Gran Canaria World Trail Majors is pleased to announce the creation of the Short Series by Gran Canaria World Trail Majors to include more trail runners to its already established long distance series. The Short Series follows the same model as the long-distance races, open to all, built on diversity and respect, independent, but aiming to be more inclusive for more runners. If World Trail Majors are «Races of a Lifetime» Short Series are also «Races for Everyone».
Why Short Series?
All the events in the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors series (which has recently grown to twelve after the incorporation of Grampians Peaks Trail and Vietnam Mountain Marathon for next season), have more than one race, and not all runners necessarily aspire to the longer ultra distances. Distances of 100, 120 or 160 kilometres can be aspirational, the dream of many, sometimes unattainable, and are benchmarks of our sport. But trail running is so much more.
The Short Series by Gran Canaria World Trail Majors aims to accommodate those who enjoy shorter races or are taking their first steps into trail racing, from fast elites and experienced athletes, to runners who are new to trail. Younger, veterans, or women, all demographic groups who are less represented in long ultras. Race distances for developing runners as a stepping stone or for those who do not want to do longer distances. In short, the experience that is Gran Canaria World Trail Majors is expanding to more runners.
Defining the Short Series
Given the diversity of trail running, we did not want to restrict the series to a single distance or to not include some ultra distance, but to a range that depends on the established races, exactly like the long series: logical and interesting routes that give each race the character and DNA of the location, of the organisation, of its sporting culture. This is why the distances of the Short Series by Gran Canaria World Trail Majors can be between ‘over 30 km’ and ‘under 60 km’, still a considerable effort, more than enough for many to enjoy good trail running, and to ‘dip your toes’ into Ultra.
Short Series for the faster
The rules for the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors Long distance series are transferred to the Short Series. The competitive runners will have challenging courses where the swiftest of our sport will compete for cash prizes as a reward for their efforts.
Even though recovery from shorter races does not take as long, only the two best results of the season will be counted, in order not to make them incompatible with other races and series. With the dates and geographical locations, it is relatively easy to plan races without long distance travel if you wish, although we will always invite you to try new experiences in other continents to get to know the diversity of trail running, one of the great beauties of this sport.
So the map and calendar for the Short Series by Gran Canaria World Trail Majors should look like these:
