Miguel Arsénio - Trail Runner Profile
Miguel Arsénio is a Portuguese ultrarunner from Almeirim, born on 22 November 1996. He finished second at the 2026 CCC in 10:27:25 and has won the Ultra Pirineu 100K, the Epic Trail Costa Daurada, the MaXi-Race and, twice, the Swiss Canyon Trail. His UTMB Index is 941 as of 6 October 2026.
Miguel Arsénio quick facts
- Age: 29 (born 22 November 1996)
- Nationality: Portugal
- From: Almeirim, Portugal
- UTMB Index: 941 (as of 6 October 2026, UTMB profile)
- Key results: CCC 2026: 2nd, 10:27:25; World Trail Majors: First overall men's champion, 2024; Approach: Self-coached
UTMB Index and ITRA scores change after every race. The dates are when each number was read from the official profile.
Country: Portugal · Team: FUGA - SportHG · Specialities: 50–100km, 100 miles
Right now: Runner-up at the 2026 CCC, his best UTMB Mont-Blanc result yet.
Key facts
- CCC 2026: 2nd, 10:27:25
- World Trail Majors: First overall men's champion, 2024
- Background: Started competitive running in 2019, aged 23
- Approach: Self-coached
A late start in running
Arsénio played football as a child and moved to mountain biking at 10, then began competitive running in 2019, at 23. Before turning professional he worked as a locksmith in Almeirim.
Self-coached
Nitecore describes him as someone who studies sports science, coaches himself and designs his own training plans.
World Trail Majors and the 2023 breakthrough
His international breakthrough came in 2023, with second place at the Transgrancanaria Classic and wins at the MaXi-Race, the Ultra Pirineu 100K (10:37:50) and the Epic Trail Costa Daurada 100K. In 2024 he won the Swiss Canyon Trail in 10:24:09 and was crowned the first overall men's champion of the World Trail Majors circuit.
Where he is right now
He finished second at the 2026 CCC in 10:27:25, 5 minutes and 37 seconds behind Cristian Minoggio, after passing Hans Troyer late in the race. Earlier in 2026 he won the Four Summits at Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB (72km) in 8:01:29 and was eighth at the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail.
How Miguel runs
Arsénio's record is built on the 50 to 115km range, with a smaller number of starts at 100 miles. His UTMB results show wins and podiums at the Swiss Canyon Trail, Madeira, the Ultra Pirineu and Chiang Mai, courses with very different terrain and climate.
He has also had setbacks at the biggest races. His UTMB profile records DNFs at the OCC in 2021 and 2022 and at the UTMB in 2024, before the 2026 CCC podium. We do not attribute a racing tactic to him beyond what the race reports describe: at the CCC he moved up to second late, passing a fading Troyer.
Where Miguel is strongest
Mountain 100km races, where he has won the Ultra Pirineu, the Epic Trail Costa Daurada, the MaXi-Race and the Swiss Canyon Trail.
Races in Portugal and Spain, plus Asia: he won the 100km at Chiang Mai Thailand by UTMB in December 2025.
The edge. Self-directed training built on a sports-science background.
What you can learn from Miguel
1. A late start does not rule out a top career
Arsénio began competitive running at 23 after a decade of mountain biking. If you come to trail running from cycling or another endurance sport, your aerobic base carries over, and the work is mostly in learning to climb, descend and fuel on foot.
2. Self-coaching works best with a real knowledge base
He designs his own plans and studies sports science. Planning your own training is realistic only if you understand why each session is there, so read up on training principles or get a coach to review your plan before you commit to a block.
3. Setbacks at the biggest races are part of the path
His profile records DNFs at the OCC and the UTMB before the 2026 CCC podium. If a goal race goes wrong, write down exactly what happened and change one or two things for the next attempt rather than rewriting your whole approach.
Selected results
| Year | Race | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | CCC | 2nd (10:27:25) |
| 2026 | Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB, Four Summits (72km) | 1st (8:01:29) |
| 2025 | Chiangmai Thailand by UTMB (100km) | 1st (9:14:20) |
| 2025 | Madeira Island Ultra-Trail (MIUT 115) | 2nd (13:00:30) |
| 2025 | Swiss Canyon Trail | 1st (second win) |
| 2024 | Swiss Canyon Trail | 1st (10:24:09) |
| 2024 | World Trail Majors | 1st (first overall men's champion) |
| 2023 | Ultra Pirineu (100km) | 1st (10:37:50) |
| 2023 | Epic Trail Costa Daurada (100km) | 1st |
| 2023 | MaXi-Race | 1st |
A selection, not a complete race history.
Official profiles
Compare yourself with Miguel
- ITRA index calculator: estimate the km-effort and an indicative performance band for your own race result (not an official ITRA Performance Index).
- Trail pace calculator: turn your road pace into a trail pace and finish time for a given elevation profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is Miguel Arsénio's UTMB Index?
941 overall as of 6 October 2026, according to his official UTMB profile. His 100km index is 940 and his 100-mile index is 899. The numbers change after each race.
How old is Miguel Arsénio?
He was born on 22 November 1996 in Almeirim, Portugal, according to the Portuguese Wikipedia and his sponsor Kailas. He is 29 as of October 2026 and turns 30 in November.
Is Miguel Arsénio coached?
No. According to Nitecore he studies sports science, coaches himself and designs his own training plans.
What are Miguel Arsénio's biggest wins?
The Ultra Pirineu 100K, the Epic Trail Costa Daurada 100K and the MaXi-Race in 2023, the Swiss Canyon Trail in 2024 and 2025, and the 2024 World Trail Majors overall title. He was second at the 2026 CCC.
Runners with a similar profile
- Tom Evans (United Kingdom): Western States champion, UTMB champion, and the first British man to win in Chamonix in fifteen years.
- Ben Dhiman (United States): DNF'd UTMB twice, was runner-up once, then won it on his fourth attempt in the fastest time the race has ever seen.
- Jim Walmsley (United States): The first American man to win UTMB, and the athlete who redefined how fast a 100-miler can be run from the front.
- Vincent Bouillard (France): Won UTMB as an unsponsored shoe engineer in 2024, then broke the Western States course record and became the first man under 14 hours.
Sources and verification
Checked against the following sources on 2026-10-06:
- UTMB Index profile (official)
- Wikipedia (Portuguese): Miguel Arsénio
- Kailas: Miguel Arsénio
- Nitecore: Elite Trail Runner Miguel Arsénio Joins NITECORE
- Marathon Handbook: 2026 CCC results
- iRunFar: 2026 CCC results
- ITRA runner profile
Canonical page: https://trailia.run/best-trail-runners/miguel-arsenio
Published by Trailia (https://trailia.run), a personalised trail running coaching platform. This profile is a factual reference, not a ranking.