With just six months to go until the opening of the third edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship in CanfrancPirineos (Spain), expectations are excellent regarding both participation and quality. More than 1,400 athletes from over 75 countries are expected to compete for the ten world titles on offer.
The small town of Canfranc, located in the Aragonese Pyrenees (Spain), is working hard to host the third edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship from September 24 to 28 this year. It will be the first time that Spain and the Pyrenees will host one of the most significant events on the international calendar for this sport. Canfranc, which has only 600 inhabitants, is ready for the big challenge.
This is confirmed by its mayor, Fernando Sánchez, who, with just six months left before the big event, points out that “we are following all the steps we set out from the beginning, everything is going according to plan. Also, financially, all administrations are meeting their commitments, and we continue to look for new sponsors and private collaborators to join this great collective venture.”
Just two weeks ago, the Government of Spain, through the Higher Sports Council, announced a grant of €400,000 for the organization of the Championships, and it is expected that in the coming weeks, other already committed funds will be made public. The CanfrancPirineos 2025 WMTRC is organized under the umbrella of World Athletics, and the partnership of the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), and the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA).
The Head of Running at World Athletics, Alessio Punzi, is excited about the CanfrancPirineos World Championship. “We can’t wait for the world’s best mountain and trail runners to race in Canfranc in six months’ time, during the 3rd edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships,” he said. Punzi assures that “with eight senior World Champion titles on the line, plus two for the U20, there won’t be shortage of drama and entertainment in the two trail and two mountain races that compose the programme. The stunning sceneries of the Pyrenees will be much more than the perfect backdrop: in this sport, the landscape is a protagonist, and what an unforgettable one the Aragon region will be.”
Sarah Rowell, representing the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), and the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), states that “both excitement and expectations are high.” With her extensive experience in organizing high-level events, she points out that “we know from last years World Masters Mountain Running Championships and from our site visits that the four different courses reflect the wonderful terrain of the Aragon region and will be true tests of mountain and trail running skills – it will certainly be the best mountain and trail runners who stand on the podium. Building on the success of the first two editions of the WMTRC we expect to see more teams and more athletes taking part and from our work with Alex Valera, his team, and the Royal Spanish Federation we have full confidence that the Championships will be delivered to the highest standard.”
On the other hand, the Event Director of CanfrancPirineos 2025, Alex Varela, emphasizes the involvement of Canfranc’s volunteers in the World Championship, the enthusiasm in the town, and the high technical level of the circuits where the athletes will compete. “We are talking about alpine-style routes that pass through some of the most beautiful areas in southern Europe. These are very demanding trails that will require the maximum effort from the athletes competing in this World Championship.”
The third edition of the CanfrancPirineos 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championship will feature more than 1,400 athletes from over 70 countries. A total of five categories will be contested: ‘Uphill,’ ‘Classic –senior and U20-, ‘ShortTrail’ and ‘LongTrail’. Spain and the Pyrenees, the second most important mountain range in Europe, will host this major sports event for the first time in history in the town of Canfranc, which is world-renowned for its iconic International Railway Station, about to celebrate its 100th anniversary.