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Race course · Transgrancanaria 2027

Transgrancanaria Classic: elevation profile, gain and key sections

The Transgrancanaria crosses Gran Canaria from north to south, from Las Canteras beach to Maspalomas, through the mountainous heart of the island. The Classic, the flagship race, is 126 km with 6,764 m of announced elevation gain, and it is part of the World Trail Majors. You start at the sea and finish at the sea, but the course is anything but symmetrical: nearly 90% of the climbing comes before El Garañón, at km 91, and the last 35 kilometres are one long descent to the coast. Here is the course section by section, analysed by Runcon on the official GPX.

Updated 8 November 2026 · start on Friday 26 February 2027 at 23:59

Race facts

The course profile, analysed by Runcon

This is the course as Runcon shows it when you add a race: each stretch is coloured by the effort it takes, from the blue of the descents to the brick red of the hardest climbs.

Official GPX published by the organisers on the Classic page, matching the 2027 profile. Runcon measures 7,500 m of gain on it; the organisers announce 6,764 m. There is no single "true" elevation gain: the finer you measure (here one point every 9 m), the more small bumps you count. Where the climbs sit on the course doesn't change. The dashed lines mark the aid stations.

What the profile shows at a glance: the race is a string of big climbs and deep descents, with no real flat before Maspalomas. You climb from the sea to 1,000 m over the first 43 kilometres, drop back down to El Hornillo, then climb again to Artenara and the high point (1,722 m, km 72). After Tejeda, at km 79, comes the hardest section of the course, up to El Garañón (km 91). Then it's downhill: nearly 1,700 m to lose in 35 km, with 90 km already in your legs.

The steep climbs that matter

Runcon's briefing counts the steep stretches of the course. In trail mode, a climb is steep between 6 and 9% average gradient, and very steep above 9%. A descent is steep beyond 6%. On the Classic:

Thirty-five climbs, twenty-five of them very steep: on the Classic, steep is the rule. Here are the longest, in the order you'll meet them:

The most important ones are in bold. The climb from El Hornillo to Artenara is the longest on the course: nearly 7 km almost in one go, around 15%, in the morning for most runners. But the hardest comes after Tejeda: 1.7 km at 20% straight out of the village, then 1.9 km at 18.5%, with 80 km in your legs. At these gradients almost everyone walks: poles and power-hiking training pay off here.

As for descents, four are longer than 3 km: 3.7 km at 17.6% down to El Hornillo (km 48), 3.3 km at 16% down to Tejeda (km 74), 4 km at 13% down to Tunte (km 94) and above all 6.5 km at 12.9% between km 104 and 111, towards Ayagaures. That last one comes when your quads are at their most battered: that's often where the race is lost, more than on the climbs. To prepare, long technical descents repeated at the end of your long runs cover most of it.

The eleven sections of the course

The aid stations split the race into eleven. Official kilometres from the organisers; gain and loss measured by Runcon on the GPX (about 10% above the official figure, see above).

By El Garañón you have done 88% of the climbing in 91 km. The last three sections, on the other hand, have 2,600 m of descent for less than 1,000 m of climbing.

1. Las Palmas → Teror (km 0 to 31.6): the climb through the night

A midnight start on Las Canteras beach, then a long way out of the city before climbing to Tenoya (liquid-only aid station), Arucas and Teror. The gain grows with each section, up to the 2.8 km at 15% from km 24.6. Daylight only comes around 07:30: you run this whole part by headlamp. The first kilometres in a tight pack push you to start too fast; they decide nothing.

2. Teror → El Hornillo (km 31.6 to 52.7): the first big chunk

Teror → Fontanales is the second steepest section of the course (89 m of gain per km) and takes you up to 1,000 m. Fontanales is the first drop-bag point. Then you plunge to El Hornillo down 3.7 km at 17.6%, the steepest descent of the race. El Hornillo is closed to supporters: no crew access.

3. El Hornillo → Tejeda (km 52.7 to 79.2): the island's high ground

The big climb of nearly 7 km to Artenara, then the steepest climb on the course (930 m at 21%, km 64) and 4.6 km to the high point, at 1,722 m, above the Tejeda caldera. You then drop to Tejeda down 3.3 km at 16%. It's the most beautiful part, but also the most exposed to wind and cold: it's the reason the "cold kit" can be made mandatory.

