The Salomon Ultra Pirineu is a special race. It always brings you stories that move you. The 16th edition of the iconic race through the trails of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park was special for the eternal Núria Picas, a five-time winner. The athlete from Manresa was participating in the 100km Ultra Pirineu for the tenth time, but fell while descending from the Nido del Àliga. Courageously, she continued running with blood in her legs and remained in the top ten until she had had enough. She couldn't finish the race. It seemed that victory would go to the Ecuadorian Mercedes Pila, a tireless woman. Born in a village at almost 3,000 meters near Cotopaxi, she had to emigrate, fleeing poverty. Then she ran away from a husband who wouldn't let her run. Settled in Extremadura, where she worked caring for the elderly, she began training and within a few years had become the Spanish marathon and mountain race champion. The petite Ecuadorian led for much of the race, but with 10 km to go, she was overtaken by a bullet hurtling down towards Bagà: Anna Ongaro.

"For me, the best summer memories are sharing the mountains with my children." Trail runner Núria Picas has passed on her passion to her fourteen-year-old twins, especially during the summer months when they take advantage of the opportunity to go to the mountains. "Collecting three-thousanders is what we love most about summer," she says. They've achieved quite a few goals: "We've done the Aneto crossing, the Pica de Estados, the Monte Perdido, the Cavalls del Vent..." In fact, they didn't finish the last one—she clarifies—because one of the children suffered an injury, not from riding, but from playing basketball. "Sometimes, indoor sports are worse than high-altitude mountain sports," Picas assures.