Cristofer Clemente and Marta Vigano win the 2023 Tenerife Bluetrail Ultra, the race’s premier event

Runners Cristofer Clemente and Marta Vigano won the Ultra category of the Tenerife Bluetrail, the race’s flagship event, after covering the 100.6 kilometers from Médano Beach in Granadilla to the finish line at Plaza Reyes Católicos in Puerto de la Cruz. Clemente completed the course in 10:32:21, and Vigano finished with a time of 13:41:11.

Athletes David Prades and Cristina Santurino (Trail), Francisco Dopico and José Diego Blanco (Trail Relay), Mario Mirabel and Vanessa Caba (Marathon), and Arezki Habibi and Mireia Pons (Half Marathon) were the winners in their respective events. In addition, a new edition of the Bluetrail Challenge was held, in which 28 people with disabilities participated in the 7.2-, 5-, and 1.2-kilometer races, as well as the jöelette race, which featured five teams.

The twelfth edition of the Tenerife race, organized by the Tenerife Island Council through the public company Ideco, drew more than 2,000 runners from 33 countries who competed in one of the race’s 10 categories.

The awards ceremony was attended by the island’s Councilor for Sports, Concepción Rivero; the mayor of Puerto de la Cruz, Marco González; the island’s Director of Roads, Tomás Félix García; the Puerto de la Cruz Councilor for Sports, Alberto Cabo; as well as representatives from the event’s sponsoring and partner companies.

The race is also endorsed by the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)—the most prestigious event in the world in this discipline—for five of its categories, based on distance and elevation gain.

The 2023 Tenerife Bluetrail, organized by the Cabildo through the public company Ideco, is supported by companies such as Fred. Olsen, Hospiten, Physiorelax, La Fast, Fonteide, Libby’s, Cajamar, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Clínica del Pie La Orotava, Isola Frutos Secos que Acompañan, Tirma, Vertresa, Viajes El Corte Inglés, Coca-Cola, and Coca-Cola’s “Eventos con buen ambiente,” La Molineta, Mahou, Cultesa, Lago Martiánez, Casinos de Tenerife, and Avis.

Safety and Incidents

The race proceeded normally, with the usual incidents that occur in this type of event. A total of 91 athletes withdrew during the race, and as for the setbacks reported, most were related to exhaustion, general discomfort, or injuries. At 5:30 p.m., the number of people treated by medical services stood at 15.

The Tenerife Bluetrail is a very complex event. The various routes and the terrain require the coordinated mobilization of some 700 people, including staff from the Island Council (Sports, Natural Environment and Safety, Tourism, and Roads), Ideco, the Red Cross, the Civil Guard, local police from the municipalities through which the race passes, staff from Teide National Park, civil protection agencies from across the island, QRV Emergencias, the Tamadaya Protection and Emergency Association, trail running clubs, and various volunteer associations and groups, among others.

This device was strategically placed along the entire course to assist the runners and address all the needs that arise during an event of this magnitude.

​The organization also relied on nearly 200 volunteers who performed various tasks, such as preparing the runner’s bags, distributing race bibs, providing support at the starting lines for the different race categories, handing out supplies and meal tickets at the finish line, coordinating transportation to take runners to Santa Cruz or La Laguna, and providing refreshments along the various race routes, among other tasks.

Results by category

Ultra

Cristofer Clemente completed the 100.6-kilometer Ultra race in 10:32:21. Second place went to Sange Sherpa of Nepal (10:58:03), while third place went to Ricardo Luis, with a time of 11:08:32.

In the women’s category, Marta Vigano crossed the finish line in 13:41:11, followed by second-place finisher Karola Rennhack with a time of 13:43:02. The third athlete to enter Reyes Católicos Square was Martina Tognin, who clocked a time of 13:56:56.

The athletes competing in the race’s longest distance were unable to ascend to the 3,555-meter summit of La Rambleta due to strong gusts of wind, which forced the suspension of the cable car service—an essential tool for ensuring the logistics and safety of the runners.

Trail

David Prades, from Castellón, was the first to cross the finish line in the 73-kilometer race with a time of 7:14:11, ahead of Omar Ezacriti, whom he beat by just eight seconds (7:14:19) and Stefano Rinaldi, who clocked a time of 7:35:48. In the women’s category, Cristina Santurino is the new Trail champion, winning with a time of 9:10:38 ahead of Mireia Briones, who crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 9:35:50. Third place went to Helga Fabian, who finished in 9:45:12.

The Trail route consists of 62% trail, 26% dirt road, and 12% paved road. The race starts at an elevation of 1,378 meters and reaches 2,418 meters at its highest point, with a total elevation gain of 8,674 meters.

Relay Trail

The team of Francisco Dopico and José Diego Blanco won this event at the Tenerife Bluetrail in the men’s category after completing the 73-kilometer race (25 kilometers + 48 kilometers) in a time of 7:50:55. Rounding out the podium were Francisco Lastra and Navin Khatwani (7:52:44) and Carlos Pitarque and Javier Pitarque (7:54:25).

The route for this race consisted of 55% trails, 32% dirt roads, and 13% paved roads.

Marathon

Mario Mirabel, from Extremadura, won this category with a time of 4:13:44, followed by Eloy Ramjos (4:22:58) and Carmelo González, with a time of 4:27:23. In the women’s race, Vanessa Caba (5:26:52) was the first to cross the finish line in Puerto de la Cruz, ahead of Nayra Noble (5:30:59) and Beatriz López (5:58:38). The 44-kilometer course consisted of 55% trails, 15% dirt roads, and 30% paved roads.

Media

Arezki Habibi took first place in this event with a time of 1:52:16. Second place went to Raúl Díaz with a time of 1:54:41, while the third to cross the finish line was Italy’s Simone Rota, who clocked in at 1:55:21. In the women’s category, Mireia Pons of Catalonia took the top spot on the podium with a time of 2:06:30, followed by Anikka Seefeld (2:25:51) and Yolanda Martín (2:27:31), who finished second and third, respectively.

The runners set off from the Plaza de Aguamansa (La Orotava) and covered a 24-kilometer route that runs along a

From San Agustín de los Realejos to the end of the 20-kilometer route, which consists of 40% trails, 27% dirt roads, and 33% paved roads. The total elevation gain is 3,212 meters, with a maximum elevation of 1,750 meters.

Bluetrail Challenge and Jöelettes: Inclusive Events

Once again this year, inclusion has been one of the core values of the 2023 Tenerife Bluetrail. In the Challenge category, 28 athletes participated, spread across three courses measuring 7.2, 5, and 1 kilometer. As for the jöelettes, four teams of five people demonstrated how to overcome barriers through sports.

Family Race

Also as part of the Tenerife Bluetrail, the 5.3-kilometer Family Race—a family-friendly race between the San Felipe ravine and Reyes Católicos Beach—took place, with 71 runners participating, as well as the Peque Race, with 16 participants, and the charity races.