The German runner, fresh off a UTMB podium and a Tor des Géants victory, elevates the tenth edition of the race
The Gran Canaria event, set for November 5-9 in Tejeda, cements its status as a global benchmark for self-sufficiency trail running
The participation of Katharina Hartmuth (Leipzig, Germany, 1995) in the 2025 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria raises the competitive bar of the event’s tenth edition to extraordinary heights. The 30-year-old German athlete, who resides in Switzerland, has become one of the most dominant forces in global ultrarunning, especially in multi-day races that demand self-sufficiency and GPS navigation—the signature features of the Canarian race.
A Historic Season
Hartmuth arrives in Gran Canaria after one of the most spectacular seasons in modern women’s ultrarunning. Her victory at the 2024 Tor des Géants was historic: she crossed the finish line in 79:10:40, becoming the first woman to complete the TOR330 in under 80 hours. The Italian race, with its 352 kilometers and 25,170 meters of positive elevation gain, is considered one of the toughest endurance events on the planet.
Her recent dominance also includes an impressive win at the Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB and an outstanding third-place finish at the Hardrock 100, the legendary 100-mile race in the Colorado mountains where she also competed in the 2025 edition.
A World-Class Record
The HOKA team athlete’s résumé includes some of the most coveted achievements in ultrarunning. Her podium finishes at the main Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc race (third in 2025 and second in 2023) showcase her ability to shine on the sport’s biggest stages. Added to this are a podium finish at the 2022 TDS and a silver medal at the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck, confirming her status as one of the sport’s leading figures.
In 2023, Hartmuth had her first competitive experience in Gran Canaria, finishing fourth in the Classic modality of The North Face Transgrancanaria. That same year, she also claimed victory at the Eiger Ultra-Trail in Switzerland, proving her versatility on alpine terrain where she had previously won events like the Swiss Canyon Trail (2022) and the Swiss Alps 100 (2018 and 2021).
The Canarian Challenge: A Highly Anticipated Debut
The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria presents an entirely new challenge for the German athlete. With an unmarked course of over 260 kilometers and 12,786 meters of positive elevation gain, the 2025 edition requires participants to master GPS navigation, total self-sufficiency, sleep management, and extreme endurance over several days in the mountainous heart of Gran Canaria.
A Record-Breaking Tenth Edition
Katharina Hartmuth’s confirmation not only elevates the race’s profile but also solidifies The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria as a must-do event on the international self-sufficiency ultrarunning calendar. Her presence adds to an elite roster that is making the 2025 edition one of the most competitive in the event’s history.
Other world-class athletes already confirmed include France’s Claire Bannwarth, five-time consecutive champion of the 360º; Sébastien Raichon, two-time winner of the Tor des Glaciers; Anitah Lehmann, a Swiss runner with an impressive record in extreme events; the legend Luca Papi, who has finished every edition and won three of them (2019, 2020, and 2022); and local Canarian runner José Bordón, who placed second in 2023.
The race already has 120 confirmed athletes from 20 countries, including eleven female runners, setting a new record for female participation at The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria. Registration remains open on the official event website: www.360thechallenge.com.
The 360º The Challenge Gran Canaria is organized by Arista Eventos, with the sponsorship of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Instituto Insular de Deportes; the Government of the Canary Islands with Promotur – Islas Canarias; Tejeda Town Council; Joma and Fred. Olsen Express; and the collaboration of Aguas de Teror, Pepsi, Lorenzo González Automoción, Emicela, Gofio La Piña, Bonflex, Provital, and Inetel.