One of the most gruelling events on the skyrunning calendar was won yesterday by Britain’s Salomon Trail Team in both men’s and women’s categories in the first-ever SkyRaid® World Championship in the Italian Alps. 

The three-man team event is split in three stages covering 85 km with a gruelling 5.000m vertical ascent and descent – a course that would take a normal trekker seven days to complete!

The winning trio comprised Tom Owens, Ricky Lightfoot and Andy Symonds who secured victory in 8h52’53”.  Owens took command of the 42km SkyMarathon® by reaching the crossover point ten minutes ahead  of last year’s winner Fabio Bonfanti over an exceptionally demanding course, extended by an extra kilometre to circumnavigate snow fields lying along the upper sections. For the rest, the day blistered in a 30° heat.  Second place went to Italy’s Altitude team with Fabio Bonfanti, Paolo Gotti and Michele Semperboni, closing in 8h58’21” and third, Valetudo Skyrunning Italia, lead by  a strong Helmut Shiessl, in 9h16’31”.

The second section comprised a 30 km SkyRace®  with a starting altitude of 2,000m, followed by a demanding SkyClimb® - ”only” 12 km long but with a 750m steep scramble up the Presolana Pass  and 1,400m of punishing downhill to the finish line.

Britain’s prowess was echoed by the Salomon Trail women’s team with Anna Frost, Natalie White and Anna Lupton, closing in 10h57’36”, 17 minutes ahead of Italy’s Fly-Up Sport team, with Carolina Tiraboschi, Stephanie Jemenez and Rossana Morè.

Looking for more thrills?  Check out for the Vertical Kilometer® World Championship for nations on July 16 in Canazei in the heart of the Italian Dolomites where the world’s top skyrunners will contend the title.

Full race results

www.orobieskyraid.it

More info: www.mudsweatandtears.co.uk

Men
1. SALOMON TRAIL TEAM MEN UK 08.52.59 (OWENS TOM 04.53.56 – LIGHTFOOT RICKY 02.57.54 – SYMONDS ANDY 01.01.09)
2. ASD GS ALTITUDE 08.58.21 (BONFANTI FABIO 05.04.58 – GOTTI PAOLO 02.50.37 – SEMERBONI MICHELE 01.02.46)
3. VALETUDO SKYRUNNING ITALIA 09.16.31 (FENAROLI MAURIZIO 05.14.37 – SCHIESSL HELMUT 02.59.11 – CASSI CLAUDIO 01.02.43)