Manuel Merillas

Manuel Merillas was born in Valseco, a hamlet at the foot of the Picos de Europa. He grew up helping his family with livestock on the same terrain where he now trains. At 18, he joined the Spanish Army’s mountain troops, which introduced him to ski mountaineering and skyrunning.

A fixture at the top of international skyrunning for over a decade, his SkyMasters victory at Marató dels Dements was the product of relentless consistency. Recognisable on course by his bamboo poles, he remains one of the strongest and most experienced athletes in the sport.