This year, alongside the popular roots of Canfranc, we’ll also welcome the world’s top mountain and trail runners as special guests for the World Championships. All together in Canfranc, but not mixed: each event has its own schedule and course. Let’s break down the how and why.

• Canfranc-Canfranc 2025: September 5–7, 2025
• World Mountain & Trail Running Championships CanfrancPirineos 2025: September 24–28, 2025

Canfranc-Canfranc: Born for the People

The Canfranc-Canfranc was created by and for grassroots runners—everyday heroes without capes, who over the years have proven they never back down from the challenges Canfranc throws at them, be it snow, steep gradients, or the ticking clock. They’ve braved editions with up to 30 cm of fresh snow on the course, facing it all with mountain wisdom and grit. They, along with the volunteers who have cared for them for over a decade, are the living soul of this event—the heartbeat the organization reveres.

WMTRC 2025 Steps Aside for the Canfranc-Canfranc

When Canfranc was officially announced as the host for the 2025 World Mountain & Trail Running Championships—welcoming more than 80 countries across five disciplines at the closing ceremony of Innsbruck 2023—the organization took a deep breath and made a firm decision:
“The World Championships are welcome, but our popular mountain races are not to be touched.”
Not a single date or course was changed.

The mountain runners who have supported Canfranc from the beginning still reign supreme. Their priority remains absolute. So much so that triple world ultra champion Luis Alberto Hernando is also registered to run as a regular participant in Canfranc-Canfranc 2025.

Of course, the World Championships will have their own path, designed to coexist harmoniously with the popular races. New dates and new routes shape a dual event, crafted to be 100% sustainable. To bring this vision to life, the major elite showdowns in the Uphill, Classic, Marathon, and Ultra categories have been scheduled three weeks apart from the popular races. The approach is cosmopolitan, welcoming runners from cultures that may not have deep alpine traditions. This way, both local mountain runners and international pioneers feel right at home.

Canfranc Mountain Marathon: Unique. Popular and Elite Together.

At the center of it all remains the Canfranc Mountain Marathon. This is where it all began—the original beacon that lit the flame of this collective passion. That first “four-thousander” among Spanish mountain marathons remains iconic to this day. Its course stays unchanged for everyone—elites and popular runners alike. A timeless legend that continues to inspire.

Perhaps in 2025, Oihana Kortazar’s monumental record (6:17:41) will finally fall to Grayson Murphy, who already holds the Canfranc 16K record. Or perhaps not. But one thing is certain: the last runner to cross the marathon finish line will have faced the exact same challenges as the 2025 World Champion.

JACINTO GONZÁLEZ: Canfranc’s Iron Man

Few names embody the spirit of the Canfranc-Canfranc like veteran Catalan runner Jacinto González, who has completed every single edition of the Canfranc Ultra 100K. At over 60 years of age, he will once again toe the line in 2025 to celebrate a decade of battling and conquering the ten Pyrenean peaks that make up the most technically demanding and alpine course in Spain.

Jacinto, how did your passion for the Canfranc 100K begin?

When it was created in 2015, I heard about it and saw that the route was something truly special. I committed to it from day one, and even joined the pre-race training camp. From that very first moment—even before I had a bib—I was hooked by the atmosphere, the people, and the mountains. And that’s never changed.

What’s your strategy to always finish the Canfranc Ultra 100K?

Over the years, my goals have shifted. I no longer care about the clock—what matters is the experience and what I feel during the race. So, I start much slower than I could, with the goal of ticking off summits at my own pace. If I get cramps, I slow down, eat, drink, and recover. But I never stop.

What gear do you carry during the race?

Everything required as mandatory gear… and then some. I know the aid stations here have everything I need, so I don’t carry too much food or water. But when it comes to the weather, I always bring extra. Over the years, we’ve been hit with thunder, rain, snow, and freezing temperatures. Since the very first edition, showing these mountains the respect they deserve has probably been one of my secrets to always finishing. Even if my pack weighs a kilo more.

SERGIO MAYAYO | Press Office Manager, WMTRC 2025