The Japanese runner and the French athlete won in a hot afternoon in the explosive race that inaugurated the 2024 edition of the race in La Palma
The Transvulcania adidas Terrex already has the first winners of its 2024 edition. Yesterday, the race in La Palma crowned Ryonosuke Omi and Jessica Pardin as the winners of its always spectacular Vertical Climb, a race that recovered its original route for the enjoyment of the thousands of fans who gathered at the start, the finish line and during the more than seven kilometres of the course.
The Vertical Uphill recovered all its essence from the start, located in the Puerto de Tazacorte, at sea level, to the finish at the Torre del Time, 7’26 kilometres away and with a positive difference in altitude of 1,203 metres. Above all, the Vertical Climb also regained its atmosphere, with many supporters located along the route who encouraged the runners regardless of their level.
From 17.00 hours and with a significant heat, the runners began to leave at intervals of 30 seconds and in the spectacular winding path of Tazacorte, the encouragement of the athletes could already be heard, cheered by a large number of fans who returned to enjoy their event.
When the first and the first swords came out, the throats of the followers were already hot. The sight of the elite athletes climbing relentlessly up the course was a spectacle and at the finish line the first important times were already beginning to be recorded and the first benchmarks for the final formation of the podiums of the race were being registered.
Aythami Brito (56:11) was the first to set an interesting time at the finish line while down below Mario Olmedo went all out, as did Onditz Iturbe, who were among the first elites to take the start. Little by little, the rest of the favourites for the win did so, including Daniel Osanz, whose first part of the climb was dizzying, catching up with Óscar Basantes before finishing that zig-zag zone that for many had become interminable.
Fabián Venero (19:59) set the best time at the first checkpoint, at the El Time viewpoint until then, ahead of Tomas Macecek and Mario Olmedo. Osanz was going his own way, with a powerful and steady stride, and Ryonosuke Omi was also going like a shot, beating Venero’s time (18.59) with 35 seconds ahead of Ricardo Cherta.
Moana Lilly Kehres, amidst the cheers of the local fans, also had a remarkable first part of the climb and was sixth at the El Time pass where Onditz Iturbe (22:42) was leading the women’s race. Pascal Egli, with a smiling face, remembered the athlete who won in 2018 (20.00).
Osanz, winner in 2019, wanted to climb to the top of the podium at all costs but he found a lot of opposition in Ryonosuke Omi who took 27 seconds off him in El Time. And there was still the hardest part.
Fabián Venero (19:59) set the best time at the first checkpoint, at the El Time viewpoint until then, ahead of Tomas Macecek and Mario Olmedo. Osanz was going his own way, with a powerful and steady stride, and Ryonosuke Omi was also going like a shot, beating Venero’s time (18.59) with 35 seconds ahead of Ricardo Cherta.
Moana Lilly Kehres, amidst the cheers of the local fans, also had a remarkable first part of the climb and was sixth at the El Time pass where Onditz Iturbe (22:42) was leading the women’s race. Pascal Egli, with a smiling face, remembered the athlete who won in 2018 (20.00).
Osanz, winner in 2019, wanted to climb to the top of the podium at all costs but he found a lot of opposition in Ryonosuke Omi who took 27 seconds off him in El Time. And there was still the hardest part.
In the second part of the boys’ race it came down to a battle between Ryonosuke and Osanz, the top six were within a minute of each other, but it was between the Japanese and the Aragonese that the race was to be settled with Mario Olmedo out of the fight for the win due to a mishap.
Fabián Venero (53:17) took the lead at the finish, Abel Carretero overtook him (52:39) and Omi Ryonosuke broke all the records (50:43). It remained to be seen what Daniel Osanz and Pascal Egli, who was further behind, would do. Osanz clocked a time of 53:08 certifying the triumph of the young Japanese athlete with Ricardo Cherta (51:38) and Abel Carretero completing the podium.
Among the girls it remained to be seen who would take the victory with Jessica Pardin, Camilla Magliano and Onditz Iturbe fighting for the win. Moana was the first of the local athletes (1h.04:42), Pardin came from behind (1h.01:32) to win her second Transvulcania adidas Terrex Vertical Climb after 2019. Onditz Iturbe, finally finished second (1h.02:36) and Camilla Magliano completed the podium (1h.02:44).
The best Palmeros runners in the men’s category were Aythami Brito (56:11), Yonet González (56:41) and Josué Martín (58:29), all from Hilera Trail and among the women Moana Lilly Kehres (1h.04:42), Raquel Hernández (1h.25:49) and Aurelia Pérez (1h.27:03).
