The one, the only, the original – the Skyrunner® World Series returns with a brand new season this Saturday, 29th of April. Spain’s Calamorro Skyrace opens the 2023 circuit with a live broadcasting of the entire race so fans around the globe can watch their favourite elite skyrunners compete for the first title of the year.
It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for. With the announcement of its highest end-of-season prize money pool of 100,000 € and an elite list unrivalled by any other circuit, the Skyrunner® World Series is set to be the highlight of the year.
The circuit, which features 13 races in eight countries, kicks off with Calamorro Skyrace in Benalmádena, Spain this Saturday. Calamorro Skyrace belongs to the Premier race category, therefore offering more points towards the overall ranking and more prize money to the top 10.
The 27-kilometre course with over 2,000 metres of elevation gain has been described as “fast, hot and extremely technical” by reigning champion, Sara Alonso.
Beginning in the town of Benalmádena, the true skyrunning course features three long climbs and three long descents and summits two mountain peaks, Mount Calamorro and Cerro Castillejo, with views out to the Spanish coast and the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea.
To make the event even more spectacular, the location of the 2023 SkyMasters will be announced at the opening ceremony on Friday 28th of April.
With such a breathtaking course and a lot to win, it’s no surprise the series’ opening race has attracted the world’s best athletes from near and far with athletes of 25 nationalities competing.
At the top of the men’s field is a strong Spanish representation including skyrunning legend Zaid Ait Malek (team Jimbee Melon); Manuel Merillas (team Scarpa), Antonio Martinez (team Scarpa) and Daniel Osanz (team Adidas Terrex).
Christian Mathys of Switzerland (team Biel/Bienne Athletics) will also take his place at the starting line alongside leading French Skyrunners Frédéric Tranchand (team Scott Running and Slyvain Cachard (team Hoka).
In the women’s field all eyes will no-doubt be on Denisa Dragomir of Romania (team Merrell/Red Bull) – Dragomir sadly missed out on the circuit last year due to injury but made an epic comeback by winning the 2022 Skyrunning and Trail running World Championships at the end of the season.
Dragomir will be challenged by a number of strong women, all eager to secure their spot at the top of the leaderboard in the first race. These include:
Marcela Vasinova of the Czech Republic; Iris Pessy of France (team Scott Running); SWS newcomer, Elsey Davis of the UK (team The North Face) and the 2022 SkyMasters winner Noemie Vachon of France (team Brooks).
The first race of the season starts on Saturday 29th of April, at 15:00 CET. Points shall be awarded to the top 20 male and females of the race and prize money awarded to the top 10.
The top 10 will also qualify for the 2023 SkyMasters, the final race of the season. This is only as long as they complete a further 2 races of the season and the SkyMasters. More information on the rules can be found on the Skyrunner® World Series website.
Full elite list
