This weekend, Pasturo, Italy, becomes the epicenter of skyrunning as it hosts the 18th stage of the 2025 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series — the legendary Grigne SkyMarathon. Athletes will face 43 kilometers and 3,900 meters of rugged ascent across exposed ridges secured with chains and ropes, in one of the toughest tests on the circuit.
The race was started in the Italian region of Lecco, 2014 by Team Pasturo, the masterminds behind ZacUP Skyrace, in memory of Davide Invernizzi, a former member of the organisational committee and La Sportiva athlete who sadly lost his life in 2015.
The first Team Pasturo race held on the Grigne Massif was in 2007, Trofeo Scaccabarozzi, which attracted skyrunning legends such as Kilian Jornet and many more. Over the years it has evolved to Grigne SkyMarathon and although some adaptations have been made to the route, the spirit of the locals and the technicality of the terrain continues to attract the best of the best.
The current route is amongst the most technical of the series and a helmet is mandatory for certain sections of the race. Starting in the town of Pasturo, athletes will climb to the top of the Grigne Massif, which rises to an altitude of 2410m in the heart of the Lombard Pre-Alps with views of Lake Como – a true skyrunning classic, and the elite lineup is as spectacular as the race itself.
The men’s field includes some of Italy’s most technically skilled athletes such as local star, Daniel Antonioli (team Scarpa); the recent Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme champion, William Boffelli (team Kailas); and Gianluca Ghiano (team Brooks). They will be joined at the start line by Dimas Pereira of Spain (team Asics), Luka Kovačič of Slovenia (team Dynafit), Pascal Egli of Switzerland, Clement Bruchon of France (team Nike Trail), and Marc Bernandes of Spain (team FEEC).
We can expect to see a truly international women’s field too, coming from as far as Japan and Macedonia. Scott Running duo, Maria Christen of Switzerland and Iris Pessey of France will. no doubt, be leading the pack. The rest of the elite lineup includes Natalie Beadle of the UK (team Belgrave), Elena Karanfiloska of Macedonia, Suzuha Kusuda of Japan (team Skykyoto), Lina El Kott Helander of Sweden (team Merrell), Oihana Zubillaga of Spain (team Basque Selection) and Ruut Joensuu of Finland (team Merrell).
The Grigne SkyMarathon starts this Saturday, 20th of September at 07:30 am. In the case of bad weather, the race will be postponed to Sunday.
More info HERE.
