The Spanish runners won the Marató i Mitja, while the international runners took the first places in the CSP.

Everyone was looking forward to this edition of Penyagolosa Trails, which had to be postponed in 2020 due to the covid health crisis. From day one, the long expectation made this race an epic and essential event in the province’s sports calendar, especially among trail lovers. And it did not disappoint anyone: the province of Castellón had their eyes all over the MiM and the CSP, and celebrated the triumph of both Miguel Caballero and Marta Molist, in the Marató i Mitja of 60km, and Aleksei Tolstenko and Anete Svilpe in the 110km Castelló – Penyagolosa race. The Russian and the Latvian athletes imposed themselves at the finish line, located in Sant Joan de Penyagolosa.

MiM Winners

Native from Aragon, Miguel Caballero placed first and won the MiM trophy, with a time of 05:34:16, a result of his veteran and impressive race-skills management. A profound expert of the route, this is Caballero’s third MiM victory, after winning in 2015 and 2017.

For her part, Marta Molist came to Penyagolosa Trails very well prepared, this year being the most important of her entire career. After a titanic fight with Gemma Arenas from Castilla-La Mancha, the Catalan runner has imposed her leadership dominating the second half of the course and finally obtaining the victory.

Men’s second and third places went to José Ángel Fernández and Abel Carretero, respectively, while women’s second place went to Gemma Arenas and third place to Eva Mesado.

CSP Winners

The Russian runner Aleksei Tolstenko won after competing for the very first time in Penyagolosa Trails. He crossed the finish line at 11:48, with an exact time of 11:48:45, after having disputed an epic race with Spanish Rodrigo Monasor. A duel of titans which Tolstenko got the best of.

The great champion of the day was Anete Svilpe. The Latvian runner was relentless, dominating the race during the entire 110km and giving us a vibrant finish at 14:44, with an exact time of 14:44:08.

Over CSP, second and third place in the men’s race went to Rodrigo Monasor and the Romanian runner Robert Hajnal, respectively, and in the women’s group second place went to the local athlete from C.M. Vistabella club María Obrero Catalán and third place to the Biscayan Leire Martínez.

Special awards

The awards ceremony of absolute categories moved, for the first time, to Vistabella, meeting point for the celebration of runners, families, volunteers and the organization. In so doing the event did not negatively affect the Penyagolosa Natural Park fauna.

The trophy for the absolute winners was designed by renowned artist Manuel Sáez from Castellón. It represents a footprint that, in three dimensions actually resembles a foot. A small sculpture that takes shape by connecting one oval piece after another, an shape that in different cultures symbolizes eternity. For this edition, the trophy was designed in purple, a color associated with the feminist movement.

The director of Penyagolosa Trails, Tico Cervera is very happy with the unfolding of the race, which became a success due to all the security measures, coordination, doctors, buses, communications, and volunteers they counted with. Besides, on Sunday, October 17 at 10:45 a.m regional channel À Punt will broadcast Penyagolosa Trails for the fans of the event to relive the race from the comfort of their homes.

The Latvian runner held the leading position during the entire 110km of the race, crossing the finish line at 2:44pm, with 14:44:08.

Local athlete María Obrero Catalán placed second, followed by Basque runner Leire Martínez, who gets to complete the podium with a third place.

Anete Svilpe was relentless. The Latvian athlete found no rival and, after 14:44:08 competing, she finally achieved the goal she had been pursuing since 2018, when she first disputed the World Championship of Penyagolosa Trails: being the first to cross the finish line. Anete Svilpe dominated the entire race during the 110km, reaching Sant Joan de Penyagolosa in less than fifteen hours.

Local athlete from club C.M. Vistabella, María Obrero Catalán reached second on the podium, crossing the finish line with a time of 15:22:52. A position she maintained since Useres (31.5km). She was followed by Basque runner Leire Martinez, who crossed the finish line with 16:08:08. It should be noted that María Obrero Catalán came second senior at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc CCC, while the Biscayan Leire Martinez had already placed third over the 2018 Penyagolosa Trails CSP, and did it again this year.

A duel of titans between the runners Marta Molist and Gemma Arenas ended with Marta Molist being the first to cross the finish line at 12:28, with a time of 06:28:04.

Gemma Arenas and Eva Mesado complete MiM’s female podium.

