On the same day that her husband Jonathan claimed second place last year, Henriette Albon (Isfjorden IL) crossed the finish line in Parque Sur to proclaim herself the winner for the second consecutive time in the Classic of The North Face Transgrancanaria.
A 125-kilometer race in which the Norwegian did not take the lead until after kilometer 80, but she knew how to read better than anyone when it mattered most. Final time: 15:16:33.
A night of constant changes in the head
Claudia Tremps (On Team) started from Tenoya with a very aggressive pace, well ahead of the rest. In Fontanales she was hunted by Katarzyna Dombrowska (On Team), who took the lead with authority.
In the next control, El Hornillo, Henriette Albon overtook Tremps and placed second, leaving a scenario of three in the lead with the leading Pole and six minutes ahead of the pursuing duo.
Further back, Eleanor Davis (The North Face) was shooting solo at 11 minutes, and names like Robyn Cassidy, Mélanie Delasoie or Stephanie Case had real chances of getting on the podium.
The turning point came in Tejeda, kilometer 80.5. Dombrowska arrived at the victualling with a visible wound in her right leg that would eventually force her to withdraw before the Money Throat.
Albon took the lead, opened the distance and the lead grew to 20 minutes.
Tremps and Delasoie share podium in an ending for remembrance
The heat of the last part took its toll. Tremps, who had already overtaken Dombrowska and was shaping up as second, suffered in the passage through Ayagaures to the point of shedding some tears. The slump was enough for Mélanie Delasoie to overcome it.
From there, the Frenchwoman held the second position until Tremps regained strength and faced her again.
What came next will remain in the memory of those who lived it: both runners running at the same height through the final ravine, without either wanting to give in.
The sportsmanship that had already appeared in the men's category was repeated in the women's category: Tremps and Delasoie decided to enter together hand in hand, sharing a second place that the two had won by hand.
Henriette Albon, meanwhile, was already celebrating her second consecutive title in Gran Canaria. The same day, same race, same podium: the Albon couple takes the Classic 2026.