4. Tejeda → El Garañón (km 79.2 to 90.8): the hardest section

The densest climbing on the course: 104 m of gain per km, with two climbs of nearly 2 km at 18-20%, and the passage at the foot of the Roque Nublo around km 88. You're back at nearly 1,700 m at El Garañón, the second drop-bag point. It's also the section with the least margin on the cut-offs (see below).

5. El Garañón → Maspalomas (km 90.8 to 126): the long descent

35 km dropping from 1,700 m to sea level, through Tunte and Ayagaures, with a few short bumps left. The 6.5 km descent to Ayagaures is the longest of the race. Depending on your pace, you'll run this finish in the afternoon heat or during your second night: carry water for the dry ravines of the south, and a headlamp with charge left.

Aid stations and cut-off times

2027 cut-offs published on the Classic page, in Canary Islands local time. A cut-off is the time by which you must leave the aid station.

Early on, the cut-offs assume a little over 5 km/h; at the end, a little over 4 km/h. But look above all at the time between two cut-offs: if you leave Tejeda just before 18:00, you have only 2 h 45 for the 11.6 km and 1,200 m of climbing up to El Garañón. That's the section where the cut-off is decided: reach Tejeda at least an hour ahead. (The official table puts Tunte at km 98.4, the profile at km 100.4; the GPX agrees with the profile.)

Advanced and Marathon: the end of the same course

The two shorter races also finish in Maspalomas and follow the end of the Classic course: everything above about Tejeda → El Garañón and the big descent applies to them too.

On the Advanced, the difficulty is packed into the first 47 kilometres: Fontanales, Artenara, the high point, then Tejeda → El Garañón. The Marathon starts straight away with the climb towards the top of the island, then strings together 35 km of descent: it's a race for your quads more than your lungs.

Read the course in detail with Runcon

The profile above is what Runcon shows for any race as soon as you drop in its GPX, wherever it is in the world. In the app you also get the estimated finish time for your level, the split times at the aid stations (to check your margin on every cut-off), the section that costs you the most and a pre-race briefing that details the steep climbs and descents.

No GPX yet? Our GPX file guide explains where to find it. Training for another ultra? Read our article on the SaintéLyon too.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Transgrancanaria?

From 24 to 28 February 2027. The Classic starts on Friday 26 February at 23:59 from Las Palmas, the Advanced on Saturday 27 at 09:00 from Teror, the Marathon on Friday 26 at 09:30 from Tejeda. Times are Canary Islands time, the same as the UK.

How much elevation gain does the Classic have?

The organisers announce 6,764 m of gain over 126 km. Runcon measures 7,500 m on the official GPX, a very detailed file: the finer you measure, the more small bumps you count, hence the gap. Nearly 90% of the climbing comes before El Garañón, at km 91.

Where can I download the GPX?

On each race's page on the official website, under "Tracks download". Take the GPX rather than the KMZ: the organisers warn that Google Earth can distort distance and elevation.

Do I need a medical certificate?

Yes, for the Classic and the Advanced: a certificate signed by a doctor, less than a year old, on the organisers' template, uploaded to your runner area before 14 January 2027. Without it, your registration isn't valid, even if paid.

What kit is mandatory?

Among other things, 1.5 L of water, a headlamp of at least 200 lumens with spare batteries, a red tail light at night, a survival blanket, a breathable waterproof jacket, a cap, food, a phone that works in Spain, ID and at least €50 in cash. A "cold kit" (warm gloves, windproof trousers, thermal top and tights) is mandatory unless the organisers drop it two days before, depending on the weather.

Can I have a support crew?

Yes, at Arucas, Teror, Fontanales, Artenara, Tejeda, El Garañón and Tunte. Not at Tenoya, El Hornillo or Ayagaures. On the Classic you can also have a drop bag at Fontanales and El Garañón (one 35 × 50 cm bag provided, handed in at bib collection).

Sources

• Official Classic 126 km page (GPX, 2027 profile, aid stations, cut-offs, kit)
• Official pages for the Advanced and the Marathon, and the 2027 dates announcement

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