SkyUltra is the 63.0km skyultra at Skyrunning World Championships 2026 (Vallehermoso, Spain). The race starts on September 19, 2026 at 05:00 AM. It starts in Vallehermoso and finishes in San Sebastián de La Gomera. The time limit is 13 h 30 min.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- 665m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 40% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Final 784m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 35.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 52.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 2.3km–19.6km · Descent of 272m averaging 13%, climb of 823m, descent of 665m averaging 9%. Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Work · 19.6km–35.9km · Climb of 854m, high point 1030m, descent of 754m averaging 12%. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Fade · 35.9km–52.3km · Climb of 653m, climb of 507m. Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 52.3km–61.2km · Descent of 784m averaging 9%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.
Course
The course climbs 4100m+. With 65m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 7.0km at an average 11.8% grade (823m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.9km at an average 8.8% grade (784m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 58.4% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 49.2% over 0.4km. Surface: 60% trail, 17% road, 16% technical, and 6% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 96.8 FlatKM.
Poles
Trekking poles are worth taking: about 9.3km of the course favours them.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is high (index 50 of 100), with 40% of the load in the first half: 3 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 35.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 52.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- #3 · 3.1–5.2 km · 272 m D−, -12.6% · 56.0 km ahead → control
- #1 · 12.2–19.6 km · 665 m D−, -8.9% · 41.6 km ahead → control
- 25.6–28.0 km · 287 m D−, -12.1% · 33.2 km ahead → your pace
- #2 · 29.7–35.9 km · 754 m D−, -12.1% · 25.3 km ahead → control
- 52.2–61.2 km · 784 m D−, -8.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
- Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.
Weather
On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 22°C to 23°C, with around 18°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 5%.
Results
87 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: CRISTIAN MINOGGIO (Italy) in 6:12:11. Women's winner: SHANGAVE BALENDRAN (Norway) in 7:27:15.
This page has the full results and splits, a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for SkyUltra.