All eyes were on Marta Molist, Gemma Arenas and Eva Mesado, the three runners who have won the Penyagolosa Trails 2021 MiM. The victory however went to Marta Molist, after being the first to finish the race with a time of 06:28:04. This adds another success to her long list of sports achievements. Molist came with the desire to win and she did it, after a titanic fight with Gemma Arenas, who finished second with a time of 06:37:54. During the course of the race both fought for the leadership. Gemma was the head of the race for the first half of the course, but Marta got ahead while passing through Les Useres (31.5km) dominating the entire second half of the course and finally obtaining the victory. Meanwhile, Eva Mesado completes the podium with a time of 06:56:37, reaching the third position, which she maintained throughout the 60km of the Marató i Mitja.

The latest winner, Marta Molist, accumulates a new victory to what is undoubtedly the best year of her sports career. Recent Spanish Ultratrail champion in Tenerife (71km), bronze in the last Skyrunning World Championship and winner of the 100km of the CCC, she has now taken the first position in the Penyagolosa Trails 2021 MiM. Meanwile, Gemma Arenas has three victories in Penyagolosa Trails (one in the 2016 MiM and two in the CSP, in 2017 and 2019), and, this year she placed second in the 100km race of the Salomon Ultra Pirineu and has been proclaimed runner-up in the Skyrunning world championship.

The Aragonese runner crossed the finish line at 11:34am with a time of 05:34:16, winning for the third time the Penyagolosa Trails Marató i Mitja.

José Ángel Fernández and Abel Carretero had magnificent performances placing second and third on the MiM men’s podium.

After a disputed competition, Miguel Caballero eventually became the first to cross the finish line at 11:34 with a time of 05:34:16. Caballero, who had entered Xodos (50.1km) as leader, fought for the victory until the very last moment with José Ángel Fernández, who crossed the finish line second with a time of 05:41:13. Finally, Abel Carretero placed third with a time of 05:45:29, completing a podium in which the authority and experience of the Spanish runners became evident.

Miguel Caballero, as a deep expert over the course and former MiM winner, was eager to reach the top of the ranking again, after winning in 2015 and 2017, and reaching second in 2019. The runner up José Ángel Fernández participated in Penyagolosa Trails after recently winning in Ultra Trail Bosques del Sur 2021 (98km); and bronze medalist Abel Carretero was first in Tenerife Bluetrail 2019 (67km) and eighth in this year’s edition (71km). Not only the Penyagolosa Trails 2021 Marató i Mitja podium was composed of three Spanish athletes, but the fourth place also went to the Spanish – and local – runner Cristóbal Adell. Finally, Czech runner Tomas Hudec crossed the finish line fifth.

The Russian runner crossed the finish line at 11:48 with a time of 11:48:45.

The men’s podium was completed by Spain’s Rodrigo Monasor and Romanian runner Robert Hajnal.

Aleksei Tolstenko was the first man to cross the CSP finish line and, thus, win it, with in a time of 11:48:45 and by a narrow margin. Tolstenko now writes his name with golden letters after his victory at the 2021 Penyagolosa Trails CSP. Tolstenko managed to position himself as head of the race in Culla (63.4km), getting ahead of the Spanish runner Rodrigo Monasor, who held the leadership up until that point. Monasor followed the Russian athlete very closely, disputing an epic race that kept him only five minutes apart despite the slight increase over the last kilometers. A duel of titans that led to the final victory of Russian Aleksei Tolstenko.

Finally, Rodrigo Monasor arrived second at the podium, with a time of 12:07:11; followed by the Romanian runner Robert Hajnal, who started as one of the favorites and got the third position, in a time of 12:08:50, thus completing the podium of the CSP Penyagolosa Trails 2021.

Aleksei Tolstenko, brand new winner of CSP 2021, recently reached the 14th position in Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc UTMB 2021 (171km). Likewise, Rodrigo Monasor finished second in Transgrancanaria HG – Advanced 2021 (63km) and third in Ultrail La Covatilla (74km). It was the first time both runners competed at Penyagolosa Trails. Robert Hajnal, however, disputed the 2018 Penyagolosa Trails World Championship and placed 15th place, reaching that same year the UTMB podium with a second place, only behind Xavier Thévenard; In 2020-21 he won three times: once over Salewa Olympus Mythical Trail 2020 (106km) and twice over Bucovina Ultra Rocks: 110km in 2020 and 86km in in 2021.

The 60 kilometers Marató i Mitja started at 6am at UJI in Castelló and will finish in Sant Joan de Penyagolosa.

