The North Face Transgrancanaria
Transgrancanaria Advanced
Teror (Plaza del Pino) → Maspalomas (Parque Sur)
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Transgrancanaria Advanced is an 81 km point-to-point mountain race that forms part of The North Face Transgrancanaria event, running south from Teror (Plaza del Pino, 591 m) to the coast at Maspalomas (Parque Sur, 30 m). With 3,625 m of total climb and a high point of 1,742 m, this is no gentle introduction to Gran Canaria's interior — the route threads through the island's rugged central massif before a long, draining descent to the southern tip. You start in the cool pine-scented highlands around Teror, climb deep into the Roque Nublo heartland via Artenara and Tejeda, push to the roof of the course near El Garañón, and then spend the final 35 km progressively unravelling altitude, vegetation and temperature as the Canarian desert takes over on the approach to Maspalomas. With a hard cut-off of 06:00 at the finish, most runners are on course for between 12 and 20 hours, meaning the bulk of the later stages — from Tunte at 54 km onwards — are completed in darkness. The race suits experienced trail runners who are comfortable navigating a long night section in heat, can manage crew points strategically (four are available), and know how to pace a course where the climbing comes early and the heat accumulates late.
Course & Terrain
The route opens from Teror with an immediate climb toward the laurel forests and cultivated ridges above Moya (Fontanales, 12.2 km, 1,001 m), mixing farm tracks and single trail through a greener, damper northern landscape. From there the character shifts as you enter the volcanic interior: the trail to Artenara (22.4 km, 1,195 m) involves exposed ridge running above dramatic barranco walls, with loose volcanic rock and occasional technical footing. Tejeda (34.8 km, 1,021 m) sits in the island's central caldera and is reached via a descent into and out of the barranco — expect steep, rocky paths with little respite for the quads. The section from Tejeda to El Garañón (46.4 km, 1,672 m) is the roof of the course, climbing through pine forest to the highest point at 1,742 m. Trail surfaces here are better consolidated but the gradient is sustained. Below El Garañón the course drops to Tunte (54 km, 1,270 m) and then commits to a long descent through the southern slopes: scrubby vegetation gives way to arid ravines as you pass through Ayagaures (66.6 km, 312 m) and finally the flat coastal approach into Maspalomas. The final kilometres from Ayagaures to the finish are largely flat or gently undulating on wider tracks — but 66 km of mountain terrain in your legs will make every metre count.
The Decisive Climbs & Descents
The race is largely decided in two phases. The first is the Tejeda-to-El Garañón climb between roughly km 35 and km 46 — a 650 m net gain that arrives after the biggest barranco descent of the day. Runners who have gone out too hard into Artenara or lost time on the Tejeda descent will feel this sustained climb acutely, and it carries the tightest time buffer of the middle race (the El Garañón cut-off is 20:45). Arrive at El Garañón with reserves: this is the last high-altitude crew point and the last chance to cool down and resupply before a long, warm night. The second decisive section is the descent from El Garañón to Ayagaures — over 1,300 m of drop across 20 km of darkening trail. This is where tired quads and poor night-navigation combine dangerously. The path through the southern barrancos can be rocky and indirect; a headtorch with a fresh battery and poles for the steeper drops are strongly recommended. Runners who bank time on the descent to Ayagaures give themselves a manageable final 14 km to Maspalomas; those who blow up here face a grinding final section on the flats with the 06:00 cut-off looming.
Pacing & Race Strategy
The start in Teror is at altitude and the opening climb to Moya arrives within the first 12 km — resist the temptation to charge. The sensible approach is to run the first 35 km to Tejeda conservatively, treating each crew point as a structured pause rather than a dash-through. At Artenara (22.4 km) you have your first crew access; use it to top up fluids and check kit, but keep stops under five minutes. At Tejeda (34.8 km) eat a proper meal-style portion of food — the long climb to El Garañón is ahead and there is no crew point between Tejeda and El Garañón (11.6 km). The El Garañón crew point (46.4 km) is the last crew access before Ayagaures at 66.6 km — a 20 km gap with no crew in the dark. Prepare for that gap thoroughly: full night kit, two flasks or a bladder of fluid, and sufficient calories. Below Tunte (54 km) the temperature rises noticeably even at night; a hydration strategy that accounts for increasing heat is critical. Budget roughly 30 minutes of buffer on each cut-off from Tunte onwards to absorb any navigation hesitation or unexpected terrain in the dark.
Checkpoints, Crew & Cut-Offs
There are four crew-accessible checkpoints: Artenara (22.4 km), Tejeda (34.8 km), El Garañón (46.4 km) and Tunte (54 km). Crew must plan for significant road driving between these points — the mountain roads on Gran Canaria are narrow and winding — so agree a strict meeting plan with your support team before the race. Missing a crew window at El Garañón, in particular, could leave you poorly stocked for the longest unsupported stretch of the course. Cut-offs tighten progressively and leave limited slack for mid-race difficulties. The Artenara cut-off is 14:30, giving approximately 4.5 hours for 22.4 km from a morning start — generous on paper but the terrain is technical. The critical pinch point is El Garañón at 20:45; runners arriving close to this cut-off have fewer than six hours to cover the final 34 km to Maspalomas, much of it in the dark and in rising temperatures. If you reach Tunte before 23:25 with your legs intact, the finish is very achievable — the remaining 26.7 km to Maspalomas are predominantly downhill or flat.
Conditions & What to Expect
Gran Canaria's interior is not the beach resort island most visitors know. The northern and central highlands — Teror, Moya, Artenara, Tejeda — can be cool and even misty at race time, with temperatures that feel genuinely cold on exposed ridges above 1,200 m. A lightweight wind layer for the opening sections is sensible. By the time you descend into the southern zone below Tunte, the Canarian climate reasserts itself: even at night the air is noticeably warmer and drier, and by the time you reach Ayagaures (312 m) and the coastal flats you are in a semi-arid environment. Wind is a constant variable on the high ridges around Artenara and El Garañón — the island's topography funnels trade winds onto the exposed paths and it can be significantly colder or rougher than forecast at the valley start. Carry a mandatory kit list that accounts for both the cold high section and the warm low section. Navigation is aided by course markings but the complex barranco trails around Tejeda and the dark descent to Ayagaures warrant pre-race study of the route profile. Poles are permitted and worthwhile given the cumulative 3,625 m of ascent and the steep descents that follow.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 591 m · Sat 09:00
12.2 km · 1001 m · Sat 11:55
22.4 km · 1195 m · Sat 14:30
34.8 km · 1021 m · Sat 18:00
46.4 km · 1672 m · Sat 20:45
55.3 km · 1172 m · Sat 23:25
66.9 km · 305 m · Sun 02:25
81.7 km · 31 m · Sun 06:00
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