The International Skyrunning Federation is pleased to announce a new championship – the Youth Skyrunning North & Central American Championships – which will take place in the spectacular Canadian Rockies on 26 and 28 June, 2026.
This marks the first-ever Continental Championships dedicated to the Youth category which will be hosted at the Minotaur SkyRace, presented by Arc’teryx, in Alberta, Canada.
Open to athletes aged 15-23, teams will compete from: Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and USA – to battle for the 75 medals and Continental titles at stake for individual, combined and national team rankings.
Two skyrunning disciplines will be disputed – the VERTICAL and the SKY. The brand new Minotaur VK, specifically designed for the Youth Championships, reaches the highest altitude of the events topping out at 2,380m altitude.
VERTICAL
Minotaur VK – Castle Mountain Resort, AB – June 26, 2026
Distance: 4 km – Vertical climb: 970m
SKY
Mini-Taur 10 km – Crowsnest Pass, AB – June 28, 2026
Distance: 10.5 km – Vertical climb: 950m
The four age categories are: Youth A (15-16), Youth B (17-18), Youth C (19-20) and U23 (21-23).
A new country, a new experience awaits young skyrunners or aspiring skyrunners from across the continent. Apart from the stunning mountain landscape centred around Crowsnest Pass, the events are set in the territory of the Blackfoot people, historically skilled hunters and horse riders, whose culture is deeply rooted in the land.
Race organiser Andrew Fairhurst, commented, “The Minotaur team in Canada is thrilled to showcase our beautiful and wild terrain to athletes from across the continent for our 2026 events. Hosting the Canadian Skyrunning National Championships, as well as the Youth Skyrunning North and Central American Championships here in the Canadian Rocky Mountains of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta is a huge honour.
“We look forward to growing the sport of skyrunning in Canada, alongside our presenting sponsor Arc’teryx. Minotaur SkyRace is one of the most technical and rugged skyrunning courses in the world, and the Mini-Taur 10 km is already known as Canada’s hardest 10 km race – now a whole new field of athletes will get to experience the stunning views and Canadian wilderness these courses have to offer.
“We have also introduced the Minotaur VK to our roster of events this year, and if athletes are looking for an extra challenge, they can sign up for the Minotaur Trifecta, which means completing all three events over the course of race weekend June 26-28, 2026. We look forward to working with the International Skyrunning Federation to spread the joy of skyrunning in 2026!”
No stranger to skyrunning, the Minotaur SkyRace® presented by Arc’teryx, joined the Skyrunner® World Series for three editions, presenting the race and the breathtaking environment to runners from across the world. In 2026, the Minotaur SkyRace® – 33.5 km long with 2,900m elevation gain – will also host the Canadian National Skyrunning Championships.
The Minotaur SkyRace events offer an important added bonus thanks to an initiative in partnership with Arc’teryx – designed to help close the gender gap in mountain running by awarding four women’s grants of US $1,000 to each selected candidate residing in Canada or USA. The submission deadline is December 2, 2025. Apply here
Marino Giacometti, ISF President and skyrunning founder, stated, “We launched the concept of these new Youth Championships, dedicated to the North & Central American continent which we are currently developing, with a view to showcasing the growing talent there, and to promoting the truly inspiring, pure skyrunning terrain of the Canadian Rockies where the Minotaur races are held.”
Entries for the Youth Skyrunning N&C American Championships will go through official ISF members. To enjoy the same experience as the Youth skyrunners, all the races are open to outsiders who will run separately and can contact the organisers direct for entry.
More info
CC – Certified Course details
Ranking
Race website
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