José Manuel Quispe

José Manuel Quispe grew up in Ayahuasi, a village in the Peruvian highlands at 3,800 metres above sea level. He discovered competitive running in 2017, entered his first skyrace in 2023, and within two seasons was winning at world series level.

He works his chacra — a small farm — between training sessions, and returns to Ayahuasi after every race. At altitude, in conditions that punish sea-level athletes, Quispe is simply operating closer to home.