SKYRUNNING WORLD DOMINATION THIS WEEKEND – SOUTH KOREA AND SPAIN HOST MERRELL SKYRUNNER® WORLD SERIES RACES

Elite skyrunners show no sign of slowing down. Top athletes fly to opposite sides of the world for the 17th and 18th stage of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series.

2Peaks Skyrace, South Korea

This Saturday, the 26th of October, at 08:00, runners from all over the world will participate in the first South Korean SWS race: 2Peaks Skyrace. The 26-kilometer route with 2,080 meters of elevation gain starts in Ulji Country, South Korea and runs through the Yeongnam Alps.

The race is also part of the U23 Trofeo Esteban Olivero, meaning it awards points towards the U23 ranking for young athletes. 

Despite being an international race this late in the season, the elite field includes some of the top names in the circuit who have travelled across the world to be there.

The current female overall ranking leader, Anastacia Rubtsova, will be present in South Korea, fresh off the back of her win at Inthanon Skyrace in Thailand two weeks ago. Could this be the fifth victory for Rubtsova this season? Up against her will be Marcela Vasinova of the Czech Republic, Takako Takamura of Japan, and Basque athletes, Lide Urrestarazu and Oihana Zubillaga. 

And the men’s field is equally as impressive. Japanese runners Ruy Ueda (team Ruy) and Shoma Otagiri (team Merrell), will go head-to-head with Italy’s Lorenzo Beltrami (team Scarpa) and Gianluca Ghiano (team Brooks). Peter Frano (team Scarpa) of Slovakia is also one to watch as well as U23 athletes, Jules Delabelle of France (team Merrell) and Benjamin and Rio Townsend of the USA.

UTNP, which has one of the most beautiful sceneries in Korea, hopes that through its involvement with the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series, more athletes from around the world will visit Ulju and experience the beauty of Ulju and Korea’s unique characteristics. 

2 Peaks Skyrace Race Director, Jey Jang, “We hope to showcase the beautiful fall scenery and unique characteristics of Ulju and Korea and that through the Skyrunner® World Series more trail runners from around the world can visit and experience k-trail running! Which preserves the beauty of the region.”
 

MSWS head of Business Development, Andres Olivero, comments: “2 Peaks was selected as the South Korean race in the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series because of its rich legacy in mountain running and its exceptional organization, led by JSceno. The race’s challenging 25.9 km course with 2400m of elevation gain takes place in the stunning Yeongnam Alps, capturing the true spirit of skyrunning. As the second stage in Asia, 2Peaks is crucial for the growth and development of our series in the region. Additionally, it serves as a qualifier for our U23 category, providing an important platform for emerging skyrunners to showcase their talent on the international stage.”

The race starts at 08:00 am (local time)

More info on 2peaks Skyrace: https://www.uljutrail.com/2peaks_skyrace

Sobrescobio Skyrace, Spain

The series continues on Sunday, 27th of October at 09:00 am (local time) with the popular Asturian race, Sobrescobio Skyrace, which also promises an impressive presence of elite athletes competing for the overall ranking and a live screening of the event so fans around the world can watch at home.
 

The circular route of Sobrescobio Skyrace, starts and finishes in Rioseco and runs along the Redes National Park and Biosphere Reserve, known for its impressive forests, rocky ridges and muddy paths. The 32-kilometer route with 2,100 meters of elevation gain offers athletes the classic and characteristic steep climbs of skyrunning, as well as fast descents and some stretches of technical terrain where concentration will play a key role.   

As the fourth event of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series calendar in Spain there will also be a large list of elite runners who do not want to miss this event in Asturias. Among the male athletes who will be at the starting line of the Sobrescobio Skyrace are the Italian Luca Del Pero (Scarpa), or the Spanish Antonio Martinez (Asics), Dimas Pereira (Asics) and Manuel Merillas (New Balance), among others.   

In the women’s category, among the Spaniards, the Valencian Júlia Font (Brooks), winner of the Gorbeia Suzien Skyrace, Celia Balcells (FEEC), and the Basque Ohiana Kortazar (Salomon) stand out. The American Michelle Merlis (Are Racing Team), the French Olivia Magnone (Esclops d’Azun) and the German Angelika Eckl (Dynafit / Skylario Runners), as well as Lina El Kott of Sweden (team Merrell), among others, have also confirmed their attendance.   

One of the favourites to get the victory in this edition is the Asics runner Antonio Martinez. Martinez comments: “I chose Sobrescobio because I needed to improve my ranking before the final, and the race fits well in the calendar. I think the course will be quite similar to the last one I raced, in Gorbeia. If it rains in the days before the race, it will be muddy; if not, it will be dry. Both conditions are fine with me, but they would make the race completely different. I’m looking forward to having fun, enjoying myself, and I hope to be physically fit enough to be able to fight for the top places. I don’t know exactly which riders I’ll be competing against, but all the skyraces in Europe this season have a high level of riders, and I’m sure this one will be no different.”  

Júlia Font, winner of Gorbeia Suzien, comments: “I have chosen to run this race because I have never run in Asturias, and I would like to get to know the area. I think it’s going to be a pretty nice race, with technical parts and other fast ones from what I’ve been told, full of mud, that’s for sure. And as for the women’s level will be high, all skyrunning in Spain have had a very high level, but well, we come to fight and try to be as far ahead as possible”. 
 

Juan Fuego, race director, comments: “We are delighted to host one of the races of the Merrell Skyrunner World Series in Sobrescobio, and we are very excited to show this place to the skyrunning community. The level of the runners will be very high, there are many interesting names on both the men’s and women’s side and we are sure they will put on a great show. The EDP Sobrescobio Redes Trail is special for having an incredible route through the Natural Park of Redes in the autumn season, when it reaches its maximum splendor. The passage through its meadows, forests and villages makes the race unique for runners.”   

For her part, the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series representative, Seana Forbes, comments:“Sobrescobio was selected to be a SWS race for many reasons. It is an established race in Spain and we have received excellent feedback from athletes who have participated in previous editions. The location is stunning and the course is pure skyrunning: technical and wild. We are very excited to be in Asturias this season and with so much at stake in this race, we expect excitement and intensity from start to finish, so don’t miss it!”. 

More info. on Sobrescobio Skyrace: https://www.redestrail.com

The Overall Ranking

2Peaks Skyrace and Sobrescobio Skyrace comes at a crucial time in the series with only two races left before the final on November 16th.

The current ranking of the circuit is as follows:

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WATCH SOBRESCOBIO LIVE!

EDP Sobrescobio Skyrace® is being livestreamed. Watch online at the link below! 

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