Alex García Carrillo: From asphalt to success in the mountains

Alex García Carrillo, known on the networks as @alexytal_, is described with the phrase “From the road to the mountains”, reflecting its transition from asphalt to trail running. His achievements on the road, despite being a trail runner, demonstrate his talent. They include an impressive time of 1h04'08” in the last Barcelona Half Marathon and having gone under 30 minutes in the 10k for the second time in January in Valencia (his best mark is 29'39”). Graduated in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, Alex has been sixth in the world in Trail Classic Up & Down 2023, Spanish Trail Running Classic Champion 2022-2023, and has obtained bronze in the 2022 Vertical Climb World Championships. His story shows a firm commitment to the sport, constantly improving himself and seeking new challenges.

Question: Start in Trail Running: What motivated you to switch from road racing to trail running?

Alex: “In 2020, after running a Spanish cross country championship, the federation encouraged me to participate in the Spanish mountain running championship, but it was just the pandemic. Everything stopped, but I got the itch to try and also my coach, Borja Rubio, trained many mountain runners, so I decided to try.”

Question: Specialization in Short Distances: Given your impressive marks in 10 km, sub 30min and Murcia Region record, how has this influenced your performance on the trail?

Alex: “I think positively, since coming from running on asphalt and cross country was a good transition for this type of racing.”

Question: Sky Running Experience: You recently participated in your first Sky Running race in the North Cliffs and took 8th place (29k 2200+ 2h42). How was the preparation process for this new modality?

Alex: “The truth is that I didn't do much specific training for the test, I took it as a test to start the Trail season. Happy with the result, since there were many top-level runners and I was coming from a half marathon preparation on the flat. "It is true that during the weeks I used to do one to three shoots per mountain to maintain the adaptations."

Question: Specific Preparation: With the Spanish Championship in mind, have you had specific preparation for this event?

Alex: “It will be the second Trail race of the season, I didn't want to start the year with a lot of specific training since the season is very long, my first goal and the one I will prepare well will be the European race in June.”

Question: Expectations for the Championship in Ojós: What is your main goal for this championship?

Alex: "I'm not going to deceive you, I would like to be at the top fighting for the medals, but the level is good and it will be difficult, but we will try with everything."

Question: Future Goals: After the Spanish Championship, what are your short and long-term goals in trail running?

Alex: “I will go to Sierra Nevada to start the first training camp of the season until the beginning of April, then I will compete in the Golden Trail Series in Asia and I will continue preparing for the European Championship as my first objective.”

Questions: Strengths as a Trail Runner / Areas for Improvement: In your opinion, what are your greatest strengths in trail running? As an athlete always in search of excellence, in what aspects do you think you can improve?

Alex: “I think I am quite complete in uphill and downhill, but obviously on flat terrain or fast races I get along easily, the rest I have to train quite specifically. You can always improve, I would like to be more complete and competitive in all types of races and terrain, it motivates me a lot.”

Question: Potential in Marathon: With a time of 64:08 in a half marathon, recently at the Barcelona Media, will we soon see you debuting in the full marathon distance?

Alex: “I would like to debut soon, the truth is it is a dream I have had since I was a child. Possibly in 2025 I will run a marathon and specifically prepare for it for 6 months.”

Question: Preparation and Training: Until now, you have combined speed training on the flat with 2/3 easy days in the mountains. For the second part of the season, do you plan to make changes to your training routine?

Alex: “Yes, now I will focus more on mountain training and the flat days will be to recover or do some quality days, but 80% of the training will be in the mountains.”

Question: Influence of Short Trail Races: Considering your success in short races, will we see you in longer trail competitions?

Alex: “Not for now, I feel comfortable and competitive in the race up to 2h30'. They are the ones that I like the most and I think they are the most spectacular for the Trail follower, especially those on circuits like the Golden or skyrunning.”

Question: Personal View on Trail Running in Spain: From your perspective, how do you see the development of trail running in our country?

Alex: “The level is getting higher and higher, and that is positive for everyone, there are more and more brands that are betting on Trail and practically all good level runners have a brand behind them. What continues to be a problem is the overcrowding of races, circuits and federations.”

Question: Representing Brooks in Trail Running: What does it mean to you to be part of the Brooks Trail Running team?

Alex: “Thanks to Brooks I can make a living doing what I like, which is running. I will always be grateful to them because they trusted me and we have been growing little by little and I feel part of their evolution.”

Question: Favorite Equipment: In terms of your experience, is there any piece of Brooks gear or shoes that you consider essential for your runs?

Alex: “It is fortunate that they count on you to develop prototypes and take your feedback into account. For me, the Catamount Agil is my shoe, you just have to try them.”

Question: Is there a dream that Alex has yet to fulfill in trail running?

Alex: “I have already fulfilled my childhood dream, which was to be a professional in some sport. If I have to tell you one more thing, it would be to win Sierre Zinal and make a great mark in the Marathon.”

We can only thank you for serving us and wish you the best of luck next Sunday, March 10 and for the rest of the season. We will be attentive to their achievements and surely you will too.

We leave you two Brooks models that Alex uses, some to accumulate kilometers in the mountains and the others with which he once again dropped below 30 minutes in the 10k.

Brooks Catamount 3: Speed ​​and efficiency on the trail. With FLASH DNA, SkyVault Trail plate, 266.5g, and TrailTrack outsole for superior grip on all terrain. See here.

Brooks Hyperion Elite 4: your ally in competition, from 5K to marathon. With carbon plate, DNA FLASH v2 cushioning and weight of 221,1g. Feel the speed. See here.

See more content on the blog.