Introducing the events
Since the first extreme races in 1992, the first World Championship in 1998 and the introduction of the Skyrunner® World Series in 2004, skyrunning has grown to become a globally renowned sport governed by the International Skyrunning Federation. More recently National Series and Continental Championships have been introduced. The sport is practised in more than 65 nations and counts followers from 126 countries.
ISF championships
2020 Skyrunning World Championships (2021)
After the postponement due to Covid19, the 2020 Skyrunning World Championships will be held from 9-11 July 2021 at the BUFF® Mountain Festival in the Vall de Boí in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Here, athletes will confront each other in the three skyrunning disciplines: VERTICAL, SKY and SKYULTRA. World titles and 27 medals are at stake which will be awarded to Individuals and Official Teams as well as a Combined title based on the best results of the Vertical and Sky races.
2021 Youth Skyrunning World Championships
The annual Youth Skyrunning World Championships were introduced in 2016. The fifth edition in 2020 has been cancelled and rescheduled to 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions and will take place again in Italy with the Gran Sasso Vertical Kilometer® on July 30 and the Gran Sasso SkyRace® on August 1, 2021 in Fonte Cerreto, L’Aquila, Italy. Three categories, Youth A (15-17), Youth B (18-20) and U23 (21-23) will compete in the Vertical and Sky disciplines for the 54 medals at stake and individual and combined titles.
2021 Skyrunning Continental Championships
The 2021 Skyrunning Continental Championships will be held in Europe at Pisão Extreme in Portugal, November 19-20.
The races may be open to both individuals and national teams, depending on the Continent. Individual continental titles and medals are awarded in each discipline. A combined title based on the best results of the Vertical and Sky races is awarded only in Continents where all the disciplines are disputed.
2021 VK OPEN Championship
The new VK OPEN Championship features nine races in six countries stretching from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle.
All the races have two things in common: the ISF Certified Course Label and parameters that fit the VERTICAL discipline: 1,000m vertical climb over five kilometres distance.
As the name suggests, the VK OPEN is open to all athletes. The VK OPEN Champion title will be awarded to the male and female winners at the final together with cash prizes.
Sanctioned circuits
2021 Skyrunner® World Series
The Skyrunner® World Series was launched in 2004 and has grown to represent the peak of outdoor running defined by altitude and technicality. After the cancellation in 2020 due to Covid19, the 2021 Series features thirteen races in three Continents.
2021 Skyrunner® National Series
The Skyrunner® National Series are based on the same principle as the World Series, awarding titles and prizes at the finals. The Series were introduced in 2014 and represent a platform for athletes to try skyrunning on a national level, before moving on to the international scene. In 2019 12 countries in three continents featured Skyrunner® National Series.
2021 Vertical World Circuit®
From the world’s highest mountains to the world’s tallest buildings, vertical running falls under the auspices of the ISF. Since 2009, annual Vertical World Circuit® unites iconic skyscrapers in a circuit awarding world titles and cash prizes. The 2021 calendar will be announced at the beginning of the year.
