Transgrancanaria Marathon

At last, Friday morning arrived, and it was time for Petra and me to take the bus up to Tejeda for the start of the Transgrancanaria Marathon. With fresh legs and still energized by the raw Atlantic freedom of the day before at the Dunas de Maspalomas, the bus ride up to 1,500 metres along winding mountain roads felt almost as exhilarating as the race itself – particularly when we had to squeeze past a couple of minor rental car mishaps. But eventually, we found ourselves standing at the starting line.

After a few kilometres on asphalt, the real work began: a fierce climb towards Roque Nublo. As in previous races, uphill running is my strength, and I began overtaking runner after runner on the steep trail. Reaching the top, I was rewarded with breathtaking views across the Atlantic to Mount Teide, rising 3,715 metres above neighbouring Tenerife.

From Roque Nublo, the course turned decisively downhill – nearly 3,000 metres of descent in total, much of it on technical terrain. If climbing is my forte, descending has never been. I struggled to match the pace of runners who seemed either more agile or simply less risk-averse. Determined not to roll my ankle again, I began to lose ground, and by the second checkpoint in Tunte I had slipped into the middle of the pack.

By then it was around 1 p.m., and the sun was taking its toll. For the first time in a race – and very much against the “Rasmus Rules” – I stopped briefly in the shade, feeling slightly dizzy and needing a moment to reset.

Approaching the third checkpoint in Ayagaures, I was still about an hour ahead of the cut-off and slowly regaining strength. With most of the climbing behind me, I had imagined a runnable final 16 kilometres down to the finish in Parque del Sur. But once again, the technical nature of the trails made sustained running nearly impossible.

In the end, I crossed the line 693rd out of 1,200 starters, with a chip time of 8 hours and 23 minutes. Not my best performance, but certainly not my worst. And whatever the placing, I will always carry with me the memory of that island – its volcanic ridges, its blinding sun, and the long descent toward the sea with its memories from the day before.