At 06:00 on October 16, 2021, from the athletics tracks of the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, the Penyagolosa Trails MiM runners have started the race that passes through some of the greatest natural treasures of the province of Castellón. The competition is one of the most unique and special editions in the history of the Penyagolosa Trails Marathon and Half Marathon. We remind you the favorites for the triumph.

Men Favorites

The Castellón local Ricardo Cherta (869 ITRA points) dreams of winning Penyagolosa Trails in front of his people, after reaching two podiums at the Skyrunning World Cup. Miguel Caballero (864 ITRA points) already knows what it feels like climbing to the top of the MiM podium, as he won both the 2015 and 2017 editions. Also local from Castellón. Cristóbal Adell (855 ITRA points) deserves to be reckoned, as he won in 2013 and has climbed the podium in the last three editions. Likewise, Pablo Villalobos (859 ITRA points) and the Czech Tomas Hudec (845 ITRA points), fifth and sixth respectively in the Penyagolosa Trails 2019 MiM, have returned with confidence to dispute a great race.

Other names to keep an eye on are Sebas Sanchez (828 ITRA points) and Victor Bernad (796 ITRA points).

Women Favorites

Marta Molist (763 ITRA points) and Gemma Arenas (750 ITRA points) have started as favorites. After being crowned Ultratrail Spanish champion in Tenerife (71km), winning the bronze in the last Skyrunning World Championship, and getting the victory in the 100km of the CCC, Catalan Marta Molist bets on Penyagolosa Trails to climb again to a podium. For her part, Gemma Arenas from La Mancha may achieve her second MiM victory and her fourth in Penyagolosa Trails, after winning the 2016 MiM, the 2017 and 2019 CSP, and placing fourth at the Penyagolosa Trails World Championship. Moreover, this same year, Arenas placed second in the Salomon Ultra Pirineu (100km) and has been proclaimed runner-up in the Skyrunning World Championship.

Marta and Gemma are not the only contenders for victory, and eyes are also on Eva Mesado (707 ITRA points), Patricia Barreda (613 ITRA points), Raquel Casares (605 ITRA points), Ioana Petenchi (640 ITRA points) and Tereza Kubickova (625 ITRA points).

The 110 kilometers ultratrail has started at 00:00 at the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló and will end in Sant Joan de Penyagolosa.

Penyagolosa Trails celebrates the start of the CSP (Castelló-Penyagolosa) in its 2021 edition. This has been an edition meticulously planned by the organization to ensure everyone’s safety. Its starting signal was given at 00:00 at the athletics tracks of Universitat Jaume I of Castelló. We remind you the favorites for the victory.

Men’s Favorites

At the international level, Simen Hjalmar Wästlund (867 ITRA points) and Robert Hajnal (865 ITRA points) stand as a danger for the Spaniards. Hjalmar won the Spartan Trail World Championship 100K in 2020, and has placed 12th in Transgrancanaria HG – Classic 2021 (129km). This is the first time the Swede will run the Penyagolosa Trails, unlike Hajnal. The Romanian athlete, who competed in Penyagolosa Trails in its 2018 edition disputing the World Championship and placed 15th, has returned to Castellón after three years in which he has risen with important victories in the most representative races of Romania. And the Norwegian Tom Erik Halvorsen (785 ITRA points), has returned confident to Penyagolosa Trails (where he placed 14th in the 2018 Trail World Cup), after having won the 95km Fjord Xtreme Triathlon.

At the national level, Jesús Gil García (839 ITRA points) and Ramón Recatalá Vera (833 ITRA points) have started as favorites. Recatalá was the CSP’s first winner in 2012 and, in the last edition, has managed to climb the podium placing third. Other names to keep an eye on are Agustín Lujan Maldonado (826 ITRA points), Jokin Garai (816 ITRA points), and Rodrigo Monasor (812 ITRA points).

Women’s Favorites

In the group of Spaniards, all eyes are on Leire Martínez Herrera (664 ITRA points), third in Penyagolosa Trails CSP 2018 and C.M. Vistabella club athlete María Obrero Catalán (655 ITRA points), second senior at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc CCC. Esther Hernandez (609 ITRA points), Roser Nicolau (607 ITRA points) and Sonia Chuve (567 ITRA points) are also repeating in the race. At the international level, we highlight the Latvian athlete Anete Svilpe (662 ITRA points) who returns to Penyagolosa Trails after competing in the 2018 edition of the World Championships.