Stellar line-up at Vertical and Sky finals

The spectacular Limone course above Lake Garda. ©iancorless.com
The spectacular Limone course above Lake Garda. ©iancorless.com

Tying up the 2016 Skyrunner® World Series, the Vertical and Sky finals will take place in Italy on October 14 and 15. Since the start of the season in May, thousands of athletes from around the world have competed in the two Series and next weekend will decide the champions.

An incredibly stacked field of 980 runners from 36 countries will parcipate in the two races to be held in Limone on the shores of Lake Garda. Champions past and present will be competing – for the titles, to race with the best and to get a high from participating in the end of season 2016 Skyrunner® World Series finals.

Vertical Series – Grèste de la Mughéra Vertical Kilometer®

The weekend’s events kick off with Friday’s Vertical Kilometer®. Truly spectacular, the race starts on the shore at sunset and climbs for 1,080m over a highly technical 3.7 km course.

Christel Dewalle, ranked 2nd, 2015 Limone Vertical Kilometer winner. ©iancorless.com
Christel Dewalle, ranked 2nd, 2015 Limone Vertical Kilometer winner. ©iancorless.com

Only two women contend the Vertical Series title: Spain’s Laura Orgué, current ranking leader and 2015 Vertical and Sky Series Champion. Her rival is Christel Dewalle from France, 2016 World Champion, ranked second and winner here last year. An electrifying match between the two is in store.

Orgué, who will also take on Saturday’s race, comments, “Like last year, the final results are wide open and everything is possible.  I will do my very best!

Laura Orgué competing in both Vertical and Sky races. ©iancorless.com / SWS
Laura Orgué competing in both Vertical and Sky races. ©iancorless.com / SWS

Only the top four men can dispute the Champion title: Ferran Teixido, Jan Margarit, Ondrej Fejfar and Philip Goetsch. The race competition will be forced by World Champion Stian Angermund from Norway and Rémi Bonnet from Switzerland, 2015 Series champion and race winner. Italian Urban Zemmer, the “Vertical Machine”, at the age of 46 is still a force to be reckoned with, placing second here last year. Among the elite, nine of the top ten men and six top ranked women will be competing. The 2014 records stand at 37’11” and 44’51”.

Sky Series – Limone Extreme SkyRace®

Saturday, all eyes will be on Italy’s Tadei Pivk, 2015 Sky Series Champion and current ranking leader. Can he hold off his only rival, Spaniard Hassan Ait Chaou for the title?

Tadei Pivk, Sky Series ranking leader. ©iancorless.com / SWS
Tadei Pivk, Sky Series ranking leader. ©iancorless.com / SWS

I haven’t raced since July due to injury but now I’m in good shape and can’t wait,” Pivk states. “As usual, I’ll give it everything I’ve got. It would be wonderful to win the title again!”

The women’s competition will see Laura Orgué defend her title against American Megan Kimmel who leads the current ranking in a tie with equal points. Let the battle commence!

Ranked #1 American Megan Kimmel Sky Series leader. ©iancorless.com / SWS
Ranked #1 American Megan Kimmel Sky Series leader. ©iancorless.com / SWS

Both the men’s and women’s fields in the SkyRace® are stacked with eight out of the top ten competing. Joining them will be skyrunning super star, Marco De Gasperi from Italy and, again, Stian Angermund racing in both categories.  From France, a special appearance from Caroline Chaverot, 2016 Skyrunning Ultra World Champion and UTMB winner.

I had a dream season!” says Chaverot. “I hope to be fit but frankly I’ve never run such a short international race so I have no idea what I’m capable of. I’m pretty impressed with so many strong runners out there and I’ll do my best!”

The 27 km race starts and finishes by the lake, passing through the old town of Limone and olive and lemon groves. Above, often steep and challenging, the course climbs along rocky limestone paths and ridges for a total of 2,480m. The records to beat are 2h45’23” and 3h18’50”.

The Vertical and Sky Champions will be crowned at the lakeside prize-giving ceremony on Saturday evening. The Skyrunner® World Series end of season bonus pool awards the top three men and women of each Series with cash prizes amounting to €36,000 over the four categories.

 

ALPINA_LogosSponsoring_Watches_H

Alpina Watches, Official Watch of the 2016 Skyrunner® World Series will award a prestigious Horological Smartwatch to each of the Vertical and Sky Series champions.

Join us for all the action on Friday and Saturday in Limone where the world’s top athletes and passionate skyrunners will light up the town during… and after the racing.

 

Full list of top athletes competing

Vertical Grèste della Mughéra
Men
Ferran Teixido (AND), Jan Margarit (ESP), Ondrej Fejfar (CZE), Philip Goetsch (ITA), Marco Moletto (ITA), Hannes Perkman (ITA), Nejc Kuhar (SLO), Rolf Einar Jensen (NOR), William Bon Mardion (FRA), Rémi Bonnet (SUI), Luka Kovacic (SLO), Stian Angermund (NOR), Urban Zemmer (ITA)

Women
Laura Orgué (ESP), Christel Dewalle (FRA), Maria Zorroza (ESP), Francesca Rossi (ITA), Serena Vittori (ITA) Aitziber Ibarbia (ESP)

Limone Extreme SkyRace®
Men
Tadei Pivk (ITA), Hassan Ait Chaou (ESP), Pablo Villa Gonzales (ESP), Jan Margarit (ESP), Oscar Casal Mir (AND), Marc Casal Mir (AND), Kiril Nikolov (BUL), Adrien Michaud (FRA), Alexis Sévennec (FRA), Micha Steiner (SUI), André Jonsson (SWE), Aritz Egea (ESP), Marco De Gasperi (ITA), Stian Angermund (NOR), Agusti Roc (ESP)

Women
Megan Kimmel (USA), Laura Orgué (ESP), Ragna Debats (NED), Yngvild Kaspersen (NOR), Marta Molist (ESP), Aitziber Ibarbia (ESP), Sheila Aviles (ESP), Célia Chiron (FRA), Caroline Chaverot (FRA)

Info Vertical Kilometer® and Limone Extreme SkyRace®

Vertical and Sky Series rankings

Scoring and prizes

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