Phoenix 24
A fearless descent changed Spanish trail-running history.
KAMNIK, Slovenia | June 2026
Jan Torrella has emerged as one of Europe’s most promising mountain runners after winning the continental Up and Down title at only 22 years old. The athlete from Bagà became Spain’s first senior individual European champion in trail running across any version of the competition. His victory came in a demanding 13-kilometer race combining steep climbs, technical descents and 825 meters of positive elevation. The result confirmed a progression that had already made him one of the most closely watched talents in Spanish off-road athletics.
Torrella completed the course in 1 hour and 9 seconds, finishing 54 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Dominik Rolli. Sweden’s Petter Engdahl, another established international competitor, took bronze in 1:01:48. Spain also earned the men’s team bronze through the combined performances of Torrella, Álex García and Manuel Merillas. The individual gold, however, represented the most important result of Torrella’s career and a historic milestone for the national team.
He arrived at the European Championships in strong condition but without publicly placing himself among the principal favorites. Torrella had won the Spanish Trail Championship for regional teams in April and later produced another encouraging performance in the Golden Trail Series. Those races convinced him that his preparation was working, although he initially considered a top-10 finish a realistic objective. The depth of the European field made the eventual victory far greater than his expectations.
His confidence increased after finishing seventh in the uphill race held earlier in the championships. That result showed him that his legs were responding well and that he could remain close to leading international runners. Rather than leaving him fatigued, the first competition helped him interpret his physical condition more accurately. He entered the Up and Down event calm, focused and prepared to wait for the decisive moment.
The race developed through three major climbing sections followed by technical descents. During the second ascent, Torrella moved into third position and began closing the gap to Rolli and Engdahl. He joined them during the following descent and completed the final climb alongside both leaders. Although he felt capable of attacking earlier, he conserved energy until the longest and most technically demanding downhill section.
That decision determined the championship. Torrella accelerated aggressively on wet and muddy terrain, using his descending ability to separate himself from Engdahl. Rolli remained approximately 20 meters behind for part of the descent, forcing the Spaniard to continue at maximum intensity. Torrella resisted the temptation to look backward and concentrated only on maintaining speed through the technical sections and short climbs embedded within the descent.
The strategy required confidence because he had not examined the entire descent in detail before the race. He knew its general profile and understood that several short but difficult uphill sections would interrupt the downhill rhythm. Instead of managing his advantage conservatively, he continued pushing through every transition. With approximately one kilometer remaining, spectators informed him that his lead had grown to around 30 seconds.
Only when he reached the paved streets near the finish did Torrella begin to believe the title was secure. He knew that Rolli and Engdahl were both fast on flatter terrain and remained cautious until the final section. The victory therefore combined physical strength with disciplined race management. His attack was aggressive, but it came after carefully identifying the part of the course best suited to his abilities.
Torrella also believes the presence of more experienced Spanish runners reduces the pressure surrounding him. Álex García and Andreu Blanes remain important references within the national team, allowing the younger athlete to compete without being treated as the central favorite. He views that secondary role as an advantage because it gives him freedom to follow stronger teammates and evaluate his own level. The European title may now change those expectations permanently.
His career had already included significant achievements before the victory in Slovenia. Torrella won European under-20 silver in 2022, finished fifth at the World Championships in Innsbruck and later secured senior Spanish titles in vertical and classic mountain running. He also placed eighth at the 2024 European Championships. Those results identified his potential, but the continental senior gold transformed promise into international authority.
The road to Kamnik was not uninterrupted. A disc protrusion affected his preparation before the previous World Championships in Canfranc and reduced the amount of running he could complete. Although strength work and cycling helped maintain his fitness, he arrived without sufficient impact training and struggled to follow the competitive pace. Torrella has described that experience as mentally difficult but valuable because it forced him to understand the less successful side of elite sport.
His recovery involved a winter program combining ski mountaineering, cycling and controlled running. He maintained a polarized endurance structure while increasing strength sessions and addressing specific weaknesses. Nutrition, recovery and psychological support also became more important within his preparation. Torrella believes those changes helped him manage nervous energy and develop greater competitive stability.
Continuity remains his central objective. He considers climbing and flat-running speed areas that will improve through experience, but he emphasizes the need to accumulate consistent weeks of training without excessive mileage. His 30:06 performance over 10 kilometers in Valencia showed his potential on faster terrain, although it also caused tibial periostitis. The episode reinforced the importance of gradually adapting his body to surfaces and efforts outside mountain running.
Torrella intends to remain focused on shorter trail distances rather than moving immediately toward ultrarunning. His schedule includes a Golden Trail Series event in Austria, the shorter UTMB race at Mont Blanc, the Nit Pirineu and Mitja Pirineu near home, and the Golden Series final in South Korea. These competitions match his current strengths in speed, climbing and technical descending. Longer races may come later, but he sees no reason to accelerate that transition.
The European title also guarantees his place at the next World Championships, removing the pressure of qualifying through national selection events. That certainty will allow him to design his preparation around a specific international objective. He will no longer arrive as an emerging outsider, but as the reigning European champion. The challenge will be preserving the freedom that helped him win while accepting the expectations created by success.
Jan Torrella’s breakthrough was not based on a single reckless move. It was the result of recovery, tactical patience, technical courage and a carefully timed attack. At 22, he has already delivered Spain’s first senior European trail-running gold and demonstrated that he can defeat experienced rivals under championship pressure. His final descent in Kamnik did more than win a race because it opened a new stage in Spanish mountain running.
Talent becomes history when timing meets courage. / El talento se vuelve historia cuando el momento encuentra al valor.