The Andalusian event surpasses the figure of 1,700 runners and
continues its international expansion: it will host
athletes of more than 50 nationalities
Granada, April 3, 2025. Unicaja Ultra Sierra Nevada finalizes its preparations
for the celebration of its eleventh edition.
The Andalusian race has become
one of the most emblematic events in the outdoor calendar and a prestigious event for mountain runners from all over the world.
In addition to launching a new
sponsor naming with the brand new sponsorship of Unicaja, the event breaks its own record
of participants, surpassing for the first time the figure of 1,700 registered runners. And it is that the
modalities MEDIA and MARATHON have completed the quota of bibs available.
In addition, the race continues with its purpose to reach more and more runners from
around the world. Thus, in this eleventh edition more than 50 nationalities will be
represented in the Unicaja Ultra Sierra Nevada. A fact that highlights the
great attraction that the city of Granada and the environment of Sierra Nevada have for the
trailrunners.
As usual, the event will begin on Friday night at the Paseo del Salón
in Granada, with the spectacular start of the star mode, the ULTRA. A challenge
that hides no secrets and offers 100 kilometers of distance passing through localities
as Beas de Granada, Cenes de la Vega, Quéntar or Pinos Genil to reach the
feet of the Veleta peak, above 3,000 meters of altitude. Once the race reaches
, the runners will face the final descent to Pradollano, the finish line.
This ULTRA modality can be done individually or in the format of
RELAYS, where teams of three members will divide the route to try to be
the fastest to reach the finish line.
Among the familiar faces in the ULTRA category (and with the last minute withdrawal of
Miguel Heras due to injury) are Agustín Luján, reigning champion of the race after his
triumph in 2024, and Antoine Guillon, veteran French athlete and winner of important international races such as the Diagonale des Fous
. In the women’s category, the reigning champion
, Piedad Quesada, also returns to defend her title.
For its part, the TRAIL modality, starting in Cenes de la Vega, offers a distance
of 60 kilometers and 3,800 meters of positive slope, sharing much of the
layout with its “big sister”. The start will be on
Saturday at 6:00 am.
Meanwhile, the MARATHON, will also be held on Saturday, in this case from
8:00 h and from the town of Quéntar. A tough challenge of 40 kilometers and 2,700
meters of positive slope with finish line also in Pradollano. The emblematic
La Mancha athlete Gemma Arenas will seek to defend her crown in this modality and thus
revalidate her triumph of 2024.
The shortest of the modalities of the Unicaja Ultra Sierra Nevada program is the
MEDIA, which will be held on Sunday to close this festive weekend of trail
running in Granada. A challenge of 25 kilometers and more than 2,000 meters of positive vertical drop
that will start in Pinos Genil and whose profile is practically in permanent
climb to the finish line.
The landing of the Joma Trail Team is especially important in this
test, with athletes of the stature of Monica Vega, Andres Jimenez and Guille Acosta.
One of the great novelties of this eleventh edition of Unicaja Ultra Sierra
Nevada is the incorporation of economic prizes to the fastest athletes. Thus, the
ULTRA modality will distribute up to € 7,000 in prizes to the first three and first of
the absolute general classification.
The presentation ceremony of the event was held on Thursday morning at
headquarters of the Junta de Andalucía with the assistance of political personalities, athletes and
sponsors.
The delegate of Tourism, Culture and Sport, David Rodriguez, said that
“Andalusia is a welcoming land used to host important sporting events
, which is a satisfaction for those who think that sport is a
benefit to society, which helps to educate, which instills values, which brings health;
so from the Board of Andalusia we support all kinds of activities that
promote sports practice”.
In that sense, the provincial deputy of Sports, Eric Escobedo, highlighted the spectacular
of the municipalities of the foothills of Sierra Nevada through which
crosses the test “or are output of some of the distances. The environment of Sierra
Nevada, thanks to the March rains, is at its best. The runners go
to run through a unique setting”.
Representing the mayors whose municipalities through which the race runs (Granada,
Cenes de la Vega, Pinos Genil, Quéntar and Beas de Granada), the mayor of
Monachil, José Morales, stressed the “great impact” that produces the Ultra Sierra Nevada
in their villages, who turn “with everything we have, from local police to
volunteers, with a race that is already part of the sports history of our
municipalities”.
For his part, the sports manager of Cetursa Sierra Nevada, María José Rienda,
stressed the “versatility” of the ski and mountain resort to host tests
sports “of any kind” that take place on the snow of the ski area,
so much so that this weekend in Sierra Nevada, in addition to the Ultra are held
“three alpine skiing competitions” and the electronic music festival Sun and Snow.
Meanwhile, Felipe Toledo, director of Unicaja Ultra Sierra Nevada, wanted to thank “
all sponsors and institutions for their support and commitment to the event one more year
, especially Unicaja for taking a step forward by becoming responsible
of the title naming of the race, and Joma and HSN as great traveling companions and
specialist brands of great prestige in the sports industry”.
Finally, the territorial director of Unicaja Eastern Andalusia, Modesto Manuel
Conde, reiterated the traditional support of the Andalusian bank to the Unicaja Ultra
Sierra Nevada, to which it gives its name in this edition, and whose economic support has
allowed, among other improvements, to establish economic prizes for the first three
classified in the Ultra in male and female category.
