manner throughout the southern reaches of the island.
Whereas Dauwalter led the ladies from begin to finish in dominating vogue, ending in 15:14:54, the lads’s race noticed many lead adjustments and shakeups amongst the highest 5 all through the race. Ultimately, it might be Butaci with a powerful mid-race transfer to return out on high in 13:22:32 forward of Miguel Heras (Spain) and Ionel Manole (Romania, lives in Spain) in second and third locations, respectively.
2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Girls’s Race
It’s arduous to wager towards Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.) on the subject of race like Transgrancanaria. Whereas final yr, it took Dauwalter just a little bit to work her manner into the lead, this yr she went straight to the entrance and opened up almost a two-minute hole to the subsequent lady throughout the first hour of the race. Donning a jacket because the climate deteriorated however nonetheless smiling via the wind, rain, and fog of the night time, she moved effectively via the examine factors and ran with the stride of a rested and comfortable runner having fun with an evening out within the mountains.
Courtney Dauwalter took the lead of the ladies’s race early and by no means gave it up. Photograph: Transgrancanaria/The Journey Bakery
By Fontanales, 42 kilometers in, Dauwalter’s lead was almost quarter-hour over Azara García (Spain) and 21 minutes over Claudia Tremps (Spain). Emma Stuart (Eire) ran in fourth slightly below half an hour again, and Maria Mercedes Pila (Ecuador, residing in Spain) rounded out the highest 5. Positions within the high 5 stayed the identical via Artenara at 65 kilometers with the approaching of the day, with the gaps persevering with to open with now a full hour between Dauwalter within the lead and Pila in fifth.
Issues began to shake up for the ladies as they headed towards the course highpoint. On the Garañon checkpoint at 89 kilometers, Dauwalter led Tremps by 39 minutes after García dropped from the race. Tremps and García had left Tejeda (77k) collectively, however García returned to the help station with dizziness. Stuart moved into third, an hour again from the chief, and Dominika Stelmach (Poland) ran in fourth, an hour and a half again from the charging Dauwalter. Anouk Baars (The Netherlands) rounded out the highest 5.
Over the excessive level and now below sunny skies, the gaps between the highest girls solely elevated as every settled into their paces on the lengthy descent towards the end. Courtney Dauwalter would end in a time of 15:14 forward of Claudia Tremps who got here throughout the road in 16:27. Emma Stuart continued to run a powerful and constant race to spherical out the rostrum in 16:50 about an hour forward of Dominika Stelmach, who took fourth in 17:49.
Claudia Tremps on her method to ending second on the 2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional. Photograph: Transgrancanaria/Ian Corless
2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Girls’s Outcomes
Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.) – 15:14:54
Claudia Tremps (Spain) – 16:27:03
Emma Stuart (Eire) – 16:50:40
Dominika Stelmach (Poland) – 17:49:19
Anouk Baars (The Netherlands) – 19:03:16
Yuri Yoshizumi (Japan) – 19:06:32
Fátima Buchas (Portugal) – 19:35:19
Ildikó Wermesher (Hungary) – 19:58:20
Gitana Akmanaviciute (Lithuania) – 20:05:46
Dominique Van Mechgelen (Belgium) – 20:16:35
Full outcomes.
2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional 125k Males’s Race
Leaving the beginning line in Las Palmas below a cloudy skies, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the favorites set a quick tempo on the pointy finish of the race. Going over a number of climbs on their method to the Fontanales checkpoint at kilometer 42, it was Zach Miller (U.S.), Miguel Heras (Spain), and Miguel Arsénio (Portugal) working inside a minute of one another simply over 4 hours into the race.
All gave the impression to be dealing with the deteriorating climate nicely as rain and wind pelted the sphere and the fog closed in. All inside six minutes of the lead, Ionel Manole (Romania, lives in Spain), Andreu Simon (Spain), Jia-Sheng Shen (China), and Raul Butaci (Romania, lives in Spain) stayed inside shut distance of the lead trio.
Zach Miller began quick at his debut Transgrancanaria and completed seventh. Photograph: Transgrancanaria/The Journey Bakery
Reaching the center of the course at Artenara at 65 kilometers and the beginning of the day excessive within the mountains of the island, little had modified in total standings. Arsénio now led with a two-and-a-half minute lead over Miller and Heras whereas Butaci, displaying his expertise with on the right track, began to shut the hole to 3rd, now simply 45 seconds off of a podium spot, whereas Manole and Simon stayed in shut pursuit.
With dawn got here higher climate for the sphere. Cloudy morning skies greeted racers as they began in on the southern half of the island traverse. Over the second highest level of the course and into the Tejeda checkpoint, Butaci made his transfer on the sphere. Now eight hours into the race, the Romanian put in a serious surge to run himself into the lead alongside Arsénio, who would drop with a hamstring harm at 77 kilometers in Tejeda. Heras trailed below two minutes again whereas Miller gave the impression to be paying for his quick begin, now almost six minutes off of the lead.
Over Garañon, almost on the excessive level of the race 89 kilometers in, Arsénio had dropped from the race and Butaci elevated his lead over Heras to greater than two minutes. Manole slotted into third place. Miller continued to fall again whereas a chasing trio of Simon, Shen, and Abel Carretero (Spain) all ran collectively to spherical out the highest seven.
Beginning the most important descent out of the mountains, the lads bombed right down to Tunte at kilometer 101 with Butaci growing his result in greater than 5 minutes over second. Almost residence at Ayagaures with just one smaller climb till the end, the hole between first and second was almost eight minutes. Whereas Heras and Manole continued to carry onto second and third, Carretero made an enormous transfer to work himself into fourth place and inside hanging distance of the rostrum if solely he had extra time. Ultimately, he would fall simply 36 seconds wanting a podium spot.
Ultimately, Raul Butaci took the win with a time of 13:22, Miguel Heras completed second in 13:32, and Ionel Manole took the ultimate podium spot in 13:49. Abel Carretero completed in 13:49 and Jia-Sheng Shen rounded out the highest 5 in 14:04:40. Former champion Andreu Simon held onto sixth place in 14:07, and Zach Miller completed seventh in 14:10.
The lads’s 2024 Transgrancanaria podium (l-to-r): 2. Miguel Heras, 1. Raul Butaci, and three. Ionel Manole. Photograph: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso
2024 Transgrancanaria Traditional 126k Males’s Outcomes
Raul Butaci (Romania, lives in Spain) – 13:22:32
Miguel Heras (Spain) – 13:32:48
Ionel Manole (Romania, lives in Spain) – 13:49:04
Abel Carretero (Spain) – 13:49:40
Jia-Sheng Shen (China) – 14:04:40
Andreu Simon (Spain) – 14:07:50
Zach Miller (U.S.) – 14:10:45
Josh Wade (U.Ok.) – 14:19:08
Dylan Dame (Belgium) – 14:37:06
Santos Rueda (Argentina) – 14:56:01
Full outcomes.
Miguel Heras ran to a powerful second place after staying close to the entrance your entire race. Photograph: Transgrancanaria/Ian Corless
