At midnight of the pre-dawn of Saturday, Could 9, the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon set off at 6 a.m. native time from Fuencaliente Lighthouse on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma, and it was the U.S.’s David Sinclair and France’s Blandine L’Hirondel (pre-race interview) who reached the end first in 6:32:24 and seven:43:47, each new course information.
Males’s champion David Sinclair operating within the early morning mild in the course of the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
The 75-kilometer route took runners on a singular course by means of La Palma’s dramatic volcanic panorama, climbing to the island’s excessive level at Roque de los Muchachos at 2,421 meters (7,959 toes) simply previous the 50k mark, earlier than plummeting again to sea stage over the following 17 or so kilometers, and culminating in a punchy climb to the end within the city of Los Llanos. Though full of elevation, the route options largely runnable trails.
For Sinclair, it was a race for redemption after final yr’s DNF, and he fought off stiff competitors from Damien Humbert (France), Sweden’s Petter Engdahl (pre-race interview), and Nadir Maguet (Italy) to take victory. On the ladies’s aspect, L’Hirondel led for a lot of the race, however may by no means fairly shake off Australia’s Lucy Bartholomew, and each got here in underneath the previous course report.
Blandine L’Hirondel leads the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon climbing to the excessive level at Roque de los Muchachos, about 50 kilometers into the race. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Opposite to final yr’s rain, wind, and chilly, the delicate and dry circumstances on the day — mixed with stacked fields in each the boys’s and ladies’s races — made for some explosive racing.
The 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon began earlier than dawn on Saturday, Could 9. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Learn on to see the way it performed out.
It’s also possible to take a look at extra outcomes from Transvulcania:
2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Males’s Race
American Ben Dhiman (pre-race interview) was fancied to do effectively, coming off a stellar 2025 season the place he positioned second at UTMB. Additionally on the favorites checklist was Italy’s Andreas Reiterer (pre-race interview), who was second on the race final yr and third in 2023. Though probably not a candidate for the win, honorable point out must also be given to former course-record holder, Spain’s Luís Alberto Hernando, who lined as much as check himself but once more on the revered route.
However it was Frenchman Damien Humbert who led the cost into Los Canarios, eight kilometers into the race. After 40 minutes, he ran nearly a minute away from the chasing pack — made up of Ruy Ueda (Japan), Petter Engdahl of Sweden (pre-race interview), American David Sinclair, Reiterer, Théo Detienne (France), Italian Nadir Maguet, Dhiman, Tobias Geiser (Italy), and Abel Carretero (Spain) — who all got here by means of inside 25 seconds of each other. Sinclair was coming again to avenge a disappointment in final yr’s race when he needed to withdraw because of hypothermia amidst brutal circumstances.
The lads’s lead pack runs about 8 kilometers into the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Earlier than El Pilar, round 23k into the race, Humbert was holding onto the lead with 2:19 elapsed, however Sinclair and Dhiman have been proper over his shoulder in second and third. Nonetheless within reach of the leaders, Engdahl adopted in fourth, with Maguet proper there as effectively in fifth.
Damien Humbert led the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon early on, and would finally stick his efficiency with a fourth place end. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Humbert couldn’t maintain off the People any longer, although, and within the quick undulating part to El Reventón at 32.6k, each Sinclair and Dhiman overtook to take the highest two spots, coming by means of at 2:46. Humbert clung to the leaders in third, and Maguet and Engdahl adopted a few minute again in fourth and fifth.
David Sinclair and Ben Dhiman operating close to El Pilar, about 23 kilometers into the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
The climb as much as Pico de la Cruz at 48.1k induced a shake-up among the many leaders, with Sinclair now joined on the entrance by Engdahl, who was climbing effectively. The 2 got here by means of the timing level along with 4:19 on the clock.
Reaching the spectacular excessive level of each the race and the island — Roque de los Muchahos at 2,417 meters above sea stage and simply over 50k into the race — Engdahl had moved into pole place with Sinclair sizzling on his heels. There was now a four-minute hole to early chief Humbert in third, and Maguet and Dhiman adopted in fourth and fifth, some three minutes later.
Petter Engdahl is chased by David Sinclair close to the excessive level of the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon course. The pair would end in second and first, respectively. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
After climbing solidly all day, it was on the quad-busting descent to Tazacorte at sea stage, 70.2k into the race, the place Sinclair actually sealed victory. He pulled away from Engdahl, reaching the low level earlier than the ultimate climb to the end in 6:04, nearly seven minutes away from Engdahl in second. Humbert reached the underside nonetheless in third, 11 minutes again of the lead.
Maguet was down a few minutes later in fourth, and Reiterer had challenged Dhiman on the descent to maneuver into fifth.
Nadir Maguet wanting calm early in a breakout ultramarathon efficiency the place he took third on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
On the ultimate climb as much as the end at Los Llanos, David Sinclair didn’t falter, securing the win in 6:32:24, taking an astonishing 20 minutes off a course report that had stood since 2015. On the end line, he described the trouble as the perfect race of his life, and it marked a full-circle second from final yr’s disappointment.
David Sinclair, 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon champion. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Petter Engdahl adopted about 9 minutes later to take second in 6:41:19. Nadir Maguet, by no means removed from the motion, moved into third on the ultimate climb to complete in 6:42:31. Early race chief Damien Humbert was not far behind in fourth in 6:43:54, and Ben Dhiman managed to claw again fifth from Reiterer in 6:48:42. Andreas Reiterer completed in sixth in 6:49:52.
In by far the quickest Transvulcania Ultramarathon males’s race so far, all six high males completed underneath the earlier course report.
