Manuel Merillas and Sara Alonso win the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series Skymasters final at the Marató dels Dements and are crowned 2026 overall champions.
Three men started the day in Eslida with a shot at the title and just 31 points between them. In the women’s race, Sara Alonso needed only a top-four finish, but a fall on the first descent turned a coronation into a battle with pain. On a course redrawn after this summer’s wildfire, the double-points final delivered a season finale few will forget.
A REDRAWN COURSE IN THE SERRA D’ESPADA
The final started in Eslida at 7:30 on a 42 km course with 3,903 m of positive elevation gain, built around nine major climbs and descents through the Serra d’Espadà Natural Park. Signature passages included the Alto de la Costera, the Puntal de l’Aljub, Pico Espadán and the Barranc del Roig.
This year’s route was new. A July wildfire burned more than 10,000 hectares of the natural park, including the area used for the first 10 km of the usual course, which can no longer be accessed. The organisers redesigned the route with the natural park and environmental authorities to keep the steep, rocky character that defines Dements.
The stakes matched the terrain. As the SkyMasters final, the race awarded double points (200 for the winner) and counted alongside each athlete’s four best results of the season, so the overall titles would be settled on the finish line in Eslida.
MERILLAS IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
The men’s race arrived with three title contenders separated by just 31 points: series leader Jose Manuel Quispe, Frederic Tranchand and Manuel Merillas, the defending SkyMasters champion. Everyone expected a head-to-head between Merillas and Tranchand, who had traded wins across the season.
That duel ended early. Tranchand hurt his back just before the 10 km mark, and from there Merillas was in a league of his own, racing no one but the clock. Tranchand kept fighting despite the pain but steadily lost ground, eventually finishing seventh.
Behind the leader, a pack of Marcos Villamuera, Loic Robert, Lucien Mermillon, Morgan Elliott, Daniel Izquierdo and Jose Manuel Quispe battled over the technical terrain. Mermillon produced the performance of the day among the chasers: flying down the technical descents, he cruised into second place by km 25 and held it to the finish.
Merillas crossed the line in Eslida in 4:20:33. Mermillon took second in 4:32:41, and Villamuera confirmed his status as one of the rising stars of the sport with third in 4:38:26. Loic Robert (4:43:09) and Morgan Elliott (4:43:30) completed the top five after a close finish.
“In this race I feel at home. I was hearing ‘Manu’ all the time, and whether it’s part of the circuit or not, this is one of my favourite races,” said Merillas. “I went full gas from the beginning because I knew my rivals were not going to make it easy. I’m a bit sad for Fred. He is one of the strongest, and I would have liked a one-to-one battle until the finish line.”
On the season, he added: “With the circuit there is a big opportunity to choose the races you want to take part in, so in the end you don’t compete against everyone all the time. Today was the day, and I’m really happy to have won.”
The 200 points lifted Merillas from third to first overall. Quispe’s eighth place (4:51:59) was enough to edge Tranchand for second in the series by five points.
ALONSO WIRE TO WIRE, KARANFILOSKA SURGES TO SECOND
Sara Alonso led the women’s race from start to finish, winning in 5:30:38 despite a fall on the first descent. Behind her, Elena Karanfiloska, Patricia Pineda and Greta Garcia fought a close battle for the remaining podium places.
Karanfiloska pulled away to finish second in 5:40:17, looking as if she had barely broken a sweat at the line. Greta Garcia took third in 5:45:35, ahead of Alice Bausseron (5:46:59) and Eva Delafosse (5:49:56). Pineda finished sixth in 5:50:48.
“First of all, thanks to everyone for today. It was really cool to feel the warmth of the people all over the course,” said Alonso. “It was really hard today. I fell once, on the first downhill, and hit my ribs. I don’t know if one is broken, and the last two hours of the race were terrible.”
“In those moments when I was suffering, I was remembering Kalie, Ida, the DANA and the wildfires of this summer, and I’m grateful to be here today. I also thought about the overall, that’s right, but it was a really hard race for me. I’m really happy to have five victories and to be the overall champion.”
The win was Alonso’s fifth of the series, after Acantilados del Norte, Calamorro, Gorbeia Suzien and Sobrescobio, and completed a dominant debut season on the circuit.
MARATO DELS DEMENTS SKYMASTERS TOP
MEN
- Manuel Merillas Moledo (ESP, New Balance) – 4:20:33
- Lucien Mermillon (FRA, Team Rossignol) – 4:32:41
- Marcos Villamuera Izquierdo (ESP, Scarpa) – 4:38:26
- Loic Robert (FRA, Independent) – 4:43:09
- Morgan Elliott (USA, Merrell) – 4:43:30
WOMEN
- Sara Alonso (ESP, Asics Trail) – 5:30:38
- Elena Karanfiloska (MKD, Lurbel Team) – 5:40:17
- Greta Garcia Moran (ESP, Asics Trail) – 5:45:35
- Alice Bausseron (FRA, New Balance) – 5:46:59
- Eva Delafosse (FRA, Colibri Academy) – 5:49:56
Full results HERE.
THE 2026 SEASON AND OVERALL RANKING
Athletes qualified for the SkyMasters by completing at least four series races with a top-20 finish, or through the National Series and Continental or World Championships. The overall standings shared €70,000 in prize money, with €12,000 for each champion.
The men’s title was the closest in years. Merillas beat Tranchand at Acantilados del Norte and Calamorro, before Tranchand struck back at Sobrescobio. Quispe arrived in Eslida as series leader, setting up a three-way decider that Merillas settled with a second consecutive SkyMasters win.
Alonso dominated the women’s season from her first year on the circuit. She swept the four Spanish stops, including a course record of 3:14:02 at Sobrescobio, where she won by nearly ten minutes.
MEN’S OVERALL RANKING
- Manuel Merillas (ESP, New Balance) – 647 points
- Jose Manuel Quispe (PER, Merrell / Civa) – 568 points
- Frederic Tranchand (FRA, Merrell) – 563 points
- Marcos Villamuera (ESP, Scarpa) – 530 points
- Morgan Elliott (USA, Merrell) – 484 points
- Lucien Mermillon (FRA, Rossignol) – 476 points
- Nicolas Molina (ESP, Scott) – 441 points
- Alex Oberbacher (ITA, La Sportiva) – 431 points
- Loic Robert (FRA, Independent) – 410 points
- Daniel Izquierdo Alonso (ESP, OS2O) – 409 points
WOMEN’S OVERALL RANKING
- Sara Alonso (ESP, Asics) – 700 points
- Eva Delafosse (FRA, Colibri Trail) – 506 points
- Patricia Pineda (ESP, La Sportiva) – 492 points
- Amanda Nilsson (SWE, Hoka) – 479 points
- Alice Bausseron (FRA, New Balance) – 461 points
- Elena Karanfiloska (MKD, Lurbel) – 454 points
- Natalie Beadle (GBR, Arc’teryx) – 439 points
- Oihana Zubillaga (ESP, Basque EMF) – 417 points
- Greta Garcia (ESP, Asics) – 414 points
- Rosalia Zegarra (PER, Civa) – 409 points
With record-breaking runs, a title race that went down to the final race and a new generation pushing the established stars, the 2026 season will be remembered as one of the series’ finest. The 2027 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series calendar will be announced soon, and the countdown to the next chapter has already begun.
