Trail Photo of Ida Amelie Robsahm Wins Illume Award
Ágata Dominguez's image of the Norwegian trail runner won the Trail Category of The Illume Awards 2026.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Hiking
Ágata Dominguez won the Trail Category of The Illume Awards 2026 with a photograph of Norwegian trail runner Ida Amelie Robsahm on a muddy climb during the Zegama-Aizkorri race in Spain's Basque Country. Robsahm died on September 19 after a fall on Norway's Romsdalseggen ridge at age 30.
Why it matters
The award recognizes adventure and action sports photography, and the image now stands as a record of a runner whose life ended in a mountain accident. The Illume Awards are judged by a panel of photography professionals who select the best work in the category.
The photograph was taken 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. The Trail Category judges were Will Saunders, Alexis Berg, Hilary Yang, Billy Yang and Markus Kröll.
The players
Ida Amelie Robsahm
Ida Amelie Robsahm was a Norwegian trail runner whose climb during the Zegama-Aizkorri race was captured in the award-winning photograph.
Ágata Dominguez
Ágata Dominguez is a photographer who has lived in the Swiss Alps for ten years and won the Trail Category of The Illume Awards 2026.
The Illume Awards
The Illume Awards is a photography competition that recognizes the best adventure and action sports photography each year.
The details
The photograph was taken in May from within the spectator crowd on the muddy uphill stretch at Sancti Spiritu, above Zegama, with a dark shoulder and outstretched hands intruding on the right of the frame. Robsahm died on September 19 after falling on Norway's Romsdalseggen ridge.
Timeline
May 2026: Photograph taken during the Zegama-Aizkorri race in Spain.
September 19, 2026: Ida Amelie Robsahm died after a fall on the Romsdalseggen ridge.
2026: Illume Awards 2026 Trail Category win announced.
Culture Shift
Trail running photography increasingly documents athletes in real conditions, as this Trail Category winner shows through its muddy uphill frame. The Illume Awards is one of the venues recognizing that work, placing a single mountain image within the wider adventure sports photography field.
Hikers and trail runners can see how mountain photography captures the physical demands of racing on steep, muddy terrain. The image shows the conditions faced on a competitive climb, which is useful context for anyone planning similar events.
The takeaway
Photographs taken during endurance races can preserve moments that later carry deeper meaning for the athletes and communities who knew them. Careful attention to terrain and conditions is a reminder of the risks trail runners accept on technical ridges.
Further reading
For more on outdoor pursuits, browse our Hiking coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Digital Camera World.
