Sky Running news: Race news: 2016 Skyrunner® World Series goes extreme
The 2016 Skyrunner® World Series takes skyrunning to the next level. The best races, new events and what’s more, it’s going extreme!
In addition to the successful Vertical, Sky and Ultra formats, we are pleased to announce the introduction of the Sky Extreme Series. Three countries, three super-technical races represent a real opportunity to embrace the skyrunning ethos. Kilian Jornet comments, “When I discovered Skyrunning years ago it was the images of small runners traversing huge glaciers, scrambling rock ridges and descending steep snow fields. I’m really happy to see this new Series, with the most technical races - the soul of skyrunning!”
The Sky Extreme kicks off on August 7, with the Tromsø SkyRace® in Norway, where Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg launched the first, made-to-measure SkyRace in Northern territories. To complete the Sky Extreme Series, the biennial Kima Trophy is back and concludes with new entry, the Salomon Glen Coe Skyline. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it’s a fusion of skyrunning and mountaineering.
The Sky Series counts now 8 races in 6 countries as it goes to Mainland China with the Yading Skyrun which opens the season in April. The highest race in the World Series, it reaches a breath-taking 4,700m altitude on the Tibetan Plateau in China’s spectacular Sichuan mountains.
More new races include the Livigno Outdoor Race Experience and Santa Caterina Vertical Kilometer® in Sondrio, Italy, designed by the magic hand of top skyrunner Marco De Gasperi. Summiting the highest point in the Principality of Andorra, the SkyRace® Comapedrosa represents a true skyrunning challenge, reaching nearly 3,000m elevation. New entry from Portugal, the Ultra SkyMarathon® Madeira will offer a challenging and technical 55k to the island’s highest point.
To reward the remarkable effort of the athletes competing in the Series, the end of season prize purse will be €36,000, making a combined prize of over €135,000. Marino Giacometti, skyrunning founder and ISF president, says, “We’re glad we can give more back to the athletes. In this sport, the rewards don’t just come from touching the sky, but a tangible compensation for their incredible performance.”
To find out more about the 2016 SKYRUNNER® WORLD SERIES visit: www.skyrunning.com
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