The long-lasting 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon is again for one more 12 months, kicking off at 6 a.m. native time on Saturday, Could 10. iRunFar can be there in particular person to deliver you up-to-the-minute updates on all of the motion, in addition to earlier than and after athlete interviews. Keep tuned!
The 73-kilometer (45.4-mile) ultramarathon, which has 4,350 meters (14,270 toes) of elevation acquire, takes place on the volcanic island of La Palma, one among Spain’s Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Morocco. It has been a staple on the worldwide ultrarunning calendar since its inaugural 12 months in 2009. The race was briefly part of the UTMB World Sequence in 2022 and 2023 earlier than withdrawing to proceed as an unbiased occasion in 2024. This seems to haven’t any impression on its reputation, because the race continues to attract the perfect of the perfect to the elite area and is a bucket listing occasion for the remainder of us.
The ladies’s race this 12 months mustn’t disappoint in competitiveness, with headliners together with reigning Transvulcania champion and course document holder, Ruth Croft (New Zealand); two-time path world champion, Blandine L’Hirondel (France); and 2023 Transvulcania winner Martina Valmassoi (Italy).
The depth of the sector might make for an end-to-end battle for podium spots, with final 12 months’s fourth place girl, Ekaterina Mityaeva (Impartial), and three-time Transvulcania runner-up, Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret (France), additionally billed to race.
As all the time, there are certain to be some surprises. Learn on for particulars on a few of the prime ladies who can be gracing La Palma’s distinctive trails on Could 10.
Additionally, you should definitely try our in-depth 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon males’s preview, which publishes tomorrow!
The beginning of the 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: Transvulcania
Favorites for the Win
Ruth Croft
Reigning Transvulcania champion Ruth Croft can be again to defend her title, after resetting the course document on the 2024 race in a time of 8:02:49. Along with her second place end at UTMB final 12 months, the New Zealander reasserted herself as one among path and extremely’s world superstars. This 12 months, she received the 2024 Tarawera 100k for the third time, however turned down the Golden Ticket to the Western States 100, a race she additionally beforehand received in 2022. She’s additionally received the OCC in 2018 and 2019, and the 2023 Extremely-Path Cape City 100k, to call however just a few. Croft has loads of expertise and course data at Transvulcania. Additional to her win final 12 months, she additionally positioned third there in 2016.
France’s Blandine L’Hirondel has confirmed herself over a variety of distances, however this 45-mile course could be her candy spot. She has been the path world champion twice — in 2019 over the 50k distance, and 2022 over 80k — and European path champion in 2022 over 47k. Ever current on probably the most aggressive begin strains, she received the OCC in 2021, CCC in 2022, and made her 100-mile debut by putting third on the 2023 UTMB, which she adopted up with fifth on the occasion final 12 months. Regardless of transferring into 100 milers, she’s demonstrated she nonetheless has loads of pace, putting fifth on this 12 months’s French Cross Nation Championships.
Martina Valmassoi
Italian Martina Valmassoi received the 2023 Transvulcania and has had a stack of sturdy ends in aggressive races since then. She thrives in onerous mountain races and was fourth within the 2023 Path World Championships Lengthy Path, received the 2024 Madeira Island Extremely-Path 115k, and took ninth on the 2024 UTMB. With a background in skyrunning and having additionally received the 2022 TDS, La Palma’s vert-y, volcanic trails will certainly play proper into her palms.
Going way back to 2020, France’s Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret has been within the prime two at nearly each race she’s completed, with only a gentle smattering of DNFs alongside the way in which. Her vary stretches from successful the current 2025 Path d’Annecy 33k to second on the 2023 Hardrock 100. She additionally positioned second on the 2024 Madeira Island Extremely-Path 115k behind Martina Valmassoi and received the 2023 Wildstrubel 70k. She has loads of expertise on the Transvulcania course, the place she positioned fifth on her debut in 2014, and second in 2016, 2017, and 2019. She is going to certainly be trying to convert all these second place finishes right into a win.
Ekaterina Mityaeva
Impartial athlete Ekaterina Mityaeva was fourth eventually 12 months’s Transvulcania and had the identical end result on the 2019 version. This was an enchancment on fifth in 2018, and seventh in 2017. Since final 12 months’s race, her outcomes have been a bit all-or-nothing. In 2024, she had wins on the Mont Blanc 90k and the Chiangmai Thailand 93k, in addition to second on the Extremely Pirineu 100k — all punctuated by DNFs at UTMB and the Extremely-Path Cape City 100k. She additionally has a current DNF on the 2025 Chiangmai Thailand 93k. On her good days, she is a pressure to be reckoned with, and if she continues her present bettering pattern at this specific race, a podium end might effectively be on the playing cards.
Ruth Croft celebrating her win on the 2024 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: Transvulcania
Extra Quick Girls
Fiona Pascall
The U.Ok.’s Fiona Pascall is quick making a reputation for herself and following within the footsteps of her sister, Beth. She not too long ago had an enormous win on the 2025 Extremely Path Chianti 120k, incomes herself a Golden Ticket into the 2025 Western States 100. Till pretty not too long ago, she had raced principally at residence within the U.Ok., successful the 2023 Arc of Attrition 50 Mile, and putting third within the 2023 Extremely-Path Snowdonia 50k. Breaking onto the worldwide scene, she received the 2023 Extremely Path Julian Alps 170k, the 2024 Mozart 100 Mile, and the 2024 Wildstrubel 72k. That is her first time racing Transvulcania, however she might effectively be within the combine.
