The 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon got underway at 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 10. A thrilling day of racing, wrought with difficult weather conditions, saw Peter Fraňo (pre-race interview) of Slovakia and Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret of France storm to victory.
The 73-kilometer (45.4 miles) race takes place on La Palma, one of the Spanish Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Morocco. The course accumulates a staggering 4,350 meters (14,270 feet) of elevation gain through a whirlwind of contrasting landscapes, from stark volcanic terrain to lush leafy forests and sweeping coastal views.
The course climbs steeply from the start line at the Faro de Fuencaliente lighthouse on the southern tip of the island, following volcanic ridges up to the rugged peak of Roque de Los Muchachos at around 50k (30 miles). Standing at an impressive 2,426 meters (7,959 feet), this is the highest point of both the race and the island. From here, a brutal descent takes runners down to sea level at Puerto de Tazacorte, before the final climb to the finish in the city of Los Llanos de Aridane.
Blustery winds and rain made conditions difficult for runners, especially on the exposed segments and technical downhills, which were awash with mud, rainwater, and slippery stones. Race organization was also disrupted, with the Roque de Los Muchachos aid station having to be displaced, and a rerouting of the course in the closing section between Puerto de Tazacorte and the finish line.
The 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon started under stormy skies, with heavy wind and sheets of rain coming off the Atlantic Ocean at the southern tip of La Palma island. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
The women’s race was fiercely contested, and dominated by past Transvulcania podium finishers. Ruth Croft (pre-race interview) of New Zealand was the clear favorite, having won last year’s edition in a course record of 8:02:49. However, victim to the harsh weather conditions, she was forced to withdraw around 30 miles (50 kilometers) into the race due to hypothermia.
Rousset Séguret ran a spectacular race from start to finish. Sticking with early leader Croft, she took control around the halfway point, then used the descent from Roque de Los Muchachos to build on her lead. She powered across the finish line over 18 minutes ahead of second place Ekaterina Mityaeva (pre-race interview). This was Rousset Séguret’s fifth time racing Transvulcania, after placing fifth in 2014, and second in 2016, 2017, and 2019.
Mityaeva finished fourth in both the 2024 and 2019 editions of the race, and in the top 10 twice before that. She was consistent from start to finish, staying in the top three throughout, and fending off pressure from third-place woman Martina Valmassoi (pre-race interview) of Italy in the closing miles.
Valmassoi, who won the 2023 Transvulcania, looked strong throughout, tirelessly working to stay with the leaders and finishing less than 30 seconds behind Mityaeva.
For the men, Fraňo ran a perfectly executed race, sticking with the lead pack before making a move in the steep climb to Roque de Los Muchachos at around 50k. This was his second participation in Transvulcania, following on from his debut in 2018.
Despite pressure from Andreas Reiterer of Italy in the relentless descent to sea level, Fraňo was able to pull away in the final three miles, crossing the finish line three minutes ahead of his rival. This was also Reiterer’s second time at Transvulcania after a third place finish in 2023.
Manuel Anguita ran the race of his life, moving up through the ranks from 20th place at 17k, and moving into third place in the last 10k. This performance follows on from seventh place in the 2024 Transvulcania.
Manuel Anguita finishing third at the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Women’s Race
Ruth Croft (pre-race interview) of New Zealand lost no time in breaking away from the rest of the field, striking out through the wind and rain at Faro de Fuencaliente and coming through the first aid station (7.5k) two minutes ahead of Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret of France. Ekaterina Mityaeva (pre-race interview) came through one minute after, with Italian runners Martina Valmassoi (pre-race interview) and Marina Cugnetto a further two minutes behind.
Before El Pilar at 22.5k, Rousset Séguret had gained some time on Croft, passing through just over a minute after the leader. Behind them, Mityaeva and Valmassoi followed in third and fourth place ahead of Cugnetto in fifth.
Defending women’s champion Ruth Croft looking happy early in the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. She would unfortunately drop from the race later with hypothermia. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
A brief gap in the clouds offered runners some respite as they made their way across to El Reventón at 31.5k. Rousset Séguret used the segment to El Reventón to move past Croft, and the two began to pull away from the rest of the field. They passed through five minutes ahead of Mityaeva and nine minutes ahead of Valmassoi.
The course was especially unforgiving on the section between El Reventón and Roque de Los Muchachos (51k). The exposed ridge and high altitude made for high wind chill, and the rain was coming down in torrents. Nevertheless, Rousset Séguret came through looking strong in 6:34 elapsed, six minutes ahead of Croft. Mityaeva was close behind, also running confidently despite the conditions. Croft was there as well, in podium position. However, things took a turn for the worse for her, and she’d drop at the next aid station with some help from the organization due to hypothermia.
Weather conditions improved for the runners as they made their way down from the high point of the course. Rousset Séguret’s victory seemed to be inevitable as she headed toward Mirador El Time at 64k, 14 minutes ahead of Mityaeva in second. Three minutes behind, a determined Valmassoi was moving well. Giulia Marchesoni of Italy and Cugnetto followed in fourth and fifth, 36 minutes off the lead.
Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret, 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret sailed down the rest of the descent, building on her lead out of Puerto de Tazacorte and crossing the finishing line in 8:18:17, over 18 minutes ahead of Ekaterina Mityaeva, who finished in second place in 8:36:58. After a terrific effort in the descent and the last climb, Martina Valmassoi had to settle for third place in 8:37:25, just 27 seconds behind Mityaeva.
Marina Cugnetto and Giulia Marchesoni rounded off the top five in 8:58:31 and 8:58:31, respectively, sealing a great day for the Italian contingency.
Martina Valmassoi arrives to the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon finish line in third place, and is greeted by second-place woman, Ekaterina Mityaeva. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Women’s Results
- Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret (France) – 8:18:17
- Ekaterina Mityaeva (Neutral) – 8:36:58 (pre-race interview)
- Martina Valmassoi (Italy) – 8:37:25 (pre-race interview)
- Marina Cugnetto (Italy) – 8:58:31
- Giulia Marchesoni (Italy) – 9:00:18
- Anaïs Duval (France) – 9:25:29
- Alba Villanova (Spain) – 9:32:43
- Lisa Watson (U.K.) – 9:40:19
- Michelle Hassel (Germany) – 9:43:23
- Jessica Tipan Gutiérrez (Ecuador) – 9:44:16
The 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon women’s podium hugs at the finish. From left to right are Martina Valmassoi, Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret, and Ekaterina Mityaeva. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Men’s Race
Despite the blowing rain, runners moved efficiently from the start line at Faro de Fuencaliente. The U.S.’s Matt Daniels, Spain’s Andrés García, and the U.S.’s David Sinclair (pre-race interview) came through the first aid station at 7.4k at the head of a dense pack of runners.
The rain was coming in sheets before El Pilar (22.5k) as Italy’s Andreas Reiterer, Slovakia’s Peter Fraňo (pre-race interview), and France’s Robin Juillaguet led the men through in 2:19:40 elapsed. Daniels came through just seconds later, followed closely by Sinclair.
Sinclair pushed hard across to El Reventón at 31.5k, coming out of the aid station in the lead with just under three hours elapsed. Fraňo followed less than a minute behind, closely followed by Reiterer and Juillaguet. Australia’s Charles Hamilton rounded off the top five, not quite four minutes behind the leader. We believe Daniels dropped out between here and the next summit.
The next section continues up along the island’s famous ridgeline trail, past the Pico de la Cruz before climbing toward the mighty Roque de Los Muchachos at 51k. In the day’s difficult weather conditions, this was to be the critical point in the race before the leg-destroying descent to sea level. And this is where Fraňo made his first big move, powering up to the race’s highest point in first place, five minutes ahead of Sinclair, with Reiterer and Juillaguet chasing. Conditions were exceptionally tough, with torrential rain and gales, and Sinclair and Juillaguet both bowed out at the aid station.
Andreas Reiterer bundled up in bad conditions near the high point of the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon course. Photo: iRunFar/Sarah Brady
Reiterer flew down the first half of the descent, catching up with Fraňo before Mirador del Time (64k) just in front of Fraňo in 7:13 elapsed. García followed determinedly in third place, 34 minutes behind the leaders, chased by a strong-looking Anguita.
After a stormy day, Manuel Anguita descends toward the sea and good weather at about 64 kilometers into the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. He went on to take third place. Photo: iRunFar/Miguelito Rodriguez
Reiterer held the lead down to Puerto de Tazacorte at 68k, but Fraňo refused to be shaken off. While Anguita came through in third place a whole 20 minutes later, one minute ahead of García, it was a two-man race for the victory over the final 5k with 338 meters of climbing.
Peter Fraňo successfully held off Andreas Reiterer in the last climb to the finish in Los Llanos de Aridane, crossing the line in 06:55:36. Reiterer followed in 06:58:27, and Manuel Anguita rounded off the podium in 7:19:18. García and Ramon Manetsch (Switzerland) took fourth and fifth places, finishing in 7:22:07 and 7:31:55, respectively.
Peter Fraňo, 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Men’s Results
- 1. Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) – 6:55:36 (pre-race interview)
- 2. Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 6:58:27
- 3. Manuel Anguita (Spain) – 7:19:18
- 4. Andrés García (Spain) – 7:22:07
- 5. Ramon Manetsch (Switzerland) – 7:31:55
- 6. Thibault Leroy (France) – 7:40:47
- 7. Patrick Ehrenthaler (Germany) – 7:43:09
- 8. Pablo Villa (Spain) – 7:44:48 (pre-race interview)
- 8. Charles Hamilton (Australia) – 7:44:48
- 10. Gilles Roux (Italy) – 7:46:35
Teammates Pablo Villa (left) and Charles Hamilton finish the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon tied for eighth place. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
