One Step Up: Skyrunning

Originally Posted on July 27, 2013

The weekend is nearly here, and for most of us that means a lazy sleep-in, followed by a leisurely breakfast enjoyed while reading the newspaper.

But for some dedicated athletes, this Saturday represents the culmination of months of hard work,  training and dedication to one goal: success in the Skyrunner World Series.

No, that is not a typo. There is actually a sport called sky running and the competition is fierce. The sport is a close relative of mountain running, which we featured last week on Trail Mix. Essentially, sky running is a step up from mountain running though, as the elevation gain and incline are more intense. According to SagetoSummit, the requirements of sky running are that it take place 2000 m above sea level. There must also be at least a 30% incline to the race course and the climbing difficulty must not exceed IIº.

Needless to say, you have to be pretty motivated to train in this sport. The 350 racers taking part in the SpeedGoat 50km at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah this Saturday are part of that small community of endurance athletes that love to push the limits and revel in extreme sports.

And there are plenty more opportunities for enthusiasts to enjoy. The SpeedGoat 50km forms part of the 2013 Skyrunner World Series- a series of races held in different locations around the world.

It’s divided into three stand-alone circuits: the Sky, Ultra and Vertical. The SpeedGoat 50km is part of the 2013 Ultra SkyMarathon Series, meaning the race is over 50km in length and has at least a 1,300m vertical climb.

For those that excel in Saturday’s race, the grand final for the 2013 Ultra series is in September- the 100km Ultra Race of Champions in Vail, Colorado.

Good luck to everyone competing this weekend!