Canfranc Mountain Races Kick Off Tomorrow

The runners in the ultra distance races at Canfranc Canfranc will head out into the mountains tonight, then tomorrow it's the turn of the 45k and 16k mountain races.

Canfranc Canfranc has been a fast-growing race. In 2019 it surpassed previous records, reaching almost 900 runners, after starting with just 150 runners five years before. Although the demand for bibs for 2020 would have increased the number of runners to 1,200, the organization decided months ago to give up almost 33% of them due to Covid-19 restrictions. So this year there are just over 800 registered between the four races, in order to prioritize attention to detail for each runner and volunteer.

The starts will be staggered for each race over three days: The Ultra 100k will start tonight at 11pm. It will be followed by the Ultra 75k at 5AM on Saturday, the 45k Marathon will start at 8AM on Saturday and finally the Canfranc 16km will close the event starting a day later, on Sunday at 8AM. In this way, the 200 runners of each race will not have any contact with those in any other race. The technical race briefings were already given virtually online by Canfranc and they have an exhaustive Covid-19 protocol at aid stations and start and finish areas to ensure social distancing.

Past winners at Canfranc include great names of the trail such as Salvador Calvo, Manuel Merillas, Jokin Lizeaga, Pablo Villalobos, Maxime Cazajous, Javier Domínguez-Ledo and of course the three-time world champion Luis Alberto Hernando, who is based in Jaca, who will be back this year in the 16km.

This year, some of the names planned include Luis Hernando, Daniel Osanz, Maite Maiora, Gisela Carrión, Didier Zago, Olivia Magnone and Denise Carrera in the CANFRANC CANFRANC 16KM. The CANFRANC CANFRANC MARATHON features veteran Miguel Heras, canfranero Raul Criado, Alpinultras leader Abel Carretero and another French star, Thibaut Baronian. Oihana Kortazar, María Irigoyen and Alpinultras leader Belén Pérez Riveiro will be in the women's marathon.

Canfranc-Canfranc 2020 is a WMRA affiliate race (and would have been part of the WMRA World Cup), and part of Alpinultras, RFEA National Circuit and GR4 Pirineo Trails.