Ekaterina Mityaeva placed second at the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon, her best result in five runnings of the race. In this interview, she talks about how the day played out for her, the battle with extremely tough conditions, and the back-and-forth she had with the other racers in a very competitive women’s field.
Be sure to read our 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon results article for the full race story.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Ekaterina Mityaeva, Post-2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon, Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Sarah Brady of iRunFar. I’m here the day after the 2025 Transvulcania with second-place woman, Kate Mityaeva. Congratulations.
Ekaterina Mityaeva: Thank you very much.
iRunFar: And you said just before we started this interview that you actually feel pretty good today.
Mityaeva: Yes, yes. My feeling was good. And now I feel very, very good because yesterday, it was so hard race. Yeah. And for me it’s very big surprise, my feeling perfect. Yeah.
iRunFar: Yeah. It’s just nice to be warm and dry, isn’t it?
Mityaeva: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: Yeah. Just to talk about the conditions, it was not what anyone expected from a nice summer island race. So, how did you find it, the cold and the rain?
Mityaeva: Yes. I think it’s first time with this weather, because yesterday was so cold weather. On the top was strong, windy with a lot of clouds and strong rain because you all time ran. And for example, during the morning you ran with light and you didn’t see nothing because a lot of clouds. And on the top we had strong wind and sometimes you cannot run well. Yeah. And with a lot of rain because all time your eyes is wet, yeah, and it’s so hard.
iRunFar: Such a tough day out. But you looked really solid throughout. So I don’t think you were ever back from podium position for the entire race.
Mityaeva: In Transvulcania it’s the first time when I on the top three.
iRunFar: Oh yes, at the finish. But I meant in the race, you were in the top three women yesterday, kind of all day. So when I saw you at Los Canarios after seven and a half kilometers, you were already third. And then it stayed like that for a long time. Were you conscious to maintain your position or were you just running your own pace?
Mityaeva: Yes, all time. For example, first part was so interesting because I had third position. After I saw Anne [Rousset Séguret] and I catch her, sometimes we change position. Yes. And for me, it’s so interesting race because you all times saw, “Oh, she goes in front of me. Oh, maybe I need a little bit to go faster.” So it’s this race stay more interesting. And for example, the finish line, before when we had last uphill, I saw girls, but I thought, “Oh, maybe it’s Ruth [Croft].”
iRunFar: Oh, okay.
Mityaeva: Yeah. Because I saw just only red jacket, maybe t-shirt red. And I remember Ruth ran with orange jacket, and I thought, “Oh, maybe it’s Ruth.” But I didn’t know about Martina. It’s Martina. Yeah, because I thought, “Oh, if Ruth catch me, it’s okay.”
iRunFar: Yeah.
Mityaeva: But, of course, it’s big, long race. It’s ultra. And sometimes you thought about, “Oh, I need to run, push, because a little bit, two kilometers, until the finish line.” And sometimes you can change your speed if it’s possible. And I think I save my speed and I can finish and I can take a second place. And yes. But between me and Martina, little bit, serious close.
iRunFar: Yeah. Yeah.
Mityaeva: But it’s amazing. It’s why I really love our sport, because this so interesting sport, this because all followers saw this and it’s amazing, yeah. And I’m very happy because it’s a big surprise for me. And I’m very happy because I had for me good shape and it’s nice.
iRunFar: Yeah. And it was such a deep women’s field as well, I suppose. You thought Ruth was behind you, but there was any number of women who could just appear from the clouds.
Mityaeva: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: When you got to the top, so I suppose for the conditions, the worst part was probably the Reventón to Roque. It was quite exposed along that ridge. How did you find that?
Mityaeva: For me, this part was so hard because yes, it was too cold. And I prefer, we have after downhill, and for me it’s okay because it’s technical downhill. And I really love technical parts. And because, before for me it was too cold, and I know, or I need to maybe change speed and go more faster because you are so tired and you of course too cold. The weather, it was too cold. And on downhill, I go a little bit more faster and it’s okay because downhill was too warm.
But between on the top and the sea level, it’s a big temperature because on the top, too cold, on the sea level, it’s too hot. And sometimes you don’t know how you feel with this weather, yeah, and with this temperature. But for me it was so hard, but I can do this.
iRunFar: Okay. And you said beforehand that you were looking forward to that downhill. So were you still able to enjoy it, or did the conditions make it very different?
Mityaeva: Yeah. And for downhill, I prefer more downhill because in downhill, my feeling was better. And all times, if I don’t have any problems, because before sometimes I had some problems with my stomach, because on downhill, I had pain sometimes. But in this time, yes, I had a little bit pain, but I can push because I know this part, I need to push all time because you never take maybe a slower, because behind me, girls take … catch me.
iRunFar: Of course. Yeah. There’s no chance to relax.
