Samuel Dávila: From the Andes to Catalonia

When Samuel Dávila arrived in Catalonia in August 2017, he was not sure he would stay. He had travelled from Venezuela with the idea of spending around three months there, racing in as many events as he could and then returning home. But the opportunity to stay came along and, ever since, Catalonia has become his home.

Text: Xènia Danés, photos: Chema Velasco, Joan Luque, Martín.

After spending five years in Figueres, he moved to the Ribes area. In 2019, he started working as a waiter in Vall de Núria and now works in the town, at Bar Gusi. What makes the bar special? Kilian Jornet is its main protagonist. The bar displays everything from medals to equipment the runner has used throughout his career. Jornet, like many others, has always been a reference point for Dávila. “The world of trail running is much more developed in Europe,” explains the Venezuelan.

When he was still in Venezuela, he followed runners on social media and looked towards Europe. In 2017, he explains, “a large part of the best runners in the world were here in Catalonia.” The level of trail running he found here was one of the reasons that encouraged him to stay. According to Dávila, Catalan trail running is much more advanced, both in terms of the number of runners and the level of competition. He also points to a more specific and developed approach to training.

He has already competed on some of the major stages of trail running. At the OCC in Chamonix, he finished 13th in 2018 and 15th in 2021. At Canfranc, he won in 2019 and finished second in 2020. At the Olla de Núria, he was 17th in 2021, in an edition that formed part of the Golden Trail Series. He has also won the Ehunmilak Marathon in the Basque Country twice, in 2019 and 2024 and his ambition does not stop there. “I am sure I will come back to my best level.”

Read the full interview with Samuel Dávila in Nafent Running volume 3, available in our webshop.