Sydney McIntosh shares her experience at the Youth Champs and UTMB

September 12, 2025

Sidney McIntosh lives in Truckee California, is 18 years old and currently attending college in San Luis Obispo, California.

This summer Sidney competed in both the Youth Skyrunning World Champions (L’Aquila, ITA) and The YCC (Youth race at the UTMB in Chamonix, France). We also had the pleasure of hosting Sidney at our first Youth Skyrunning Camp in Abruzzo, ITA.

Sidney earned a bronze medal in both The SkyRace© and combined category at the Youth Skyrunning World Champs. She followed that up just a few weeks later with a silver medal in the YCC.

We had a chance to catch up with the up and coming trail and skyrunning shogun- Let’s see what she had to say…

Photo: ©Jakub Stryk

“I had an amazing summer filled with new experiences, meaningful friendships, and the chance to race against some of the best youth trail runners in the world. I'm proud of my performance at the Youth Skyrunning World Championships, where I placed 3rd overall, and at the UTMB YCC, where I earned 2nd place in both the 15k and "The Revenge" race the following day. These races challenged me in new ways and taught me how to dig deep and keep pushing, even when things got tough.

I was lucky to travel through Italy and France and two places that stood out were Abruzzo and Chamonix. In Abruzzo, I got to live like a local running hidden trails into valleys and mountains. The small community there was incredibly welcoming and the peaceful atmosphere made it a perfect training environment. That camp helped me develop skills I hadn’t focused on much back home like steep climbing, descending, power hiking, and scrambling. Being part of the U.S. Junior Team was such a cool experience. I met trail runners with similar goals and passions, which meant a lot to me since I don’t have much of a youth trail running scene in my hometown. I’m still in touch with teammates and plan to keep those friendships going!

Chamonix was more touristy, but I stayed in a quieter neighborhood about 10 minutes from the center. The trails there were unreal- massive climbs, breathtaking views, and routes that made every run exciting. Even after three weeks, the scenery never really got old. Adjusting to a different culture was part of the challenge, but I embraced it. I tried to live like a local eating later, having espresso shots instead of full cups of coffee, and fueling myself with simple, whole foods. I actually felt stronger on the trails because of it. I didn’t follow a strict training plan while I was there. I ran for fun, listened to my body, and took rest when I needed it. In Chamonix, I ended up running more than usual just because I enjoyed it so much.

One of the hardest parts was racing the UTMB YCC alone. At first I signed up just to participate but after doing well at Skyrunning, I decided to compete seriously. Not having a coach or teammates with me added pressure but it taught me how to stay calm, focused, and independent in stressful situations. At the start of summer, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to take my trail running career. But now, after racing some of the biggest events in the world I know this is just the beginning. I’m excited to keep pushing myself and competing at the highest level I can!

Photo ©International Skyrunning Federation