From June 6 to 8, 2025, over three days, the 3rd South American Skyrunning Championships, held in the Andes Mountains of Calahuanca, Peru, saw host nation Peru claim the overall first place, demonstrating overwhelming skill. Chile followed in second place, and Brazil in third, showcasing fierce competition. Despite being held in Peru for the first time, the event was a success, filled with passionate athletes.
Marcahuasi's Rugged Mountains Test Athletes' Determination
The competition took place against the backdrop of the rugged Andean mountains, organized by 'Marcahuasi Ultra Skyrunning.' All three classic skyrunning disciplines – VERTICAL, SKY, and SKYULTRA – were contested, with athletes from seven South American countries battling for 27 medals across individual, combined, and national titles.
Day 1 Vertical: Peru's Dominant Start
The championship kicked off on Friday, June 6, with the Vertical discipline. On a perfect Vertical Kilometer® course featuring a 4.5km distance, 1,000m of vertical gain, and a maximum altitude of 2,810m, Peru's Fran Muñoz claimed the gold medal. He outpaced Bolivia's Alvaro Quemaya by one minute, with Chile's Cristobal Stack taking the bronze.
In the women's race, Chile's Nazareth Stack won gold, and Peru's Trinidad Ortiz took silver in a close contest. Notably, Argentina's Veronica Galvan secured a bronze medal, marking Argentina's first-ever medal in the Skyrunning Championships, a significant achievement.
SKYULTRA: The Lord of the Highlands, Emerson Trujillo's Golden Run
Saturday featured the most grueling course, the SKYULTRA discipline. With a distance of 59km, a vertical gain of 3,400m, and a maximum altitude approaching 4,000m, this course demanded extreme endurance from the athletes. The host nation's athletes overwhelmingly dominated this challenging course, with Peru's Emerson Trujillo and Sayda Quispe securing gold medals in the men's and women's categories, respectively.
Emerson Trujillo, in particular, a veteran athlete who was the 2023 Brazil SKYULTRA champion and placed 5th at the 2024 World Championships in Spain, dominated the race from start to finish with overwhelming skill. He won, leaving Chile's Luis Soto 22 minutes behind and Argentina's Fernando Quiroga 40 minutes behind.
After his victory, Trujillo commented, "Winning this medal in my country feels even more precious than the one I won in Brazil. I am very happy to welcome athletes from all over South America to my mountains here and to share our passion for skyrunning. I hope this competition helps develop skyrunning in South America and shows the world the great potential we have."
Peru's dominance was further cemented in the women's category by Sayda Quispe, who won by nearly 30 minutes over Brazil's Jasieli Della Rosa and 45 minutes over Chile's Tamara Veliz, demonstrating the strength of Peruvian skyrunning.
Final SKY: Peru's Medal Spree and Combined Title Glory
Sunday featured the SKY discipline, utilizing parts of the SKYULTRA course. With a distance of 37km, a vertical gain of 2,800m, and a maximum altitude reaching 4,000m, the course remained advantageous for Peruvian athletes. Peru's Fran Muñoz earned another gold medal, also securing the COMBINED title. He once again stood on the highest step of the podium, surpassing his teammate Octavio Chiri and Bolivia's Alvaro Quemaya.
In the women's category, Peru's Trinidad Ortiz, who won silver in Friday's Vertical, claimed gold, with Yasmil Lopez taking silver, sweeping the podium for Peruvian athletes. Chile's Nazareth Stack added a bronze medal.
In the men's Combined discipline, which aggregates the Vertical and SKY results, Fran Muñoz won his third gold medal thanks to his incredible double victory. Bolivia's Alvaro Quemaya took silver, and Argentina's Rodrigo Chandia secured bronze.
In the women's Combined discipline, Trinidad Ortiz and Nazareth Stack both reached the podium after a fierce competition, earning gold and silver, respectively. Brazil's Ewelin Ribeiro added a bronze medal.
