The first of the weekend’s 2024 Skyrunning World Championships kicked off today, September 6, with the VERTICAL discipline where Spain took both the men’s and women’s gold medals on home ground.
With 34 nations participating, the competition was hot. The silver medals went to USA and Switzerland, while Italy took both the bronze.
The host venue, Desafío Urbión in Soria, Spain, specially designed the VK Los Neveros in the small town of Ágreda for the Championships – 4.8 km long with a 1,050m vertical climb, topping out at 2,117m altitude.
Rain and swirling mists dominated the first part of the course, with cold winds greeting the runners at the summit before the sun surfaced for the women’s race.
Companions in life and on the podium, Alain Santamaría and Naiara Irigoyen are the 2024 VERTICAL World Champions. The winning time was 40’56”, and just four seconds behind was American Joseph DeMoor who took the silver followed by Italian Alex Oberbacher for the bronze.
“I tried my best and it gave my all, but I couldn’t clinch the victory. It was a battle to the last metre, but Alain was stronger in the end,” commented Demoor, 2022 VERTICAL World Champion. “I’m stronger on the steepest part, so it’s no surprise he did a better sprint, but this is skyrunning and I’m so happy to be part of this again. I couldn’t repeat the gold, but silver is good enough!”
The women’s field saw a tight podium with Irigoyen closing in 50’08”, Switzerland’s Paola Stampanoni, taking the silver and Italy’s Benedetta Broggi the bronze, just 35” off the winning time.
Irigoyen stated, “I kept pushing as I didn’t know how far those behind me were, so I was totally focussed on my race. After the finish line I was told that Alain, my partner, also won the gold, so it’s a double joy! Two golds in the house!”
Celebrating the tenth edition of the Desafío Urbión, both the VERTICAL and the SKYULTRA courses were specially designed for the Championships. Soria, the centre of the events, is located in a Natural Park in the mountains of the Sierra de Urbión surrounded by carefully tended agricultural areas, fields of sunflowers, forests of Scots pine and green hills stretching as far as the eye can see.
This eighth edition of the Skyrunning World Championships represent the biggest to date with a record 41 countries from five continents participating. Three skyrunning disciplines make up the World Championships – VERTICAL, SKY and SKYULTRA where world titles and 27 medals are at stake for Individuals and Official Teams, together with a Combined title based on the best results of the VERTICAL and SKY races.
With one down and two to go, Saturday, 7 September is the turn of the Desafío Urbión SkyUltra – 70 km long with 4,350m vertical climb followed by Sunday’s SKY discipline, the Desafío Urbión – 37 km long with 2,540m vertical climb.
FEDME, the Spanish Mountain Sports Federation and ISF Member for Spain, sanctions the events. Following ISF protocol, WADA antidoping tests will be carried out.
VERTICAL results
Men
Gold – Alain Santamaría (ESP) 40’56”
Silver – Joseph DeMoor (USA) 41’00”
Bronze – Alex Oberbacher (ITA) 42’11”
Women
Gold – Naiara Irigoyen (ESP) 50’08”
Silver – Paola Stampanoni (SUI) 50’27”
Bronze – Benedetta Broggi (ITA) 50’42”