Nadir Maguet appears elated together with his third-place end on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Males’s Outcomes
- 1. David Sinclair (U.S.) – 6:32:24
- 2. Petter Engdahl (Sweden) – 6:41:19 (pre-race interview)
- 3. Nadir Maguet (Italy) – 6:42:31
- 4. Damien Humbert (France) – 6:43:54
- 5. Ben Dhiman (U.S.) – 6:48:42 (pre-race interview)
- 6. Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 6:49:52 (pre-race interview)
- 7. Bartłomiej Przedwojewski (Poland) – 6:53:15
- 8. Robin Juillaguet (France) – 7:00:41
- 9. Théo Detienne (France) – 7:03:26
- 10. Jupiter Carera Casas (Mexico) – 7:06:05
- 10. Ionel Manole (Spain) – 7:06:05
The 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon males’s podium (left to proper): 2. Petter Engdahl, 1. David Sinclair, 3. Nadir Maguet. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Girls’s Race
The deep girls’s discipline for the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon featured two-time Transvulcania champion Emelie Forsberg of Sweden (pre-race interview), again after greater than a decade-long hiatus; two-time world champion Blandine L’Hirondel of France (pre-race interview); and final yr’s runner-up, impartial athlete Ekaterina Mityaeva (pre-race interview).
It was, nonetheless, fan favourite Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) who led the cost into Los Canarios, eight kilometers in, with 45:42 on the clock. L’Hirondel was shut behind, and Forsberg was a minute again. Daniela Oemus (Germany), Azara García (Spain), Mityaeva, Céline Finas (France), Mireia Pons (France), Gemma Arenas (Spain), and Anastasia Davydova (impartial) made up the remainder of the highest 10.
Lucy Bartholomew on her strategy to second place on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
On the second half of the primary climb, as much as Deseadas at 17.5k, L’Hirondel took management and topped out within the lead, 4 minutes forward of Bartholomew in second. Only a minute behind Bartholomew, Forsberg was wanting comfy in third.
Blandine L’Hirondel makes haste of the excessive nation early within the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
The highest three remained the identical earlier than El Pilar at about 23k, with L’Hirondel having stretched her lead on Bartholomew to 4 minutes. There was now an additional 2.5 minutes again to Forsberg in third, with all three runners nonetheless showing relaxed. There was a five-minute hole after the highest three to Oemus, and a minute later, Mityaeva and Finas ran collectively in fifth and sixth.
Lucy Bartholomew operating in second early within the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon, a place she held for many of the race. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
At El Reventón at 32.5k, L’Hirondel nonetheless led, however Bartholomew had clawed again a number of seconds and appeared managed and decided in second. Right here, Forsberg misplaced a while — taking a short flawed flip — however nonetheless held onto third, 10 minutes again of the lead. She was adopted 4 minutes later by Oemus in fourth, and Arenas had moved as much as fifth.
Via the 50k level, L’Hirondel was nonetheless within the lead, with Bartholomew closing exhausting. By the point they reached the race’s excessive level at Roque de los Muchachos after 50k, Bartholomew had caught up and brought pole place with a minute hole on L’Hirondel. It was right here that Mityaeva, who was operating in sixth place on the time, dropped from the race.
Beatriz Parrón was solidly within the high 10 all day on her strategy to ending fifth on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
L’Hirondel labored exhausting on the descent, nonetheless, and had regained management by Torre Time at 62.7k, and reached the ocean at Tazacorte at 70.2k a bit over seven minutes forward of Bartholomew.
Behind them, former champion Forsberg held steadfastly to 3rd place and continued to drag away from the remainder of the sector. She reached Tazacorte 21 minutes behind Bartholomew, and was an additional 20 minutes away from Arenas, who had moved up one other spot into fourth.
In a comeback race, Emelie Forsberg says she shocked even herself in taking third place on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
On the ultimate climb as much as the end at Los Llanos, L’Hirondel held agency, however Bartholomew was by no means far sufficient away to permit her to loosen up.
Ultimately, Blandine L’Hirondel crossed the road first in 7:43:47, taking 19 minutes off Ruth Croft’s 2024 course report.
Blandine L’Hirondel, the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon champion. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Lucy Bartholomew was subsequent, ending second in 7:49:26, nonetheless effectively inside the previous course report. Having held on to podium place all through, Emelie Forsberg claimed third in a time of 8:14:40, only a minute over her successful time of 8:13:22 in 2013.
After sustaining her place all through the race’s second half, Gemma Arenas was fourth in 8:35:47.
Having run many of the race within the again half of the highest 10, Beatriz Parrón (Spain) moved up the sector within the closing descent to complete fifth in 8:39:07. Mireia Pons was sixth in 8:43:06, and Céline Finas by no means dropped out of the highest 10 and completed seventh in 8:53:30.
Blandine L’Hirondel (left) and Lucy Bartholomew rejoice their respective first- and second-place finishes on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Girls’s Outcomes
1. Blandine L’Hirondel (France) – 7:43:47 (pre-race interview)
2. Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) – 7:49:26
3. Emelie Forsberg (Sweden) – 8:14:40 (pre-race interview)
4. Gemma Arenas (Spain) – 8:35:47
5. Beatriz Parrón (Spain) – 8:39:07
6. Mireia Pons (Spain) – 8:43:06
7. Daniela Oemus (Germany) – 8:44:42
8. Céline Finas (France) – 8:53:30
9. Azara García (Spain) – 9:05:02
10. Virginia Perez (Spain) – 9:27:27
Lucy Bartholomew helps Emelie Forsberg on the 2026 Transvulcania Ultramarathon end line. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
