It’s a stacked field at Livigno Sky Classic

2016 winner and record holder Tadei Pivk is back for the challenge, Livigno SkyMarathon. © Alessandro Tomiello
2016 winner and record holder Tadei Pivk is back for the challenge, Livigno SkyMarathon. ©Alessandro Tomiello

The third Sky Classic of the 2017 Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series is looking forward to a stacked field, strong competition and one of the most challenging courses of the category in Livigno, Italy on Sunday, June 18.

Reaching 3,000m altitude, the 34 km course is highly technical, with fixed chains, ridges, moraine and snow fields. Due to snow conditions at the top, this year the 2,700m vertical climb may vary according to last-minute changes.

Livigno SkyMarathon pre race snow fields, 2017. ©iancorless.com / SWS
Livigno SkyMarathon pre race snow fields, 2017. ©iancorless.com / SWS

Ticking all the skyrunning boxes, the Livigno SkyMarathon® is fast becoming a magnet for the world’s top skyrunners. Here they are:

Last year’s winner Italian Tadei Pivk returns to face Nepali Bhim Gurung who is among the favourites after his win in Yading, China. They will be pushed for the podium by Spaniards Hassan Ait Chaou, 2016 runner-up in the category, Aritz Egea, Pere Aurell and Julen Larruzea.

All the way from Nepal, Bhim Gurung, Kima winner, will race Livigno SkyMarathon ©iancorless.com / SWS
All the way from Nepal, Bhim Gurung, Kima winner, will race Livigno SkyMarathon. ©iancorless.com / SWS

Other top contenders include 2016 top Sky Classic finalists, Frenchman Adrien Michaud and on a return visit, Switzerland’s Pascal Egli, third here last year together with the Casal Mir brothers Oscar and Marc from Andorra. Their comments on last year’s experience were answered with one voice, “Hard, hard, hard!”

Tackling her first race here, Skyrunning World Champion Spaniard Maite Maiora, ranked second after her recent Zegama win, is on top form. She will be joined by returning top ranked runners: Spaniards Aitziber Ibarbia who placed second in 2016, Maria Zorroza and Natalia Roman; Celia Chiron from France; Katrine Villumsen from Denmark; and Michaela Mertova from the Czech Republic.

Ibarbia Aitziber, second in 2016, is aiming for the podium again. ©Alessandro Tomiello
Aitziber Ibarbia , second in 2016, is aiming for the podium again. ©Alessandro Tomiello

The 2016 records stand at 3h55’27” by Tadei Pivk and 4h48’54” by Elisa Desco.

The Livigno SkyMarathon® is part of four events over the weekend organised by top skyrunner Marco De Gasperi and his team which include Friday’s Santa Caterina VK, part of the new Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit.

It looks like a battle in store for runners from Andorra, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Nepal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Spain and USA.

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