Jessica Tipán Gutierrez of Ecuador positioned third on the 2022 Transvulcania and has had some sturdy outcomes since that, notably an eighth place end on the 2023 Les Templiers 80k, and third on the 2024 Penyagolosa Trails CSP 106k. Additionally in 2023, she positioned fourth on the 60k Penyagolosa Trails MiM and sixth on the Transgrancanaria Marathon. She has street legs too, and not too long ago contested the 2025 Barcelona Marathon in 2:48. She shouldn’t be too far again from the motion.
Azara García
Spain’s Azara García was eighth eventually 12 months’s Transvulcania, and needs to be in sturdy rivalry for one more prime 10 putting. She not too long ago took third on the 2025 Extremely Path Chianti 120k, narrowly lacking out on a Golden Ticket to the Western States 100. Additional again, she received the 2021 Transgrancanaria 129k and the 85k in 2023, and was additionally second on the 2019 OCC and fourth on the 2019 Path World Championships, which was a 50k distance.
Italy’s Elisa Desco received the 2014 Transvulcania and was sixth on her final outing, again in 2019. She has some prime outcomes again some years at across the marathon distance, together with successful the Marathon du Mont Blanc two years working, in 2014 and 2015. She’s had 4 top-10 finishes on the Zegama Marathon, with the perfect being second in 2019, and the latest being sixth in 2024. She received Sierre-Zinal again in 2013, has had 4 extra prime 10 finishes there since, and eleventh final 12 months. [From 2010 to 2012, Elisa Desco served a two-year doping ban from the IAAF after she tested positive for EPO at the 2009 World Mountain Running Championships.]
Italy’s Giulia Marchesoni was 2024 Skyrunning world champion within the extremely division, a title that would appear to set her up completely for this quick and technical path race. She has principally raced in Italy and has labored her manner as much as extremely distances from a background in mountain working. Final 12 months, she additionally received the Dolomythsrun Fassa Path 43k and the 45k Lunigiana Skyrace. Up to now in 2025, she suffered a DNF on the Transgrancanaria Marathon however bounced again with a win on the 54k Tuscany Crossing in April. Transvulcania can be her longest race thus far, however she seems to be to have a stable build-up to the space.
Sarah Vieuille has had a protracted and illustrious profession in path working, with outcomes going again so far as 2011. She probably could be higher recognized internationally however for the truth that she races principally in her residence nation of France. She has had some stellar outcomes, together with second on the 2018 Les Templiers 80k and fourth within the 2022 Diagonale des Fous. Extra not too long ago, she took fifth on the 2025 Transgrancanaria 82k and sixth eventually 12 months’s Endurance Path des Templiers 100k.
France’s Léa Duhet positioned seventh on her final outing at Transvulcania in 2022, and has been maintaining related type since then. In 2024, she positioned twelfth on the Les Templiers 80k, and a decent sixteenth on the CCC in a time of 14:14. She needs to be in with a superb shot at transferring additional up the highest 10.
Yuri Yoshizumi
Yuri Yoshizumi of Japan has a depth of sturdy outcomes on trails over a variety of distances. Highlights embrace a sixth place end on the 2024 Transgrancanaria 127k, adopted by ninth on the 82k Superior race this 12 months. Additionally to date in 2025, she has positioned second on the Hong Kong 100 Half, and received a few shorter races at residence in Japan. She has loads of endurance — having received the 2022 Doi Inthanon 100k and positioned second within the 2023 Good Côte d’Azur 100 Mile — however from her current racing, she seems to be primed for pace, which ought to work effectively over this course.
Anne-Lise Rousset on her approach to second place (for the third time) within the 2019 Transvulcania. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Italy’s Marina Cugnetto positioned ninth in her Transvulcania debut final 12 months and is again trying to construct on that end result. A prolific racer, Cugnetto’s finest outcomes embrace a win on the 2019 130k Tot Dret, third within the 2022 UltraDolomites 81k, second within the 2023 Doi Inthanon 50k, and sixteenth within the 2023 Path World Championships Lengthy Path. She is in speedy form this season, having simply received the 68k Jangsu Path Race in South Korea.
Kristin Berglund
Austria’s Kristin Berglund has been quiet on the racing entrance the previous few years, however was fifth at her final outing at Transvulcania in 2019, a 12 months the place she additionally positioned second behind Courtney Dauwalter at UTMB. Previous to that, she positioned eleventh within the 2017 CCC, fourth within the 2017 Transgrancanaria, and received the 2016 Grossglockner Extremely-Path 110k. Her lack of current outcomes makes her a little bit of an unknown entity, however she has demonstrated that at her finest, she is world class.
Canada’s Geneviève Asselin-Demers is off to a superb begin this 12 months with a 3rd place end on the Desert RATS 100k in April. She had an enormous 12 months final 12 months too, with quick runs on the Black Canyon 100k, Madeira Island Extremely-Path 115k, and Extremely-Path Cape City 100k — the place she completed sixth, eighth, and seventh, respectively. She additionally had wins at residence on the 2024 Québec Mega Path 80k and the Path Coureur Des Bois 46k. She has additionally received Canada’s Extremely-Path Harricana 110k in 2023, and positioned third there in 2022, and needs to be effectively in rivalry for a prime 10 putting.
France’s Sabine Ehrström loved wins final 12 months on the Extremely Path du Vercors 81k and the Swiss Canyon Path 33k, in addition to a 3rd place end on the Path du Ventoux 41k. Additional again, she took fifth within the 2022 Les Templiers 80k, and a decent twenty second within the ever aggressive OCC. She has path race outcomes going again so far as 2013, however has raced predominantly at residence in France. This can be her Transvulcania debut.
Martina Valmassoi after her win of the 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: Transvulcania
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What are your predictions for the ladies’s race at Transvulcania?
What different quick ladies are racing who we must always look out for?
