Coming this summer…. Pack the car baby, we’re goin’ Skyrunning!
Skyrunning is taking flight in the Americas from the Olympic Mountains of The Beast SkyRace® to the Sierras of The Broken Arrow SkyRace® and crossing the border to the Canadian Rockies to celebrate The Minotuaur SkyRace®… and now Skyrunning has landed in the Adirondacks with The Whiteface SkyRace® and Vertical Kilometer®. What do you love more, Christmas or skyrunning?.. Woop Woop, it’s here!
There’s a summer calendar full of skyrunning to be had, do you have the legs for it!?
“The skyrunning Christmas eagle has landed and I’m still pinching myself” said US Skyrunning Coach and Director, Ryan Kerrigan -”At some point I think I’d resolved myself to just being a cowboy skyrunning coach without a national platform, supporting those athletes passionate enough and able to make the trip to The EU where skyrunning events thrive.
With several certified events now in place within our own continent, this opens access points and potential structure for the sport to truly blossom. It’s very meaningful for athletes who love the sport deeply, and provides a platform to help American skyrunners climb higher together in the US, as well as challenge their European rivals…. It still feels surreal.”
Where in The US will skyrunning land next, you ask? We have some MORE exciting news coming soon!…
US Skyrunning had a chance to catch up with Ian Golden, director of The Whiteface SkyRace® and Vertical Kilometer®
“Making the turn into Whiteface Mountain's entry drive, with the intent of covering the mountain in race form, you immediately feel a blend of emotion. You dip down towards the river which magnifies just how big, how steep, the mountain is. You can see most of the course, feeling like a wall set out before you. No false summits, or summit ridgelines setback only revealing a portion. Around top 20 in Vertical Gain of Ski Resorts in North America, the most east of the Rockies. A lineup of International flags bringing you in, a reminder of its place in Olympic history. Lodge and lift updates and tight grounds convey care, but without a commercial village of international corporations waiting for your wallet. You're there for the mountain, and it's big.
I initially reached out to Karl Meltzer, at the time with Speedgoat rolling, to see if he'd be interested in forming a race series with me using resorts. That didn't shake out, but along with friend Jan Wellford, an ADK local and beast, and a really supportive crew and management at Whiteface, we crafted what would be the Whiteface SkyRace®, part of the 2015 inaugural year of the newly formed US Skyrunning Series. The terrain that we can access (true summit is off limits secondary to wildlife conservation), it didn't and doesn't have high alpine exposed rock slabs and ridges, boulder or scree fields that often represent what people expect to see in mountain and skyracing in points west or International. In the opening years, as we posted live images that conveyed out to Series updates, we received return requests of whether we could get pictures of something that looked more alpine or exposed, looked harder, looked more than grassy slopes.
For all those benign yet beautiful images, what may not be conveyed, is that Whiteface offers more elevation gain per distance than anything on the skyrunner series at that time, more than virtually any other race in North America. Being more "runable" doubles down on it. You're not limited by technical rock scrambles or pitches, but by your cardio pulmonary system on the ascent, but what your quads or toes jamming the front of your shoes can withstand on the descent. In that way there's no excuses for fitness and toughness. Just you and a big steep mountain. We've had rain and sleet, slopes turned to slicks. Wicked hot temps and exposure. High winds and still days. The mountain decides.
I look forward to seeing whether skyrunning can catch fire again in the US. Whiteface isn't clean smooth singletrack switchbacks. It's pretty direct and steep lines. Quite possibly the only location east of the Rockies where you can reach the Vertical Kilmeter® official criteria. A SkyRace® with more vert per mile than anything in North America. It is "Sky" at its core and stoked to be part of the rekindling in The US.” -Ian Golden, Director Whiteface Mountain Races
The Beast of Big Creek SkyRace® is added to The 2026 Skyrunner® World Series Calendar.
Skryunning is not only springing new roots but also calling in the big dogs from The EU and around the world. The Beast SkyRace® will have a moment in the global skyrunning spotlight! Watch for more details on this event and commentary from Beast director, Mathias Eichler
What’s US Skyrunning dreaming up now?
Is your camp a skyrunning camp?…
Would you like it to be?
Fill out our questionnaire and see if your camp qualifies, there’s no fee.
Happy oxygen deprived campers at our inaugural Youth Skyrunning Camp in The Maiella National Park, Italy- And warm-up to the Youth Skyrunning World Championships at nearby Gran Sasso, Italy.
So….What’s on your skyrunning wish-list this year?Are you a skyrunning junkie on a budget?
Here’s a membership program that actually puts affordable shoes on your feet and tech wear on your back… and don’t forget the shades!
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US Skyrunning Pro and Vert Members will receive a $15 gift card to use on their first purchase.
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Create an account (email + password)
Click Verify. Upload a picture of your US Skyrunning Vert Member Receipt
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**Note you won't be able to access the education content discounts until you verify your email address.
Pick up your US Skyrunning Membership Today!
Thanks for helping US Skyrunners to climb higher.
Skyrunners are made in the winter,
let’s Groove!
The daylight hours are fading- That means two things- It’s time to stoke the winter training base and your playlist! We need some Music for Skyrunning to!
Playlist is available on Spotify @skyrunningusa or click here
*Some new additions for this week!
“Fears” -MTNS
“Sound System” -Operation Ivy
“Catch these fists” -Wet Leg
