It’s exactly 20 years since one of the first made-to-measure skyrunning races took place. Today, the Dolomites SkyRace® has become an icon, attracting the world’s top skyrunners year in year out. Hosting the sixth stage of the Migu Run Skyrunner® World Series Sky Classic category, the weekend’s events promise to be as hot as the recent weather across the Italian Alps.
The 20th anniversary will see a slight course change to include a section dedicated to the race founder, Diego Perathoner, with an overall 23.5 km distance and 1,950m vertical climb to the snow-covered summit of the Piz Boè at 3,152m (an extra 1.5 km and 248m climb with respect to previous events).
Top ranked runners and past winners will gather for this legendary race, including: World Champion, VK and Sky Classic specialist, Spaniard Laura Orgué, winner in 2014 and 2016 together with Italians Tadei Pivk, on the podium since 2013 and 2015 and 2016 winner, joined by Marco De Gasperi, second here in 2013 after a neck-and-neck sprint with Kilian Jornet.
The super-strong men’s field includes: Spaniards, Hassan Ait Chaou, Eugeni Gil, Jan Margarit, Julen Martinez and Eduard Hernandez; from Switzerland, Rémi Bonnet, Martin Anthamatten, Pascal Egli, Micha Steiner; Bulgarian Kiril Nikolov; from France, Alexis Sevennec; Japan’s Dai Matsumoto; Sweden’s André Jonsson, currently ranked 2nd on both the Sky Extreme and Overall rankings.
Among the women, from Spain: Maria Zorroza, Aitziber Ibarbia, Anna Comet and Laia Andreu; Italy’s Stephanie Jimenez; from the USA, Hillary Gerardi and Addie Bracy; Hilde Alders from Norway and Katrine Villumsen from Denmark are some of the stars lining up.
Twenty years of top level skyrunning will be celebrated in Canazei with 1,000 runners from 40 countries toeing the start line for Saturday’s Dolomites SkyRace® where Sky Classic ranking points are at stake. On Friday, the Dolomites Vertical Kilometer® on the new Vertical Kilometer® World Circuit, will also enjoy a top line up.
