Transvulcania (© WMRA - Marco Gulberti)
Following an impressive double-header in Beijing Changping, the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup turns its attention to Europe, with the competition's next chapter set to unfold on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands on Thursday (7) and Saturday (9).
The venue is Transvulcania, set against a backdrop of volcanic ridgelines and ancient lava fields. Making its World Cup debut, the event will host two races: an uphill and the first long distance contest of the 2026 season. La Palma is said to be the steepest island in the world, making it a perfect host for mountain running events.
These races are the fourth and fifth stages of the World Cup, following the season-opener at Sāo Brás Cross and the recent races in China.
The action begins on Thursday, with the uphill race scheduled for 5:00pm local time. Athletes will depart from the Port of Tazacorte and face an unrelenting challenge – 1164 metres of climbing across 7.3 kilometres, with the finish line waiting at the Forest Tower at El Time.
The route traces the GR 131 long distance hiking trail through two early landmarks: the El Time Viewpoint at 513 metres and the Hungarian House at 624 metres. From there, competitors briefly leave the main trail to take in the Viewpoint of Piedra del Guanche at 750 metres, before rejoining the GR 131 for the final push to the forest lookout tower. Those who reach the summit will be rewarded with sweeping views across the north-east of the island and the Aridane Valley.
Saturday brings the 25-kilometre long-distance race that sets off at 7:30am from the island's iconic Faro de Fuencaliente lighthouse, following the celebrated Ruta de los Volcanes before concluding at Refugio de El Pilar.
The course is a race of two distinct halves. The opening 17 kilometres present a sustained and demanding climb of 1800 metres, all the way to Las Deseadas – a test of endurance, patience and strength. What follows is an eight-kilometre descent, with athletes able to make up significant ground on the way to the finish line.
The women’s competition includes a stellar line-up of athletes. Kenya’s Joyce Muthoni Njeru heads to La Palma straight off a win last weekend in the classic up and down race in China and will compete in both races. Her compatriot Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga exploded on to the World Cup circuit with a win at Sāo Brás Cross and looks set to be a real contender in this year’s competition. Their fellow Kenyan Philaries Jeruto Kisang starts her 2026 World Cup campaign at Transvulcania and, as she showed at the 2023 World Championships and through the 2024 and 2025 World Cups, she can never be underestimated.
Italy’s Camilla Magliano leads the women’s World Cup rankings after three strong performances and will be looking to capitalise. Ingrid Mutter, Sara Willhoit, Lara Hamilton, Kirsty Skye Dickson and Silvia Lara all take part in both races, while Martina Falchetti competes in the uphill race.
Jedidah Chepkemoi is another debutante for this year’s World Cup, and with some recent wins in half marathon road races, it will be interesting to see how she fares on the trails.
The men’s races also boast strong fields of Kenyan athletes. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago is the defending World Cup champion and he starts his defence in La Palma. He is equally at home on uphill and long-distance races, so Transvulcania should be ideal for him. Richard Omaya Atuya was a very close fourth place last year, with four victories in the uphill races, and this will also be his 2026 debut in the World Cup. Ephantus Mwangi Njeri also had some strong results in the World Cup last year and could spring a surprise.
Other men to watch include Sweden’s Martin Nilsson, who is tipped as an athlete to watch in 2026 by his ITRA Performance Index progression, and Anthony Felber, who has achieved some great results particularly at the longer distance. Tyler McCandless and a strong contingent of Spanish runners including Manuel Anguita, Álvaro Escuela, Daniel Osanz and Arezki Habibi are also in action.
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics
