The Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB honors five Canarian trail running “legends”

The Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB, organized by the Cabildo through the public company Ideco, will honor five trail runners with the “Canarian Legends of the Tenerife Bluetrail” award, based on nominations from various track and field clubs. This year,it was the clubs in the Canary Islands that nominated the 2025 Canarian Legends. This tribute aims to recognize their perseverance, their example of overcoming adversity, their track record, their sportsmanship, and their personal stories, so that they may also serve as an inspiration to new generations of athletes.

Francisco Javier Hernández, Julio Rodríguez, Miguel García, Romén Torres, and Enedina Pérez will join the roster of “legends” for the Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB during a ceremony to be held on March 27 as part of the Ultra Trail Village event at Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz.

Julio Rodríguez Triana

He is a true institution in the world of trail running on the islands. At 74 years old, he has participated in numerous mountain races, primarily in the ultra and marathon categories. Nominated by the Caminantes ‘El Atajo’ Sports Club (La Palma), Julio Rodríguez is also an experienced competitor in the Tenerife Bluetrail, which he has run twice (2017 and 2018). In addition, throughout his long athletic career, he has competed in the Transvulcania (in nearly every edition), the Reventón Trail, the Gomera Paradise, the Meridian Marathon, the Transgrancanaria, the Anaga Marathon, and the Cabra Trail, among others.

Miguel García Gutiérrez (Kiko)

His story is a living lesson in perseverance and strength. Despite having started in the sport at an age that many would consider late, he has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to overcome obstacles and adapt to the most challenging situations.

Since his first appearance in the Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB in 2012, he has been a consistent competitor, demonstrating extraordinary physical and mental strength year after year. Nominated by Club Aiiiiiiiadelanteteam (Tenerife), Miguel García has challenged stereotypes about age in sports, proving that it’s never too late to discover one’s potential and achieve exceptional feats. His success in competitions such as the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)—where he became the only runner from the Canary Islands and Spain to reach the podium in the over-60 category—is a testament to his ability to push beyond his limits.

Francisco Javier Hernández Sánchez

Francisco Javier Hernández, who lives in Tenerife but is a member of the La Palma club “Trecus Domingo Alonso,” has been running ultramarathons in and outside the Canary Islands for 21 years. He has participated in several editions of the Tenerife Bluetrail, including the first one held in 2011, and has also served as a support runner and sweep runner in the “magical” race. Before getting into trail running, he weighed over 100 kilos, but the sport came into his life and changed everything. Among the many stories from his athletic career, in 2012, while participating in the Tor des Géants (330 km), he helped rescue another runner in distress in the midst of a major storm.

Romén Torres Barrera

After spending his entire life in the world of soccer, and following his retirement at age 25, Romén Torres Barreda began to dabble in trail running, and since then he has participated in numerous races on the island—including the Tenerife Bluetrail—as well as regional, national, and international events, earning awards and podium finishes in many of them.

In February 2021, his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, leading to emergency surgery from which he emerged with total paralysis on the left side of his body. Far from being a definitive setback for his athletic career and personal life, this challenging ordeal became a new source of motivation. He embraced it as a challenge to push himself further, finding the motivation he needed to speed up his recovery with the goal of returning both to the mountains for trail running and to the roads on his bike.

Just two months later, he was back on his bike and doing light jogging sessions. In July, he reached a new milestone by participating in and completing the 8KM race in La Orotava—an extraordinary feat that, while surprising to many, came as no surprise to his family, who were well aware of his ability, dedication, and spirit of sacrifice.

In the months that followed, Romén continued to push himself by participating in other athletic events on different islands. His consistency, persistence, determination, motivation, sportsmanship, and resilience make him a truly exceptional person, according to the “Clator Orotava” club, which has nominated him for the award.

Enedina Pérez Cáceres

Enedina Modesta Pérez Cáceres was born in Tijarafe (La Palma). She is a brave and determined woman who never backed down in a man’s world and would go out to tend her goats on the mountaintop, where she spent days and nights isolated from society.

Today, she still tends a flock and makes cheese for her own consumption. She makes cheese, milks the goats, clears brush, and crochets. With those hands and her drive to make the most of life, Enedina Pérez cares for the land, keeps traditions alive, and passes on the cultural heritage to future generations.

But she’s also an outstanding mountain runner. At 69, she continues to train and compete in races throughout the Canary Islands, according to the “Laurisilva-La Gomera” club, the organization that nominated her for the “Canarian Legends Tenerife Bluetrail” award. This passion has, quite unintentionally, made her the talk of the world. The image of her crossing the finish line at the Meridian Marathon on the island of El Hierro went viral around the globe.