Skyrunning is very diverse, with distances ranging from 20 to just under 60 km, and with a huge mix of landscapes and weather conditions. The range of technical difficulty varies, too, but the one constant is the significant amount of climbing (and the unique views!) on offer.
Although some sky races are ultra marathons, you don’t need to be ready to run an ultra to get into skyrunning. Most people are attracted to the sport for the interesting routes and the opportunity to spend a great day out in the mountains - sounds ideal right? Alecsa Stewart explains the best way to get a taste of the sport.
How can I get into skyrunning?
The 2023 Skyrunner UK & Ireland Series champions, Alicia Schwarzenbach and George Fisher, both love sky races because they’re an opportunity to “take in the best technical terrain of an area,” as George puts it. Racing in a controlled environment on a well-marked route with marshals and first-aiders on hand, also opens up this type of mountain adventure to those who are still getting to grips with running in more remote areas.
Alicia and George shared that climbing (in indoor gyms or outdoors) played a big part in getting them comfortable with using their whole body to move fast in the mountains. Additionally, indoor climbing can help you get used to being high up (such as on an exposed mountain ridge), while building core strength, which is essential for stability and balance.
Other key areas to focus on are climbing and descending skills, navigation, managing mountain conditions (including tricky orienteering and changing weather), and technical underfoot conditions. But you don’t need to start focusing on all of that at once, or on your own.
Skyrunning workshops and courses
Organisations like Mountain Run, Girls on Hills, Run the Wild, and Run the Highlands are allowing more people than ever to become familiar with mountain adventures and skyrunning. You can book onto a workshop to discover what it takes to move fast on mountainous terrain in the UK, and even develop specific skills like downhill running or using trekking poles. Many of these days out include opportunities to run with people who race in the skyrunning circuit themselves, so you can pick their brains all things skyrunning, too.
It’s important to note that skyrunning, just like the wider trail running environment, has changed a lot in recent years, focusing on diversity and inclusion. Certainly, softer language and the addition of "feeder" races is opening up the sport to those who might have hesitated before.
Introductory skyrunning races
We’ve said before that there’s never been a better time to get into skyrunning. Race directors are expanding the options around key events to offer feeder races or tasters that show you what skyrunning is about without the same commitment as the main events.
For example, the Snowdon Skyrace is the main skyrunning event organised by Apex Running - a 40km race with 3,150m of ascent and grade 1 scrambles (grades explained below). Running alongside it, those less experienced can try out the 16km Fairy Trail on fast, runnable terrain and with "just” 950m of ascent. Or, if you're feeling more adventurous, there’s the Copper Skytrail extending over 24km and 1,750m of ascent, on technical, rocky terrain.
From 2024, you can also test yourself at the ultra distance with the 14 Peaks Ultra (52 km, 3,900m of ascent). The organisation states clearly that the Skyrace and 14 Peaks Ultra “routes were designed to offer a real test of mountain running, speed, endurance and technical ability on a truly uncompromising course, designed to challenge skyrunners of all abilities.”
Similarly, the Seven Sisters Skyline Ireland offers both the 55km event, with a gruelling 4,000m of elevation gain, and the more introductory 30km race with 2,100m of climbing. At all these races, while runners are competitive at the front of the pack, there is a great supportive atmosphere for everyone who starts.
Skyrunning in the UK
Skyrunning in the UK can be wild, rugged, and exciting. Though it may not reach the lofty heights of the European Alps, you'll find plenty of scrambling, exposed ridges, and interesting routes. As this year’s UK & Ireland Series champ Alicia says, these are the routes you’ll remember for a long time and the very definition of “a great day out.” George echoes the feeling: “these are often not the fastest way around, but the most interesting and beautiful way to discover the mountains.”
The easiest way to find the best UK-based skyrunning races is to check out the UK & Ireland Series participants. In 2023, these have included the wilds of the Welsh peaks, some serious climbing in the Scottish Highlands (featuring the highest peak in the UK, Ben Nevis), superb single tracks and ridges in the Lake District, and bagging all of the Seven Sisters in the Derryveagh Mountains in Ireland.
Additionally, in 2024, the Skyrunning World Series is bigger and more exciting than ever, with technical races across three continents, from Italy, to Mexico, to South Korea. The series culminates in the SkyMasters season finale, to be held next November in the Serra d’Espadà Natural Park in Spain. The Marató dels Dements will be open for regular registrations, but will also invite all top skyrunners from around the world (including National Series winners) to compete for the podium of the World Series.
Scrambling grades explained:
Grade 1 – Essentially an exposed walking route, according to the British Mountaineering Council. Requires the use of hands and feet but is pretty straightforward, not requiring ropes or protection.
Grades 2 & 3 – Closer to rock climbing, with sections where a rope should be used, and that only the more confident and experienced should attempt.
Who is The Elite Trail Team?
The Elite Trail Team aims to enhance elite runners' performance with a holistic approach that brings together world-recognised experts, learning from other high performance sports and environments, and underpinned by a focus on athlete health and wellbeing. Its vision is to bring world-class support to trail running, while helping progress the sport. Check out The Elite Trail Team on Instagram.