The historic race in Benalmádena (Málaga) provided an excellent stage for the second round of the 2024 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series, with a race that witnessed record breaking efforts in both the male and female categories.
Benalmádena, Saturday, April 6, 2024. – Roberto Delorenzi (Brooks Running) and Sara Alonso (Asics) achieved impressive victories in an exciting edition of the Calamorro SkyRace, the second race of the 2024 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series.
Participants completed 27.5 kilometres with 2,270 metres of elevation gain, during a short and explosive race. Challenged by constant gradient, the race offered little relief with flat or road sections. Runners additionally had to overcome extremely technical, rocky descents and contended with the ascent to Mount Calamorro (731 meters) shortly after the start. With very little opportunity to settle into the race, all faced a 3.76 km climb with 650 meters of positive elevation gain to the summit.
Male and female record
Expectations were high prior to the race. Great weather, a super elite line-up of runners, and a bonus of 250 Euros to anybody breaking the course record, offered much excitement that records would fall. Spectators were not disappointed. Antonio Martinez’s (2:39:01) impressive record in the extreme heat of 2023, and Sara Alonso’s (3:00:08) excellent 2022 ultimately fell. In the men’s category Roberto Delorenzi smashed the record in 2 hours 25 minutes and 40 seconds, 14 minutes less than the previous record. Not to be outdone, Sara Alonso managed to break her own record, finishing in a very impressive 2 hours 59 minutes and 08 seconds.
Delorenzi led the race from the start, imposing a strong pace and never letting up. The Swiss had a clear objective of beating the record of the race, and he has achieved it in spectacular style. Behind the Brooks athlete, Antonio Martínez(Asics) crossed the finish line in 2 hours 34 minutes and 47 seconds, with the Italian Luca del Pero (Scarpa) finishing in third place, in 2 hours 36 minutes and 55 seconds. All three destroyed the previous record highlighting the excellent quality of this years’s event.
In the women’s category Júlia Font (Brooks Running) and Sara Alonso (Asics) provided a sporting spectacle, offering one of the most disputed women’s races in recent times. Although there was a tug of war between the two runners for much of the second half of the race, Alonso attacked in the last part of the course, passing through the Buddhist Stupa Tunnel, gapping Font and repeating her excellent success in 2022.
Julia Font. Photo: Antton Guaresti
Statements of the winners
Swiss winner Roberto Delorenzi explained after his victory that “from the beginning I could go at my pace, open a gap, and the weather was perfect… I did not expect to go so fast, but I’m happy!”. The Skyrunner World Series leader added that “I will do two more races, the Skyrace des Matheysins and Gorges du Tarn, where I hope to do like today and Acantilados, and then run in the final”.
Winner in the women’s category, Sara Alonso, said that “I would not have achieved this record if Júlia Font had not been there, and at some point, when she left, I have seen it impossible, but it has been the most competitive race for the first place I have ever done”. The Basque runner added that “everything hurts right now, but I’m proud and very happy with the race”.
The director of Calamorro Skyrace, Rogelio Macías, stated that “we at Grupo Alpino Benalmádena are very happy with this second stop of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series. The support we have had has been incredible, both from the participants and the organisation, to the volunteers, whom we thank for all the work they are doing”. In reference to the records broken today, Macias added that “the performance of all the athletes has been incredible, and we are very happy with the reception that the race is having throughout the circuit”.
Skyrunner® World Series representative, Etienne Rodriguez, noted that there was “such a great atmosphere, from start to finish, with a lot of suspense”. Rodriguez added that “the split timing with the women kicking things off first and the men starting 30 minutes later was a really cool touch, quite unique and I think it really enhanced the live-streaming excitement. And all of this was topped off with course records falling both in women’s and men’s race”. Finally, the SWS representative said that “Calamorro SkyRace marked the debut of the Trofeo Esteban Olivero youth series, and that’s something that we are really passionate about cultivating”.
Calamorro Skyrace, a race with history
The history of Calamorro Skyrace, organised by Grupo Alpino Benalmádena and with the collaboration of the Benalmádena City Council, the Diputación de Málaga and the Junta de Andalucía, has been evolving since its first edition in 2008. It is one of the pioneering races that began to be held in this community during the early days of mountain races.
The organisation, right from the beginning, sought the best route options offered to the Sierra de Benalmádena with its virtually unknown network of trails, with the aim of putting it in value through a route that was significant of the scenic and environmental richness of the municipality of Benalmádena.
In 2019 the current route was established, which outlines and combines the characteristics of a technical, demanding test that allows to live a totally different and real experience of a Skyrace. In its sixteenth edition, and for the second consecutive year, the Calamorro is part of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series circuit.
All the overall results of the Calamorro SkyRace can be viewed at the following link https://sportmaniacs.com/es/races/xv-calamorro-skyrace
The next stop of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series will be on Sunday, May 5 with the SKYRACE® DES MATHEYSINS, which will take place in Saint Honoré (France). The 2024 calendar also includes other events in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
You can see the entire 2024 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series race schedule at this link: https://www.skyrunnerworldseries.com/races/
