At six in the morning, with the night still covering the volcanic landscape of La Geria, the main day of the first edition of Unique Trail Lanzarote by Joma kicked off. The race brought together 800 participants this Saturday in four modalities that traversed some of the island's most unique landscapes, with a common finish line at the spectacular Mirador del Río, in Haría. The debut saw outstanding victories, hard-fought races, and a first page for an event that is born with the aim of carving out a niche in the national trail calendar.
The island became the setting for a day marked by volcanic terrain, technical trails, and panoramic views of the Atlantic. From the 67-kilometer Ultra to the 12-kilometer Manriqueña Starter, passing through the Marathon and the Experience Half, the runners faced different routes united by the landscape of Lanzarote.
Julen Calvó conquers the Ultra
The queen distance, 67 kilometers, started at 6:00 AM from Bodega La Geria, in Yaiza. Participants ventured into an environment characterized by "rofe," the volcanic material that defines a large part of the island's landscape, on a demanding route that gradually weeded out the contenders for victory as the kilometers passed.
Julen Calvó (Joma) and Oswaldo Medina (Carphial Teror Trail) shared the spotlight for a good part of the first half of the race. It was in the vicinity of Castillo de Santa Bárbara, approximately at kilometer 35, where the Catalan runner began to open a small gap over his rival. From then on, Calvó progressively widened the difference until reaching the finish line at Mirador del Río with a time of 6:19:40.
Medina crossed the finish line in second place with 6:53:50, while Juan Pablo Gil completed the men's podium with 7:02:44, after maintaining his position throughout the event.
In the women's category, Beatriz Vivo (Tira Pal Monte) took victory with authority. The runner from Extremadura was already clearly leading at Montaña Blanca, with about ten minutes of advantage, and she managed her effort to extend her lead to the finish line. Vivo stopped the clock at 9:10:04, ahead of Anabel Ruiz (Rasines Trail), second with 9:33:52, and Raquel Hernández (CD Aridane Trail), third with 9:38:48.
Yoel de Paz and Inés Astrain shine in the Marathon
The Marathon, 46 kilometers long, started from San Bartolomé with a first section on asphalt before entering dirt paths. The climb to Montaña Mina, with the first lights of the day, offered one of the outstanding scenes of the route before the runners continued towards the surroundings of Teguise and faced the final kilometers towards the north of the island.
In the men's category, Yoel de Paz (Wild Trail Project) and Miguel Heras (Joma) shared prominence for a large part of the route. The race was decided in the section from Teguise to Haría, where the runner from La Palma managed to open a small gap that he defended until the finish. De Paz crossed the finish line in 3:59:18, under four hours, while Heras finished second with 4:07:00. Chus Álvarez (CD Solorunners Valladolid) completed the podium with 4:39:41.
The women's victory went to Inés Astrain (Joma), who dominated the distance with a time of 4:49:51. The runner from Navarre maintained a solid lead over Lorena Padrón, second with 5:33:50. The third place went to Laura Castro.
The Marathon thus left two of the outstanding names of this first edition: Astrain, for her women's triumph, and Yoel de Paz, who added this victory to the one achieved on Thursday in the Vertical Kilometer Las Gracioseras.
Jocsan Negrín wins the Media Experience
The Media Experience, starting from the Ermita de las Nieves, began with a descent towards Caletero before entering a technical route that required runners to manage their strength well to tackle the faster sections.
The men's race offered one of the most disputed finishes of the day. Jocsan Negrín (Garafiainfinita), a runner from La Palma, initially formed a leading group with David Recco (CD Hilera), the Argentine Rodrigo Chandía (Joma), and the Lanzaroteño Raúl Caraballo. It was halfway through the course that Negrín managed to open a gap from his pursuers and consolidate his claim to victory.
The winner completed the distance in 2:12:07, with Recco in second place with 2:16:26 and Chandía third with 2:19:25.
In the women's category, Aitana Sainz proved to be the dominant force in the distance. The runner from Navarre won with a time of 2:43:52, ahead of Verónica Suárez (La Ribera), second with 2:46:42, and the Italian Michelle Quarti, third with 2:53:52.
The Guerra brothers conquer the 12-kilometer Starter
The Manriqueña Starter, 12 kilometers long and starting from the Casa de El Cura, in Haría, was the most crowded event of Saturday, with more than 200 participants. Its course, faster than the long distances, saw a men's race dominated from the early stages by Ione Guerra (Arista Pro Team).
The Canarian runner took the lead from the start and maintained a high pace towards Las Rositas, around kilometer eight. His advantage allowed him to face the final stretch with a margin and cross the finish line in 1:05:15. Zenón Afonso (CD Marea Viva) was second with 1:10:00 and Carlos Leandro García finished third with 1:10:10.
In the women's category, his sister Estela Guerra (Arista Pro Team) completed an outstanding weekend. After winning the Vertical Kilometer Las Gracioseras, she climbed to the top of the podium again with a time of 1:17:04, a mark that also allowed her to finish among the top ten in the overall standings.
The fight for the next women's positions was much tighter. Local runner Yadira Pérez (HTT) took second place in 1:25:32, just over a minute ahead of Nuria Muñoz, third with 1:26:25.
A Debut to Remember
The first edition of Unique Trail Lanzarote by Joma concludes its main day with a succession of results that reinforce the commitment to incorporate Lanzarote into the top level of mountain races.
The victory of Julen Calvó in the Ultra, the double of Yoel de Paz, the wins of Inés Astrain and Aitana Sainz, and the prominence of the Guerra siblings are part of the first page of a race that has just begun its history. Lanzarote has provided the terrain and the landscape; the runners, the effort and the spectacle. The debut leaves great feelings and the hope that this new project will continue to grow in future editions.
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