Host Nation's Pride and the Future of South American Skyrunning
Ricardo Rivadeneira, organizer of the Marcahuasi Ultra Skyrunning, stated, "I am very pleased with the success of this event. I am proud to have been able to show the beauty of Peru and Marcahuasi Ultra to so many wonderful athletes. I am sure they will cherish this high-level event in their memories, just as we will."
Seven teams from across South America participated in this year's competition, with host nation Peru finishing first in the country rankings. Chile and Brazil followed in second and third place, respectively, while Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia also earned points. Overall, five countries received medals, showing a balanced distribution.
The 3rd South American Skyrunning Championships, with its high altitudes, rugged mountain terrain, and the passion and talent of its athletes, clearly demonstrated the growth and potential this continent holds in the field of skyrunning.
Detailed Medal Standings (2025 South American Skyrunning Championships)
VERTICAL
Men: Gold: Fran Muñoz (Peru) 45’20” Silver: Alvaro Quemaya (Bolivia) 46’22” Bronze: Cristobal Stack (Chile) 46’36” Women: Gold: Nazareth Stack (Chile) 54’43” Silver: Trinidad Ortiz (Peru) 55’13” Bronze: Veronica Galvan (Argentina) 58’03”
SKYULTRA
Men: Gold: Emerson Trujillo (Peru) 6h27’34” Silver: Luis Soto (Chile) 6h49’24” Bronze: Fernando Quiroga (Argentina) 7h06’44” Women: Gold: Sayda Quispe (Peru) 8h05’28” Silver: Jasieli Della Rosa (Brazil) 8h32’44” Bronze: Tamara Veliz (Chile) 8h50’13”
SKY
Men: Gold: Fran Muñoz (Peru) 3h50’39” Silver: Octavio Chiri (Peru) 3h52’25” Bronze: Alvaro Quemaya (Bolivia) 4h01’33” Women: Gold: Trinidad Ortiz (Peru) 4h55’05” Silver: Yasmil Lopez (Peru) 5h02’10” Bronze: Nazareth Stack (Chile) 5h12’00”
COMBINED TITLES
Men: Gold: Fran Muñoz (Peru) Silver: Alvaro Quemaya (Bolivia) Bronze: Rodrigo Chandia (Argentina) Women: Gold: Trinidad Ortiz (Peru) Silver: Nazareth Stack (Chile) Bronze: Ewelin Ribeiro (Brazil)
COUNTRY RANKING
Gold: Peru Silver: Chile Bronze: Brazil
Skyrunning: The Allure of a True 'Sky Running' Sport
Skyrunning, as defined by the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF), refers to "running in the mountains at altitudes of 2,000m or more with an incline of 6% or more." Skyrunning is an extreme sport that demands technical climbing elements, endurance, and high-altitude adaptation simultaneously. Especially in races like this one, held at altitudes approaching 4,000m, the challenge is on a completely different level than running on flat terrain. Low oxygen levels push athletes' cardiorespiratory systems to their limits, while steep inclines and unstable terrain increase the risk of injury. However, the sense of accomplishment upon overcoming these adversities and reaching the summit, coupled with the majestic and beautiful scenery of the Andes Mountains, offers skyrunning athletes a unique experience unattainable in any other sport.
Growth Drivers and Potential of South American Skyrunning
South America, with the Andes Mountains as its natural endowment, is optimally suited for the development of skyrunning. This championship served as an important opportunity to showcase this potential to the world. The overwhelming performance of Peruvian athletes is attributed to their familiarity with high-altitude terrain and their physical abilities, honed from childhood in mountainous environments. Indeed, many residents in Peru and other countries surrounding the Andes Mountains are traditionally adapted to high-altitude living, which provides an advantage in high-altitude sports like skyrunning.
Furthermore, recent investments in sports infrastructure and the revitalization of sports marketing in South American countries have contributed to increased interest and participation in extreme sports like skyrunning. With the enhancement of athletes' skills, professional event management, strengthened promotional activities, and efforts to engage local communities, South American skyrunning is expected to grow even faster. All eyes are now on how South American athletes will perform on the international stage and whether skyrunning can establish itself as a new 'killer content' in South American sports.
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
