The Merrell Skyrunner® World Series delivered another unforgettable weekend as athletes battled extreme conditions and fierce competition across two continents. From the rain-soaked, technical climbs of South Korea’s 2Peaks Skyrace to the fast, rugged trails of Spain’s Sobrescobio Skyrace, top skyrunners pushed their limits in pursuit of crucial ranking points ahead of the season’s grand finale at Marato del Dements.
FIRST UP: 2PEAKS
The first of the weekend’s races was 2Peaks Skyrace, a 22-kilometer race with over 2000 meters of elevation gain in the Yeongnam Alps, South Korea. After heavy rain overnight, athletes were ready for a slippy ride.
The start was explosive and set the tone for the rest of the day. In the men’s race, Italians Gianluca Ghiano (team Brooks) and William Boffelli (team Kailas) flew up the first climb with Nico Molina of Italy (team La Sportiva) right behind them. Molina managed to take the lead for a few minutes at the top but Ghiano and Boffelli fought back and the three athletes stayed together until the final minutes of the race, where it finally came down to grit, speed and who was able to dig the deepest. In the end, it was Molina who took the victory in a nail biting finish after 2:45:32. Ghiano followed a minute back and Boffelli closed the podium three seconds later.
In the women’s race, favourite to win, Anastasia Rubtsova (team Bivium) dominated from the gun and continued to increase her gap with each kilometer. Behind her, Natalie Beadle of the UK (team Belgrave), Svetlana Tkachenko and Marcela Vasinova of the Czech Republic battled for the remaining podium spots. After 3:12:42, Rubtsova crossed the finish line with a new course record and 6th overall. As her fifth win this season, this victory places her at the top of the ranking before the final. Beadle finished second, 20 minutes behind, and Tkachenko closed the women’s podium 10 minutes behind Beadle.
2Peaks Skyrace full results HERE.
NEXT UP… SOBRESCOBIO SKYRACE
In just a few hours, the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series jumped to the other side of the world for Sobrescobio, Spain – the final race for the seniors before the SkyMasters final in two weeks.
32-kilometers with 2100 meters of elevation gain, through the wild beauty of the Redes National Park. Runnable trails and the a world-class field of skyrunners, hungry for points towards the overall ranking,
From the start Manuel Merillas of Spain (team New Balance) took the lead and set a brutal pace. Frederic Tranchand of France (team Merrell) and Alain Santamaria of Spain (Open Team) were not ready to let him out of their sight and stayed focused on the chase. After an incredibly fast downhill from Merillas, it looked like he had it in the bag, but the decisive moment was in the closing kilometers of the race when Tranchand made his attack and Merillas was unable to fight back. Santamaria followed soon after, leaving Merillas to fight for third.
In the end, it was a victory for Tranchand with a new record time of 2:40:38. Santamaria finished in second, six minutes behind and Merillas was able to hold onto third, finishing less than two minutes later.
In the women’s race, Naiara Irigoyen of Spain (Open Team) took control from the start, moving smoothly and running strong. Patricia Pineda (team La Sportiva) and Greta Garcia (team Asics) – both of Spain – battled behind her but Irigoyen never faltered and was untouchable from start to finish. Irigoyen also claimed her victory and the second course record of the day with a time of 3:23:06. Pineda followed seven minutes later and Garcia closed the women’s podium less than three minutes later.
Sobrescobio Full results HERE.
All focus is now on the final, Marato Del Dements, on the 8th of November in Eslida, Spain.
BUT IT’S NOT OVER YET…
The weekend continues tomorrow with the final of the U23 Trofeo Esteban Olivero, where the best young skyrunners of the season will battle it out on the 17km route of Sobrescobio Skyrace.
