This weekend, the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series went above and beyond at the Cordillera Blanca Skyrace in Huaraz, Peru.
Fans were treated to altitude, ice and all-out effort today for the 14th race of the 2025 circuit. The high-altitude race, topping out at 4,450 meters, covered 22km with a total elevation gain of 1,500m in the Peruvian Andes.
The race was dominated from the start by Peruvian athletes with Jorge Luis Castro (team Peru Trail Lab) and Jose Manuel Quispe (team Merrell / CIVA) who fought until the very end. Spain’s Alain Santamaria (Open Team) chased behind but was unable to catch the leaders. The downhill was the deciding factor in the men’s race with Jose Manuel Quispe giving one final push to claim the victory for a third year in a row with a winning time of 2:01:11. Castro finished five minutes behind and Santamaria closed the men’s podium one minute later.
The women’s race exploded from the start. Deisy Castro of Peru (Team Peru Trail Lab) led from the gun with Diana Espinoza (Team Legion Runners) and Spain’s Naiara Irigoyen (Open Team) hot on her heels. By the time Castro had reached the summit, the gap was too big for anyone to catch her and Castro crossed the finish line in first place after 2:26:51. Irigoyen followed ten minutes later in second place and Espinoza closed the women’s podium two minutes later.
The series continues on the 25th of July with the Tatra SkyMarathon in Poland.
