Snow represents one of the classical elements of skyrunning, especially at high altitude. To stay in line with the concept and to expand the sport to winter racing and lower altitudes – welcome SkySnow – the new skyrunning discipline and the first SkySnow World Championships to launch it globally.
Marino Giacometti, skyrunning founder and President of the International Skyrunning Federation, stated, “We’re really excited to put this new discipline on the international stage so fast. SkySnow perfectly embodies the history of this sport which was born running across snow fields and glaciers.”
“Edition zero” of the SkySnow World Championships will take place on February 4-5, 2022, in Andalusia at the Sierra Nevada Ski and Mountain Resort, Monachil, Granada, Spain.
The events kick off on Friday, February 4 with the SkySnow Running Sierra Nevada Vertical, a 4.3 km long course with 950m vertical climb to 3,050m altitude.
Saturday’s SkySnow Running Sierra Nevada Classic race will start at dusk. Athletes will face the 925m vertical climb over the 12.5 km course wearing headlamps and warm clothing to face the very low temperatures expected after dark.
SkySnow consists of running on snow wearing micro crampons. Two categories exist: Vertical (under 5 km with a minimum 15% incline) and Classic (over 9 km with a minimum total incline of 3% and sections over 10%). Youth categories have also been introduced.
The SkySnow World Championships were proposed by FEDME, the ISF Member for Spain, just 18 months after the introduction of the discipline at the ISF General Annual Assembly. Spain and Italy didn’t waste time and immediately began organising competitions on a national level early in 2021. The relatively short distances and minimal vertical climb without great technical difficulty, are a recipe for immediate popularity across a wide user target in many countries with winter snow.
Alberto Ayora Hirsch, FEDME President, comments:
“It’s a pleasure, as President of FEDME, to welcome all the athletes participating in this wonderful event, especially those representing other countries affiliated to the ISF. This excellent organisation celebrates a brilliant ten-year path to 2022 and realises the dream of every organiser, to become the first SkySnow World Championships.
“I’m confident that we can all enjoy two days of events in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains where the people, the sunset, the cold will represent a memorable experience celebrating the 2022 SkySnow World Championships,” he concluded.
