The men's startlist for Saturday's 73km Transvulcania ultramarathon is one of the most competitive the race has assembled, with the gun set to fire at Faro de Fuencaliente at 06:00 local time on La Palma. The 4,350-metre vertical course — running the spine of the volcanic island from the southern lighthouse to Plaza de Espana in Los Llanos de Aridane — counts toward the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup standings, sandwiched between the early-season opener at Penyagolosa and the next round at Annecy in late June. With Saturday's vertical kilometre already in the books on Thursday, attention now shifts to the long course, where the depth of the entry list extends well beyond the half dozen names being talked about as obvious contenders.
American-French ultrarunner Ben Dhiman is the most prominent newcomer in the field, opening his 2026 season after a 2025 campaign that produced a runner-up finish at UTMB, a course record at Lavaredo and a win at Grand Raid Ventoux. Dhiman has never raced Transvulcania, and the rugged volcanic singletrack and exposed ridgelines above 2,000 metres on La Palma represent a different test from the Alpine 100-mile loops where he has built his reputation. He is expected to run conservatively through the long climb to the Roque de los Muchachos before pushing on the technical descent into Tazacorte, a section that has historically rewarded patient runners over front-runners.
Italian Andreas Reiterer arrives as the most credentialled returner, having finished second on the same course last year in 6:58 and third in 2023 in 7:17. Reiterer has already run a packed early season in his native Italy, taking second at the Chianti 120k, winning a 50k and finishing third at a domestic 30k, and his pacing template — patient on the climbs, aggressive once the field thins — has long suited the Transvulcania profile. Sweden's Petter Engdahl returns to the course where he won in 2022, but does so with the unusual preparation of a 2:23 road marathon debut at Boston on April 20, leaving him barely three weeks of recovery before Saturday. Whether that depth of speed translates into ultra-distance form on volcanic terrain is the field's most interesting variable.
Russia's Dmitry Mityaev brings the deepest Transvulcania CV of any starter, having finished second in 2018, 2019 and 2024, and remains a benchmark on the long descent into Los Llanos thanks to his comfort on broken volcanic surfaces. American David Sinclair, who DNF'd here last year, has rebuilt the spring with a second-place finish at the Canyons 25k and is using the race as a final tune-up before his 100-mile debut at Western States in late June. France's Gautier Bonnecarrere arrives off a seventh place at Penyagolosa and brings a 2024 Lavaredo 50k podium and a Madeira 40k win to round out the headline group of contenders.
Beyond the named favourites the World Cup points race is what may shape Saturday's tactics. Most contenders need a strong showing in La Palma to remain in the standings frame after Penyagolosa, where Daniel Butaci and Joaquin Calvo opened the campaign with a Spanish double. Course conditions are forecast warm and dry by midday, with the cloud line typically settling between 1,800 and 2,200 metres on the western flank — a familiar pattern that has historically produced fast splits between Pico de la Cruz and El Reventon and slower running on the exposed road descent into Tazacorte. The men's race goes off ninety minutes ahead of the half marathon, with live coverage from iRunFar and the WMRA international feed beginning at first light on La Palma.