The star-studded field counted a record 650 athletes from thirteen nations, with eleven nations qualifying in the final ranking based on the sum of points scored in the Vertical Kilometer® held nine days ago in Canazei, together with today’s SkyMarathon®.
Spain’s skyrunning phenomenon and reigning world champion, Kilian Jornet, with Italian Marco De Gasperi, six-times World Mountain Running champion hot on his heels, led the field in a class of their own over the 32km course with a gruelling 4,800m total ascent and descent.
Jornet beat his own course record for the third time, reaching the finish to the roar of an ecstatic crowd in 3h01’14”. The duo raced neck and neck until the third and final ascent where De Gasperi surrendered to Jornet’s punishing pace and crossed the line in 3h’04’34”. Spain’s Luis Alberto Hernando, a relative newcomer on the international scene, came an excellent third in 3h11’00”.
France, the ISF’s most recent member nation, had Laetitia Roux leading from the start, easily outshining her rivals in the strong women’s field to close with a new record in 3h46’40, comfortably ahead of Spain’s Mireia Mirò, second in 3h53’52”. Standing World Champion, Italy’s Emanuela Brizio, suffered the stiff competition especially on the ascent, and reached the finish in 3.58’19”.
Champions from past and present took part in this first World Championship since the inception of the International Skyrunning Federation in 2008. The line-up included skyrunning legend Ricardo Mejia from Mexico, Spain’s Agustí Roc, three-times world champion and France’s Corinne Favre, past world champion.
The next occasion for nations to contend the world championship title will have to wait for the 2012 SkyGames® where the “high altitude Olympics” will take place in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Leading positions
Men
1 JORNET KILIAN (SALOMON SANTIVERI) ESP 3:01:14
2 DE GASPERI MARCO (FORESTALE) ITA 3:04:34
3 HERNANDO LUIS ALBERTO ESP 3:11:00
4 CASTANIER TOFOL (SALOMON SANTIVERI) ESP 3:11:49
5 GOLINELLI GES RANCIO">NICOLA ITA 3:12:50
6 OWENS TOM (SALOMON TRAIL TEAM) GBR 3:13:02
Women
1 ROUX LAETITIA (TEAM SALOMON) FRA 3:46:40
2 MIRO MIREIA (FEEC) ESP 3:53:52
3 BRIZIO EMANUELA (VALETUDO) ITA 3:58:19
4 JIMENEZ STEPHANIE (SALOMON SANTIVERI) FRA 3:59:12
Full results
Individual combined points:
Men
Nicola Golinelli (ITA) – 160 points
Luis A Hernando (SPA) – 152 points
Agustí Roc (SPA) – 132 points
Women
Laetitia Roux (FRA) – 200 points
Mireia Mirò (ESP) – 156 points
Monica Ardid (ESP) – 130 points
Nations
Italy – 630 points
Spain – 612 points
France – 358 points
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