ABOUT ISF

The International Skyrunning Federation represents the governing authority of  skyrunning - defined as mountain running above 2,000m over extremely technical trails. Four disciplines define the sport which are not just based on distance, but vertical climb and technical difficulty:  Sky, Ultra, Vertical and Extreme.

OUR HISTORY

“Skyrunning” has been around for some time.  Hundreds, even thousands of years ago mountains were negotiated out of necessity: war, religious persecution, hunting, smuggling, or just out of plain old curiosity.  The concept of running up and down mountains for fun is much newer.  Take for example the Ben Nevis Race which goes back to 1903, or the Pikes Peak Marathon which began as a bet in 1954 among smokers and non smokers.

SHOES AND GEAR

In the mountains, speed means safety: the ability to move quickly in the face of an oncoming storm or to have to descend rapidly due to hypoxy can be decisive issues.
 Variable temperatures, terrain and altitude all require products that are technical, light, thermal, breathable and elastic that protect without restricting your movements and hence, speed. Skyrunning has helped to revolutionize this concept.

ABOUT SKYRUNNING

From sea to sky, skyrunning spans the great outdoors, across the world’s mountain ranges…and the imagination of thousands of participants and fans. It’s a sport born in the wild, where the logic was to reach the highest peak in the shortest time from a town or village. Today it represents the peak of outdoor running defined by altitude and technicality and counts some 200 races worldwide with with around 50,000 participants from 65 countries.