Cap de Creus trail runners take five Copa Catalana podiums
The youth development squad of Club Trail Running Cap de Creus has finished the 2026 Copa Catalana de Curses per Muntanya with five athletes provisionally in the top three of the overall standings.
The Copa Catalana is the Catalan cup series for mountain running. Its final round took place this weekend in Alcanar, in southern Catalonia. The club's young runners came home with several podium finishes on the day, and their season totals now point to one title, one runner-up spot and three third places.
The final standings are still provisional. They are awaiting official confirmation from the FEEC, the Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya, the federation that governs mountain sports in Catalonia.
Results in Alcanar
The club entered runners in several age groups at the final race.
In the youth (juvenil) category, Oleguer Macau finished sixth.
The club had three runners in the boys' cadet race. Rubén Martínez placed fifth, Marçal Guardiola ninth and Oriol Castelló eleventh.
The girls' cadet race produced one of the best results of the day. Naia Liaño finished third to take a place on the podium, and Jana Casellas was just behind her in fourth.
The youngest runners had an even stronger weekend. In the girls' infantil category, Ivet Moreta won the race and Lily Trossel was second. Gaston Trossel won the boys' infantil race.
The club also did well in the Marxa Infantil, the children's walk held alongside the main races. Èlia Barbeta was first and Clara Noblejas second.
Overall standings
The season standings are where the club's results stand out most.
Oleguer Macau would finish third overall in the youth category with 284 points.
In the boys' cadet standings, Rubén Martínez would be third with 292 points. Marçal Guardiola would be sixth with 242 points and Oriol Castelló seventh with 230.
The girls' cadet table is the club's strongest. Naia Liaño would win the overall title with 356 points, and team-mate Jana Casellas would be runner-up with 336. This gives the Cap de Creus club the top two places in the category, as long as the federation confirms the figures.
According to the report, the club would end the cup with a championship, a runner-up place and three third places.
A season across Catalonia
The club's technical development team, known in Catalan as the "equip de tecnificació", raced in events across Catalonia during the season. The Alcanar race marked the end of several months of training and competition.
The club does not only point to the results. It highlights the consistency, commitment and progress its young athletes showed during the year.
It also describes the development team as more than a sports programme. The club sees it as a space for personal growth, for spending time together and for shared learning between athletes, coaches and families.
Our Take
For readers in Empuriabrava, Castelló d'Empúries and the wider Alt Empordà, this is a reminder that the area produces strong young athletes as well as attracting visitors. The landscape around Cap de Creus, with its rocky paths and steep terrain, gives trail runners a natural training ground close to home.
The results also fit a wider pattern of good news for youth sport in the county. Only recently, young Figueres skaters took European Cup silver in front of a home crowd. Together, these successes suggest that local clubs are investing time and effort in their younger members, and that the work is paying off.
The girls' cadet result is especially notable. Taking both first and second place in one category of a Catalonia-wide competition is not common for a single club. It suggests a strong group of young women runners who could keep improving as they move up the age categories.
Several things are worth watching now. First, the FEEC still has to confirm the final standings, and the club's results will only be official after that. Second, it will be interesting to see how many of these young runners stay in the sport and move into older categories, where the competition is tougher. The Trossel siblings and Ivet Moreta, who all won in the infantil races, are among those to follow.
Finally, it is worth watching whether this success brings more attention and support to trail running in the Alt Empordà. Families who are looking for an outdoor sport for their children may find that a club with a proven development programme is closer than they think.