Mityaeva: Yes.
iRunFar: And then did you have to change your nutrition plan or anything to adapt to the conditions?
Mityaeva: No. For example, just only water, I changed because for my plan was all time I, during the race, in one hour I drank one liter, but in this condition, it’s not impossible to take one liter because it’s too cold and I, maybe half a liter I drank. But with gels, I all time eat each 25 minutes. Every 25 minutes, I eat gels. But during the race, with nutrition was good, yeah. Works good.
iRunFar: Yes. And did you have a pace plan, like times in mind for checkpoints or … ?
Mityaeva: Yes, I had plan because before I ran four times. Yeah, and in this year I ran five times. And I had planned because from the start to first checkpoint, I had planned maybe 15 minutes, but I go too faster because faster minus five minutes, 45 minutes, I ran to the first checkpoint. And after I saw Dmitry [Mityaev], and he told me about timing, and my timing was too faster. And for me it was so nice because my feeling was good, yeah.
iRunFar: Good.
Mityaeva: And yes, and shape was good because I can run and I didn’t have any problems. And it’s really nice because if you have a good shape and you can show good result. It’s more important for me, for my mental, yeah.
iRunFar: Of course.
Mityaeva: And it’s really nice. Yes. Before checkpoint 50 [Roque de los Muchachos], I ran more slower, yeah, because I catch Ruth and we go together. But in this time, maybe I need to go more faster because for me this speed was so slower, because in this time I took more colder weather, and for me it was too cold, yeah. And maybe I change speed. I can take more faster speed, for example, yeah, and go very well.
iRunFar: Yeah, it seems like that kind of race where people are running fast, not just to stay ahead, but to stay warm and just to get to the finish.
Mityaeva: Yeah, yeah. Because all people saw this video where I stay in checkpoint 15 and, “It’s too cold. Yes, so cold.” Yes, because sometimes we took maybe cold weather and it’s too cold. And yeah. And it’s not big problems, but we need to change speed and go faster. And after you take, your body take warm temperature.
iRunFar: Just have to keep moving.
Mityaeva: Yeah.
iRunFar: And then how did you feel on the final climb to the finish line?
Mityaeva: Oh my god-
iRunFar: Did you still have energy, or was that hard?
Mityaeva: Oh my god, it was so hard for me because I know this part. Yes, I know. But I think in this year, maybe for me it was too hard because I think it’s why we have another weather because it’s too cold on the top downhill to warm. And my body feel not so good because of course I know it’s too steep uphill and you need push. And when I just only saw down on the right side and I saw girls, “Oh my God, shit.”
iRunFar: Panic.
Mityaeva: Yeah. “I need to push, but I’m so tired.”
iRunFar: Yeah.
Mityaeva: Yeah. And I just only see red-colored t-shirt or jacket, I don’t know. And I thought, “Oh, maybe it’s Ruth. And maybe okay, maybe she can catch me. It’s okay. But no, I want to go maybe a little bit faster.” And sometimes I ran, sometimes I did big steps because sometimes big steps more better if you run. Yeah, because speed, your big steps more faster than running. Yeah. And I change-change because my back was so tired, yeah. And I all time change-change. And I know about behind me goes motorcycling.
iRunFar: Oh yes, oh yes, bikes following, yeah.
Mityaeva: With this song. And, “Oh my God. She can catch me.” And after I little bit, I changed my running because I did the big steps and go more faster.
iRunFar: Yes.
Mityaeva: Yeah. And yes. And in the finish line, I was very happy and I enjoyed this race because it’s so hard race for all of us.
iRunFar: Yeah.
Mityaeva: Yeah, but it’s amazing. It’s amazing.
iRunFar: And it’s a better feeling at the finish when you do something really hard.
Mityaeva: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: Well done again.
Mityaeva: Thank you.
iRunFar: Yeah. And then also, so you’ve done, this is your fifth time doing this race now.
Mityaeva: Yeah.
iRunFar: And you’ve gotten a little bit better every time. And you’re climbing up the positions. You’re up as far as second now. So, do you have to come back?
Mityaeva: I think yes, because it’s a perfect time for beginning of the season, and I am very happy to come back to here and again and again enjoy this wonderful race.
iRunFar: Yeah. You’ve seen a lot of different variations of it now.
Mityaeva: Yeah.
iRunFar: And then what have you planned for the rest of this year?
Mityaeva: After this race we will run Maxi-Race.
iRunFar: Oh yes.
Mityaeva: 60k. Yeah. After 90k [Marathon du] Mont-Blanc and UTMB.
iRunFar: Okay, very good. A lot of big ones.
Mityaeva: Yeah.
iRunFar: Fabulous. Well, I hope you get to take some downtime and recover from yesterday anyway.
Mityaeva: Thank you.
iRunFar: Congratulations again.
Mityaeva: Thank you very much.
