A runner bends forward on a muddy climb, one hand on her thigh, her face slick with sweat. The crowd is so thick there's barely room for her to pass. One man, inches away, yells support and claps with his phone in his hand.
Spanish photographer Ágata Dominguez's shot of Norwegian trail runner Ida Amelie Robsahm was taken this May during the Zegama-Aizkorri race at Sancti Spiritu, above the town of Zegama in Spain’s Basque Country.
It's just won the Trail Category of The Illume Awards 2026, which would normally be cause for uncomplicated celebration. But on September 19, its subject died after a fall on Norway's Romsdalseggen ridge. She was 30.
"The photo means something different now," reflects Dominguez.
"What stays with me now is how lucky I was to be on that trail that day and to keep this small piece of her story and passion. I don't want to celebrate 'my' photo. I'd rather celebrate her life, the impact she had on so many people, and the way she inspired them."
Getting in on the action
Dominguez, who's lived in the Swiss Alps for the last ten years, had long dreamed of shooting at Sancti Spiritu. She describes this muddy uphill stretch, lined with a huge crowd, as one of the course's most emotional spots.
"As soon as I'd taken [the shot]," she says, "I had a feeling it would end up being one of my favorites."
She captured the scene on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II with a Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, at 1/800 sec, f/4 and ISO400. Those settings kept the moment crisp, but the key decision is where she chose to stand.
She's so far inside the scene that a dark shoulder and outstretched hands intrude on the right of the frame, making us feel like we're part of the crowd too.
The judges for this category were photographer Will Saunders, filmmaker Alexis Berg, photographers Hilary and Billy Yang, and athlete Markus Kröll.
"It grabbed me immediately because of the emotion on her face," says Yang.
"But the longer I looked at it, the more I noticed: the expressions and body language of the spectators, the sense of movement and the way the composition pulls your attention directly toward the runner. It feels both intensely personal and completely communal."
Which is pretty much what Dominguez was aiming for. "I'm not just interested in getting the perfect shot," she explains. "I would like my images to make you feel something and, ideally, make you feel like you were there."
For Dominguez, though, this win belongs to Robsahm. Her account of the photo ends with a dedication: ‘This one is for you. Run free, Ida.’”
The Illume Awards recognizes the best adventure and action sports photography. You can view all the 2026 winners in the Illume Gallery.
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