Samu Ponce Wins 56km UTMB Mallorca Race in 4:53:19
The Andorran runner finished ahead of Norway's Jonas Hesthaug and France's Théo Bourgeois on the Sóller mountain course, closing his 2026 season.
Key Points
- Samu Ponce covered the 56km UTMB Mallorca course with 2,538m of climbing in 4:53:19.
- Jonas Hesthaug of Norway placed second, 2:20 behind, with Théo Bourgeois of France third at 7:27.
- The route ran from Sóller through Lluc, Coll des Prat, Cúber and Coll d'en Po and descended towards Fornalutx before the finish.
- Ponce, who competes for Altra Running Europe, earlier took world championship bronze and ended his 2026 calendar with this win.
Samu Ponce won the 56-kilometre race at UTMB Mallorca on Saturday, completing a demanding mountain course with 2,538 metres of positive elevation gain in 4 hours, 53 minutes and 19 seconds.
The Andorran runner, who competes for Altra Running Europe, finished ahead of Norway's Jonas Hesthaug, who took second place 2 minutes and 20 seconds behind, and France's Théo Bourgeois, who was third at 7 minutes and 27 seconds. Spaniards Francisco José Anguita Bayo (5:12:52) and Alberto García Vadillo (5:18:29) rounded out the top five.
The race started in Sóller and passed through Lluc, the Coll des Prat, Cúber and the Coll d'en Po before descending towards Fornalutx and the final kilometres to the finish. Organisers positioned one of the toughest sections at the Coll des Prat, around kilometre 18, where runners faced more than 800 metres of climbing over little more than seven kilometres. Ponce built his advantage particularly over the second half of the course.
The victory caps a standout season for the Encamp-based athlete, who earlier won bronze at the World Championships. According to Altaveu, the Mallorca result brings his 2026 competitive calendar to a close.
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